The Uganda National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NFP) was established by the Government of Uganda in 2001 to coordinate activities to prevent, combat and eradicate the problem of the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons (SALW).
The NFP is an inter-agency body comprising Government ministries and agencies, as well as organized civil society that have some role in addressing the small arms issue. The NFP functions as the link between regional and national-level institutions. The Secretariat of the NFP is located within the Ministry of International Affairs. The NFP is administered by the Coordinator, under the supervision of the Permanent Secretary and political direction of the Minister.
The mandate of the NFP is derived from a number of protocols, programmes of action and declarations on SALWs to which Uganda is signatory. These instruments, for which the NFP is responsible for their implementation at national level, include:
- United Nations Program of Action
- United Nations Protocol
- Bamako Declaration
- Nairobi Protocol
The Problem of Small Arms
Uganda is believed to have large stockpiles of SALW. These stocks are held by the military, the police and other state security establishments, as well as the licensed privately owned arms. However, a sizeable amount of the small arms holdings are in illicit possession, in the hands of insurgents, armed communities and criminals.
Illicit small arms proliferation is attributed to past political instability, civil wars and armed conflicts, poor management and control of weapons, inflows from conflicts in the region, as well as illicit transfers and trafficking from other regions of the world due to inadequate regulation of international arms trade and transfers.
Uncontrolled SALW devastate lives and livelihoods, fomenting conflict, crime, terrorism, hindering development and exacerbating poverty. In Uganda and across the region, small arms have been used to kill thousands of people in conflict, cattle rustling and criminal activities, thousands more are injured, terrorised, or are forced out of their homes into lives as refugees or internally displaced persons.
Strategies to tackle the Problem
Small arms issues are complex and multi-dimensional in nature. This calls for comprehensive strategies involving governments and the civil society at national and international levels. A comprehensive and coordinated approach has, therefore been adopted to deal with the issue in a sustainable way.
These strategies are aimed at:
• Tackling the enormous volume of weapons already in circulation.
• Implementing proper measures to account for and secure governments stocks, etc
NFP to destroy 3000 tons of ammunition (November 2006)
The National Focal Point on small arms is finalizing preparations to carry out another massive destruction exercise. In May 2006, the biggest destruction exercise in Africa was undertaken. Over 60,000 firearms were destroyed in an exercise that brought together the Police and UPDF in a joint destruction exercise coordinated by NFP and supported by UNDP and SaferAfrica.
In the Month of November, the NFP will undertake the destruction of over 300 tones of ammunition that have been lying redundant in several military and police facilities around the country.
NFP hosts country coordinators (September 2006)
The NFP has held a number of activities in the year 2006. In September, the NFP hosted coordinators from countries within the Great Lakes Region and Horn of Africa for a week long Inter-State exchange program to share experience and lessons learned from implementing the Nairobi Declaration and Nairobi Protocol for the prevention and eradication of Small arms.
The coordinators from Eritrea, Sudan, Ethiopia and Seychelles were on a study tour to exchange ideas and lessons learnt from Uganda's experience in implementing the Nairobi Declaration & Nairobi Protocol for the prevention and eradication of small arms. While in Uganda, the participants visited the Office of the Prime Minister where the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister talked to them about the Karamoja Integrated Development and Disarmament Plan, a development initiative to address the small arms problem in Karamoja region.
While on the study tour, the participants visited the Uganda Police headquarters, the violent Crimes crack Unit and the department of private security.
The coordinators also paid a courtesy call on the Minister of State for Internal Affairs Hon. Matia Kasaijja. The Hon. Minister encouraged them to work towards regional cooperation in fighting the small arms problem that is hampering the development in countries within the Great Lakes Region and Horn of Africa.
The Minister also urged the participants to take the lessons learned from Uganda National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons NFP/SALW and apply them in their countries.
The participants asked the Hon. Minister to use his office of Chairman of the Ministerial Council of the East African Police Chiefs Council (EAPCCO) to impress it upon their Governments to follow Uganda's example and urgently implement measures that will address the small arms problem
The minister also stated that if all the states in the Great lakes Region and Horn of Africa forged stronger cooperation links in addressing the small arms problem, then the development initiatives undertaken by the states would enhance economic and social development in the entire region.
IGP awes guests (September 2006)
The NFP hosted a group of focal point coordinators from the countries of Eritrea, Sudan, Ethiopia and Seychelles for a weeklong study tour to learn from Uganda's experience in implementing measures to combat the problem of proliferation of small arms. This tour saw them visit the Police headquarters to meet with the Inspector General of Police.
As the guests waited in the conference room, sipping on cold drinks and chatting away, in strolled the IGP. Giving orders on a mobile phone, he then switched to a second phone to clarify something. The guests stopped all action and stared at the IGP clad in full Police khaki uniform complete with boots. “Good afternoon, sorry am late I had things to attend to from state house; how are you” said major Kale Kayihura as he strode to his seat at the head of the table.
The participants were impressed at the appearance of the pencil-thin gentleman with a deep voice who was the number one Policeman in the Country. The police chief held his guests captive with his wit and candor for the entire session before leaving. No doubt at the end of the session, the guests were impressed with the person of the Inspector General of Government.
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