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A senior researcher at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Dr Kwesi Aning, has expressed worry about the proliferation of arms and weapons in the country, saying it can undermine the relative peace Ghanaians enjoy.

A survey in 2015, Dr Aning said, indicated that about 2.3 million people nationwide owned small arms.

He said out of this number,”39 per cent are in the Northern Region alone; followed by Ashanti,19 per cent; Brong Ahafo,17 per cent; Greater Accra, 16 per cent; Upper East, nine per cent, and Central eight per cent.“
Excellence in Broadcasting Network

Dr Aning made the remark at a lecture in Accra organised by a local media group, the Excellence in Broadcasting Network (EBN), on the theme, “Securing Ghana 2016—fending of threats and safeguarding the peace.”

Dr Aning described the influx of small arms into the country as a threat to  national security owing to the pockets of violence in the country.

Political parties and quest for victory

“Political parties, in their quest for victory, will take the advantage of the proliferation of arms and weapons, and employ the services of idle youth to destabilise the security situation during the elections.

“The potential violence and the intimidation from the use of arms and thugs have the tendency to undermine the credibility of the election and eventually result in post-election violence and conflict, “he explained.

Small arms

Dr Aning observed that small arms remained the primary weapon of intra-and inter-communal feuds, local wars, armed insurrections, armed rebel activities, election violence and terrorism across West Africa in particular and Africa as a whole.

Dr Aning expressed the regret that the weapons were in the hands of civilians who often acted out of impunity using the weapons to terrorise civilian populations, and committing other crimes such as armed robbery, and human rights abuses.

In recent times, the security seized some arms in Kumasi and the Aflao border involving nationals of Ghana’s neighbouring countries.

That, Dr Aning said, demonstrated the fragile security situation in the region and the potential of such regional fragility to undermine Ghana’s relative peace and stability.

“Be that as it may, such arrests have huge implications for Ghana as it prepares for presidential and parliamentary elections in November 2016,”he stated.

Consolidate peace and democracy

Dr Aning said Ghana had progressed in the quest to consolidate peace and democracy over the past decades, but the country, he stated, “continues to be fraught with multiple security challenges which are not national in scope but transnational.”

The recent confusion with residents of Agogo and Fulani migrants, he said, needed to be addressed tactically because it posed security threat.

“As such, I urge that while the country prepares for the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections in November, there is urgent need to build resilient mechanism to avert possible conflict, “he explained.

The security was alert

The Deputy Minister of the Interior, Mr James Agalga, said the security was alert to combat any unlawful act that would compromise the peace Ghanaians were enjoying.

The national security is being proactive, and the government has recently resourced “the police under the presidency of John Dramani Mahama and had received more than 1500 vehicles to complement efforts in providing security, same support had been extended to other security services.”