Small arms in Southern Africa

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Southern Africa, focusing on the failures of disarmament and demobilisation in UN peacekeeping operations and the subsequent rise of illicit arms trafficking. It argues that the lack of effective weapons control during conflict resolution processes has fueled regional instability and criminal activity, while proposing a coordinated regional approach involving SADC, SARPCCO, and the OAU to manage stocks and reduce the culture of violence.

• The proliferation of small arms in sub-Saharan Africa is driven by a combination of historical Cold War transfers, the dumping of unused stocks by developed nations, and the failure of UN peacekeeping missions to implement effective disarmament.
• UN peacekeeping operations often fail in their disarmament and demobilisation tasks because they lack established authority over belligerent parties and fail to provide necessary resources for the final conclusion of disarmament.
• In Angola, the failure of UNAVEM II and UNAVEM III to effectively disarm combatants and recover weapons distributed to civilians contributed to the resumption of civil war.
• The ONUMOZ operation in Mozambique is cited as a failure in disarmament because weapons were collected but not destroyed, subsequently fueling illicit trafficking in neighboring states.
• Poorly managed demobilisation processes create a class of former combatants with no skills other than warfare, who often turn to organized crime or private security work to survive.
• South Africa and Mozambique have successfully collaborated through 'Operations Rachel' to locate and destroy weapons caches left over from the Mozambican war.
• The Southern African region is developing coordinated mechanisms to combat illicit arms, including a SADC working group on small arms control and the SARPCCO's focus on harmonizing firearms legislation.
• Effective arms control requires a multifaceted approach that includes destroying surplus state stocks, improving border controls, and implementing community-based recovery programs that trade weapons for development tools rather than cash.

APA

Gamba, V. (1999). Small arms in Southern Africa. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono42.pdf

Chicago

Gamba, Virginia. Small arms in Southern Africa. Institute for Security Studies, 1999. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono42.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gamba |first1=Virginia |title=Small arms in Southern Africa |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=November 1999 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono42.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gamba1999small, author = {Gamba, Virginia}, title = {{Small arms in Southern Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {1999}, month = nov, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono42.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }