Exploring Small Arms Demand

The paper argues that small arms demand among African youth is driven by a combination of social, economic, and political exclusion. It contends that current international policies focus too heavily on the supply side of arms proliferation, neglecting the 'demand triggers' such as poverty, state failure, and the destruction of social infrastructures. By analyzing contexts ranging from child soldiering in Sierra Leone and Uganda to urban gang violence in South Africa and militia recruitment in Somalia, the authors demonstrate how the absence of basic rights and services transforms weapons into tools for survival, identity, and empowerment.

• Current international policy on small arms and light weapons (SALW) is disproportionately focused on the supply side, such as manufacturing and export laws, while demand-side issues remain largely theoretical and lack concrete programs of action.
• The proliferation of small arms is directly linked to the increased use of child soldiers because modern weaponry has become lighter, simpler to operate, and cheaper due to post-Cold War surpluses in Africa.
• Both state actors and non-state armed groups increase the recruitment potential of youth by destroying or neglecting the social fabric and infrastructure—such as schools and hospitals—that would otherwise provide protection and alternatives to violence.
• In urban contexts, such as South Africa's Cape Flats, youth seek identity, status, and protection in gangs as a surrogate for stable family and community life, with firearms serving as a central symbol of bravery and power.
• Economic hardship and state collapse can turn small arms into a perceived economic necessity or a form of currency; in Somalia, for example, the lack of alternative employment has led youth to join freelance militias and gangs for survival.
• A survey of former child combatants in Sierra Leone indicates a high level of expertise in assault rifles, with 75% of the sample trained in AK47s and other assault rifles.

APA

McIntyre, A., & Weiss, T. (2003). Exploring Small Arms Demand. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PAPER67.PDF

Chicago

McIntyre, Angela, and Taya Weiss. Exploring Small Arms Demand. Institute for Security Studies, 2003. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PAPER67.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=McIntyre |first1=Angela |last2=Weiss |first2=Taya |title=Exploring Small Arms Demand |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=March 2003 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PAPER67.PDF |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mcintyre2003exploring, author = {McIntyre, Angela and Weiss, Taya}, title = {{Exploring Small Arms Demand}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2003}, month = mar, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PAPER67.PDF}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }