Regional Security Leaders Convene to Tackle Illicit Small Arms Proliferation Across Eastern and Central Africa
Nairobi, Kenya – June 11, 2025
Story by Stella Ranji
In a landmark meeting that underscores growing regional concerns over the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons, senior security officials from across Eastern and Central Africa have gathered in Nairobi this week. The high-level forum brings together Principal Secretaries, Chiefs of Police, and National Focal Points on small arms and light weapons (SALW) from all 15 member states of the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA).
The three-day summit, convened under the theme "Strengthening Regional Collaboration to Curb the Illicit Flow of Small Arms and Light Weapons", aims to solidify cross-border cooperation, reinforce policy frameworks, and scale up enforcement mechanisms in a region increasingly affected by armed violence and insecurity.
Mounting Security Pressures
With cross-border trafficking of small arms fueling conflicts, organized crime, and terrorism, RECSA officials warn that without coordinated action, the region could face destabilization on a broader scale.
"The illicit proliferation of small arms remains one of the most pressing threats to peace, development, and democracy in our region," said RECSA Executive Secretary Col. Jean-Pierre Bizimana in his opening remarks. "This meeting is not just symbolic—it is strategic. We are laying the foundation for actionable partnerships and aligned policy implementation."
Key Agendas on the Table
Delegates are expected to review national reports on arms control efforts, discuss gaps in legislation and enforcement, and evaluate the progress of the Nairobi Protocol—a regional treaty on preventing, combating, and eradicating the illicit trade in SALW.
Significant attention is also being placed on:
Strengthening national and regional arms tracing systems
Enhancing intelligence sharing across borders
Developing joint operations to intercept trafficking routes
Supporting community disarmament and awareness programs
Political Will Meets Technical Strategy
Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Internal Security, Dr. Ruth Mwangi, emphasized the political importance of the gathering. "We are witnessing an encouraging level of commitment from our neighbors," she said. "What is needed now is not just intent, but institutional and technical capacity to dismantle the networks that enable this trade."
International Partners Weigh In
The summit is also drawing support from international partners, including the African Union, INTERPOL, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), all of which have pledged continued support for regional arms control mechanisms.
As discussions intensify, delegates remain hopeful that the meeting will produce a renewed Declaration of Commitment, setting measurable targets for 2025–2027 and a comprehensive action plan for harmonizing arms control policies across the RECSA region.
About RECSA
The Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA), headquartered in Nairobi, coordinates efforts among 15 member states to implement practical and policy-driven responses to the spread of illicit SALW, in alignment with the Nairobi Protocol and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
This summit marks one of the most concerted efforts in recent years to align security leadership in combating a transnational threat that respects no borders—an effort, stakeholders say, that is not only timely but long overdue.
