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In October 1998, the 16 nations of ECOWAS declared a voluntary
Three Year Moratorium on the Importation, Exportation and Manufacture
of Small Arms and Light Weapons. The Moratorium was intended
to serve as a coordinated and sustainable regional approach to
controlling the illicit proliferation of small arms in West Africa.
The Moratorium was extended in October 2001 for another three
years, and has emerged as a vital instrument for micro-disarmament
to the extent of being a model to other sub-regions.
The effectiveness of the moratorium is currently under review
by ECOWAS and independent consultants.
While members of civil society have been broadly supportive
of the Moratorium, many feel its effectiveness has been impaired
by its voluntary nature and the lack of enforceable sanctions.
They also point out that the Moratorium focuses unduly on states
and fails to address the role of non-state actors on the West
African security landscape. These two factors, it is felt, represent
major obstacles against the goal of entrenching the Moratorium
as a priority and practical security in West Africa.
ECOWAS
Moratorium
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