Guns destroyed in Ho

Ho, July 27, GNA - Some 446 guns were destroyed in Ho on Thursday to mark the United Nations Weapons Destruction Day, commemorated every July 9.

They included cap, short and long barrel guns many of which were clandestinely manufactured locally. Lieutenant Frank Kusi-Darko of the 66th Artillery Regiment Ho who commandeered the destruction exercise, said the guns were seized in joint military/police exercises at conflict zones, busted armed robberies and swoops.

Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Deputy Minister of the Interior who torched the pile of guns mounted at the Police Depot and Training School in Ho, said it was hoped that the legislation on small arms which also set up the National Commission on Small Arms would curb the desire to possess illicit guns and document those in use. The UNDP and DFID-UK supported the day's activities, which were under the auspices of the Ministry of the Interior with the theme, "Ghana's Development Through the Campaign Against the Proliferation and Misuse of Small Arms".

The National Commission on Small Arms organized the activities, which included a route march of school pupils and students, a durbar and an informal interaction with the media. Mr Agyeman-Manu told the durbar attended by the security services, pupils and students and chiefs that preceded the destruction of guns that the proliferation of illicit small and light weapons had serious implications on human security as profoundly manifested in West Africa. He said the phenomenon "fuels human rights violations, escalates conflicts and intensifies poverty".

Mr Agyeman-Manu said it had been "empirically established that small arms kill more than half a million men, women and children on average each year globally".

He blamed the recent spate of robberies and the premeditated murders and domestic tragedies on the proliferation of arms. Mr Agyeman-Manu advised that "let he who has no small arms desire not to own one for it can bring a family tragedy. Let he who has illicit small arms to the police to regularize it, for it can send you to jail".

He added, "let he who possesses small arm(s) legally use it responsibly, for it make you regret keeping one for the rest of you life".

Dr. Kofi Kesse Manfo, Deputy Inspector General of Police (IGP) in charge of operations, said the police were progressing steadily to get the perpetrators of the recent murders.

He said it was however to early to release facts or say whether the people were contracted to carry out the killings.

Mr Daouda Toure, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Representative in a statement read on his behalf, said Ghana joining in the worldwide observance of the day mirrored the country as a peace loving one and ready to work to stop the proliferation of small arms. Sarah MacGregor, a Representative of DFID, said the project to curb the proliferation would help reduce conflicts. 27 July 07