GHANA SET TO SUPPORT THE ARMS TRADE TREATY (ATT)

The Ghanaian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nana Akufo Addo, received a delegation of the West African Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA), composed of Mr. Baffour D. Amoa, WAANSA’s newly appointed Chairman, Ms. Afi Yakubu, the Secretary and Mr. Linus Tengdong of FOSDA, at his office on Tuesday, 5th April 2005. The meeting discussed issues pertaining to the Ghana Action Network on Small Arms (GHANSA), WAANSA, the ECOWAS Convention and the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

Mr. Baffour Amoa briefed the Minister on recent developments in WAANSA and its activities around the ECOWAS Convention and ATT.

On the activities of GHANSA, Mr. Amoa mentioned the launch of a sensitisation week in the North of Ghana in February 2005. Similar programmes are lined up for other regions in Ghana. The delegation also expressed appreciation to the Ghana government for responding to the guidelines for the establishment of National Commissions on Small Arms by creating a seat for civil society in the Ghana Commission. In December 2004, Lt. Gen E. A. Erskine, the Chairman of GHANSA, in a letter to the Chairman of the National Commission, requested for a second seat for civil society which would be occupied by a media person. Such a move would help in the public awareness programmes of GHANSA where the role of the media is very important.

BAMAKO CIVIL SOCIETY MEETING

On the international front, Mr. Amoa briefed the Minister on the Civil Society meeting which was convened by Oxfam and others in March 2005 in Bamako, Mali. Members of the civil society groups and National Commissions from the 15 West African countries met to review a draft ECOWAS Convention on Light Weapons, which has been lodged at the ECOWAS Secretariat for further review.

The WAANSA team further discussed with the Minister the essence of the Arms Trade Treaty as far as marking and tracing are concerned. Mr. Baffour Amoa appealed to the Minister to initiate an official statement from Ghana in support of the ATT and the ECOWAS Convention.

The Nana. Akufo Addo, on his part, congratulated the delegation for the new appointments and expressed his usual support for the activities of WAANSA. It is an honour done Ghana, he said and he wished them well in their activities.

On the ECOWAS Convention he noted that the President of Ghana, Mr. J.A. Kuffuor, had endorsed the call for the transformation of the Moratorium into a Convention at the last ECOWAS Summit which was hosted by Ghana in January 2005. On the Arms Trade Treaty, the Minister took note and promised to study the Treaty being proposed.

Honourable Nana Akufo Addo can best be described as a keen supporter of the campaign for the control of illicit weapons in the sub-region and has on several occasions shared platforms with civil society in making such calls.