By The Citizen Correspondent, Mwanza

The Police Force in Mwanza Region has destroyed 1500 illegal small arms confiscated during raids on criminals.

The destruction of the arms over the weekend was sponsored by the Regional Centre on Small Arms and Light Weapons (RECSA) in collaboration with the Japanese government.

Speaking during the destruction, the RECSA executive secretary, Dr Francis Sang, said the destruction demonstrates the seriousness with which Tanzania takes the implementation of the Nairobi Protocol for the prevention, control and reduction of small arms and light weapons in the Great Lakes region.

He said problems involving small arms have existed in the Horn of Africa and bordering states for a long time and added that the enhancement of stockpile management as a way of controlling small arms and light weapons in the country was regarded as a crucial matter.

Dr. Sang said the RECSA’s regional secretariat, regarded highly efforts by Tanzania to address problems posed by small arms within its borders. He added that Tanzania was the first member state of RECSA to develop a national action plan (NAP) for arms management and control.

According to Dr Sang, the NAP had just been reviewed, with financial support from the secretariat. He praised the harmonization of the firearms legislations by the Tanzanian government.

He disclosed that reports received from the National Focal Point on Small Arms Control and Management were encouraging and showed commitment by Tanzania to embark on a holistic approach to addressing the problems brought about by small arms.

On his part, Mwanza regional police commander Simon Sirro said that to date Tanzania had destroyed a total of 14,525 small arms since 2003.

He noted that on July 27 this year, RECSA facilitated the destruction of additional small arms and light weapons and other materials in Morogoro.

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