By Heizel Gathoni
Africa Amnesty Month (AAM) 2024 will be marked with a significant event in Bangui, Central African Republic, on the 10th of September 2024.The event will be celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC).
AAM aims to promote the voluntary surrender of illicit Small arms and light weapons (SALW) in line with national and international regulations. The AU Commission explains that the initiative is designed to boost public awareness and encourage compliance by allowing civilians to surrender illegal weapons without fear of arrest or legal consequences with guaranteed anonymity.
The Republic of Cameroon will chair the event with contributions from the 15 AU PSC Members, the AU Commission, the Central African Republic government, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the United Nations and the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA),media, the private sector and faith-based groups.
The commemoration will also involve engaging civil society in promoting SALW surrender and supporting Member States in addressing the root causes of illegal armament.
The AU Commission has called on the international community to help Member States tackle the illegal SALW trade. In collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), the AU Commission will support events in the Central African Republic, Djibouti, and Rwanda for AAM.
Activities will include public awareness campaigns about the dangers of illicit SALW and efforts to enhance the capabilities of state agencies responsible for collecting, storing, and destroying these weapons.
AAM 2024 is expected to advance SALW surrender efforts, advocate for stronger arms control, and strengthen Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) programs in post-conflict areas. The event will also encourage international organizations to share information on illicit SALW trade to support effective countermeasures by Member States.