The Bane of Peacebuilding: Appraising Problems of Small Arms Control in Liberia 1989-2016
Loading...
Date
2022
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of humanities, Kaduna State University Kaduna
Abstract
The proliferation of small arms and light weapons did not
pose a challenge prior to the Liberian Civil War. The events
leading to the war and subsequently 14 years of near continues
conflict created a demand base for a huge amount of small
arms and light weapons to flood the country. Attempts at
restricting the flow of weapons during and after the conflict
represent the central thesis this research seeks to investigate.
A theoretical overview of gun control is first situated within
the discourse, followed by an interrogation of the problems
encountered in all the phases of disarmament exercises
conducted to rid Liberia of illicit weapons. The comparative
method of analyzing the processes and results of weapons
collection programs and Disarmament Demobilization and
Reintegration (DDR) exercises affords a clear understanding
of the challenges faced by small arms control in Liberia. These
problems pose a critical challenge to the process of
peacebuilding after the conflict in Liberia. The paper examines
all the associated problems of small arms control from conflict
resources to a proper legal framework. The paper argues that
the cessation of hostilities did not necessarily ensure a
peaceful society. One of the culprit for the high levels of
insecurity in present day Liberia is the problems faced by
small arms control.
Description
Keywords
Peacebuilding, Arms control