National Legislation and the Illicit Circulation of Weapons

The control of small arms and light weapons (SALW) is a major concern throughout the world. This is justified by the multiplicity of actions undertaken by the United Nations in particular. Following UN initiatives, conventions at the regional level will be adopted in Africa, including the SADC Protocol on Firearms (2001), the Nairobi Protocol (2004), the ECOWAS Conventions (2006) and of Kinshasa (2010) on SALW. However, the ECOWAS Moratorium is referred to by some experts as the very first response to the problem. In addition, many authors will lead reflections on SALW, sometimes evoking the existence of a link between the state of national legislation and the illicit circulation of the latter without providing any real elements of explanation. Thus we are harnessed to analyze the theme "national legislation and the illicit circulation of SALW: study of the cases of the RCI and the DRC" on the basis of a documentary exploration and interviews of key actors.