{"id":229959,"date":"2016-07-12T06:00:52","date_gmt":"2016-07-12T06:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=229959"},"modified":"2016-07-12T06:00:52","modified_gmt":"2016-07-12T06:00:52","slug":"gun-proliferation-not-linked-to-election-dr-aning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=229959","title":{"rendered":"Gun proliferation not linked to election \u2013 Dr. Aning"},"content":{"rendered":"

A security analyst with the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training School, Dr. Kwesi Aning, has said although there are more than 2 million weapons in wrong hands in Ghana, such weapons are not necessarily going to be used to carry out violence in the November elections.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t link the weapons to politicians. Guns that are available in Ghana, are not related to elections and I think those relating it to elections are being unfair,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

He observed that, weapons entering the country are increasingly getting more sophisticated.<\/p>\n

[contextly_sidebar id=”DjhTOQadMtLmPKa2dOFFfpbnSkKEwv2w”]Speaking to Citi News<\/strong>, Dr. Annin said the sophisticated weapons being seen in the country are partly due to competition between Al-Qaida and IS in the sub-region.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Kumasi, we saw missiles that can bring down aircrafts. Let\u2019s not forget that because Al-Qaida and Islamic states are quarreling. Islamic state has promised that there would be a dramatic attack and they\u2019ve warned Ghana for being part of the western alliance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026in the northern region, during one of those reprisal attacks in Bunkpurugu, some of the residents said the sound of the guns they heard, they\u2019ve not heard it before,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

1.1million illegal weapons in private hands<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. Annin made the comment in relation to revelations made by the the Minister of Interior, Prosper Bani, that about 1.1 million unlicensed weapons <\/a><\/strong><\/span>are in the possession of civilians in the country.<\/p>\n

According to him, out of the 2.3 million weapons circulating in the country, only 1.2 million have been captured on the police database.<\/p>\n

Gov\u2019t destroys confiscated illegal arms<\/strong><\/p>\n

Government over the weekend destroyed<\/strong><\/a><\/span> thousands of confiscated small arms and light weapons in Accra.<\/p>\n

According to Mr. Bani,\u00a0small arms and light weapons have fueled conflicts in countries which have led to millions losing their lives.<\/p>\n

\"illegal<\/p>\n

\u201cThis small arms destruction programme is a symbolic demonstration by the government and all state actors today to contribute to the reduction of the circulation of illicit weapons in our society. Even though Ghana has not experienced any major election conflict since the return to multiparty democracy, we cannot be complacent, neither can we take our eyes off the ball,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

By: Godwin A. Allotey\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
\nFollow @AlloteyGodwin<\/a>
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