Monrovia — The Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LINCSA) has officially launched a survey on the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the country.

The ECOSAP-UNDP sponsored project estimated at US$60,000 is aimed at assisting government to ably control the spread of weapons and illegal arms.

In a conference to officially launch the start of the survey, Deputy Foreign Minister for International Affairs, Commany Wesseh told reporters that the process is geared towards gathering a realistic data that would define every crime and the instrument used to carry out such crime; especially with those of the widespread armed robbery in the country.

Mr. Wesseh speaking at the offices of the LINCSA yesterday said the process is in conjunction with a project currently being sponsored by the ECOWAS Small Arms Committee based in Mali and is taking place in other parts of the 15 countries in West Africa. He said the exercise is aimed at determining the exact nature of the problems small arms and light weapons pose to the sub-region.

He said as for the Liberia Chapter, it would begin its process with eight persons mainly from the civil society organizations and these experts are expected to recruit locals from within the counties that would be assigned to each of them.

He admitted that the process is starting a little late due to the hitches of identifying funding sources; but he expressed that with the amount already budgeted for the work, it is more like a sacrificial job to be undertaken by those referred to as experts.

The survey is expected to be conducted in all parts of the country in a period of six months, but the first phase will begin with an assessment that is a nationwide public awareness campaign to last for about a week and would involve the participation of every Liberian.

The Liberian National Commission of Small Arms is an inter-agency body established to help influence the formation of appropriate policies and the adoption of legislation on the control and proliferation of small arms in the country.