Luanda — More than 45,000 firearms have already been collected, countrywide, by the National Police, under the campaign of disarming citizens illegally owning firearms, Monday here announced the spokesperson of the national commission on disarmament, commissioner Paulo de Almeida, at the end of a meeting presided over by the prime minister, António Paulo Kassoma.

According to Paulo de Almeida, the number does not include the weapons collected from militaries and police officers at their units.

At the gathering, the participants outlined the strategy of actions to be implemented by the year's end, which are based on the collection of the highest number of firearms possible, carried out simultaneously with the sensitising of the population and the voluntary and coercive collections of weapons.

He said that the results of the process are positive, and the only left now is to judge citizens detained under the illegal possession of firearms.

For the year 2009, greater attention should be paid to the improvement and review of the legislative package, improvement of the mechanisms of using, owning and transportation of firearms, its utilisation by military and police officers.

Declarou que se deverá entrar na fase de desarmamento das empresas de segurança privada e a regulamentação da comercialização das armas de defesa pessoal, como parte de uma série de tarefas para aperfeiçoar a eficácia da campanha.

He affirmed that the 4th meeting of the national commission of disarming the population illegally owning firearms also served to inform about the implementation of the programme until October 15 to the new co-ordinator of the commission, António Paulo Kassoma, sworn in as the prime minister last September 30.

The ministers of Home Affairs, Roberto Leal Monteiro "Ngongo", Justice, Guilhermina Prata, Finance, Severim de Morais, Assistance and Social Welfare, João Baptista Kussumua, Family and Women Promotion, Genoveva Policarpo, Education, Burity da Silva, and of Youth and Sports, Gonçalves Muadumba, attended the meeting.

The deputy ministers of Territory Administration, Graciano Domingos, Public Works, Johanes André, Foreign Affairs, George Chicoty, and of Social Communication, Manuel Miguel de Carvalho "Wadijimbi", also participated in the event.

The gathering was also attended by the chief of staff of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), general Francisco Pereira Furtado, among other top military and National Police officers.