Luanda — Angola reaffirmed Wednesday at the United Nations headquarters in New York, its commitment to implement the UN Program of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PoA) to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons.
According to a note that reached ANGOP, the statement was made by the deputy permanent representative of the Angolan Mission to the UN, Ambassador Mateus Luemba, while addressing the Conference on the progress made in implementing the Program of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in all its aspects.
The ambassador Mateus Luemba said Angola has always attached great importance to the fight against the proliferation, circulation and illicit trafficking of arms since the adoption of the United Nations Program of Action in 2001.
"As a country that has lived through a long period of armed conflict, combating the proliferation of small arms and light weapons has been one of the main priorities on the Angolan government's agenda, as part of its Policy to Promote Peace and National Reconciliation," Luemba said.
The diplomat highlighted the Angolan government's commitment to adapt its legislation to provide a more effective response to the phenomenon, noting that the Angolan Penal Code of 2020 encompasses penalties of up to 12 years in prison for conduct that leads to the manufacture, trafficking, possession and alteration of weapons and ammunition.
Luemba stressed that under the leadership of President João Lourenço, Champion of the African Union for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa, Angola has played an active role in preventing, mediating and resolving conflicts on the African continent, particularly in the Great Lakes region.
As part of this diplomatic effort, the diplomat called on all countries, especially in Africa, to commit to the full adherence and application of universal conventions and political frameworks against the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons so as to promote an environment of peace and stability in the world.
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Ambassador Mateus Luemba also said the government has been implementing various initiatives under the Civilian Population Disarmament Program, created in 2008, which aims to collect and store all illegally small arms and light weapons in possession of civilians.
The diplomat added that this initiative has resulted in the recovery of more than 110,000 firearms of different types and calibers, reflecting the government's political will to carry out this task in a constructive and transparent manner and with the broadest participation of civil society.
Luemba underscored that illegal activities, such as arms smuggling, trafficking, trade and dissemination, have increased in many regions of the world, especially in Africa, with terrible consequences, such as the disruption of the political, economic and social systems established in many countries, increase in intra-state conflicts, community violence, transnational crime and terrorism by various criminal, armed and insurgent groups.
The diplomat reiterated that Angola strongly condemns the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons and its consequences, including their use against ordinary citizens and civilians by criminal, armed and insurgent groups. SC/AMP
