“This study examines the proliferation of small arms in Southern Africa in the
light of the peace processes which have brought an end to the armed conflict in the region. The control of these weapons which have been distributed far and wide, both legally and illegally, is crucial to the region’s future, since the failure to control small arms could conceivably exacerbate crime, new political antagonisms and general instability, thereby undermining the region’s development and growth. A number of questions are addressed in the study, including: What is the extent of small arms proliferation in Southern African
countries? What factors have fuelled small arms proliferation? What are the consequences of small arms proliferation?What measures are deployed to control small arms in Southern African countries? What factors limit efforts at small arms control?
What measures can be taken to improve small arms control?”
