Briefing Paper

Beyond Enlightened Legislation: The Political Economy of SALW Manufacture in Ghana

In Ghana, small arms and light weapons (SALW) manufactured illegally constitute a source of proliferation which pose a threat to peace and security. This brief posits that the inherent ambiguities in the legislation regulating the manufacture of SALW makes it difficult to control the trend. To control the menace, several interventions have been proposed but this brief argues for the revision of the law alongside a multi-dimensional approach that will deal with the demand and supply driven factors to reduce illegal manufacturing of arms in Ghana.