📖 Proliferation of small arms and light weapons. Refugees in Kakuma, Kenya.

The Horn of Africa and East Africa regions have been characterized by armed conflicts for almost three decades since the early 1980s. Such conflicts have contributed to the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the region and led to the forced displacement of millions of people. The conflicts in Uganda, Southern Sudan, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo and to a smaller extent Ethiopia are symptomatic of the conflicts in the region. Although the proliferation of Small arms and light weapons and how they affect regional security has been of interest to government agencies, community leaders, security experts, policy analysts and researchers, making clear connections with different actors has always been problematic. In places where there is influx of refugees there’s been the assumption of Small arms and light weapons proliferation due to the fact of conflicts and availability of arms in the refugee countries of origin. Even before the refugee camps were set in Kakuma and Dadaab, insecurity attributed to cattle rustling were relatively high compared to other parts of the country. However, it has been difficult identifying the key source of SALW’s.