The United Nations has raised alarm over the global proliferation of small arms and light weapons warning that more than one billion firearms are currently in circulation worldwide fuelling conflicts, terrorism, and organised crime across Africa and beyond.
Speaking at a UN Security Council briefing in New York, Adedeji Ebo, Director and Deputy High Representative at the UN UN raisesOffice for Disarmament Affairs, said the uncontrolled flow of illicit weapons continues to sustain violence and instability in multiple regions.
“The illicit trade and misuse of small arms and light weapons fuels armed violence, terrorism, and organised crime,” Ebo said. “Weapons diverted from national stockpiles, or at any point along the supply chain, can easily end up in the hands of non-State armed groups.”
Ebo expressed concern that despite global efforts to strengthen arms control frameworks, illegal weapons are still finding their way into conflict zones.
“The weapons produced and transferred today risk fuelling the instability of tomorrow,” he warned.
Ebo urged the Security Council to integrate small arms control measures into peacekeeping operations, sanctions monitoring, and post-conflict peacebuilding strategies.
“Our responsibility is clear,” he said. “We must prevent the diversion and illicit manufacturing of small arms and light weapons, or we will face the consequences of deepening insecurity.”
He emphasised that coordinated international action is critical to disrupting illicit arms flows that continue to drive conflict, displacement, and organised crime, particularly in the Sahel, Horn of Africa, and Central Africa.
The UN official also drew attention to the rise of 3D-printed “ghost guns” firearms without serial numbers which are increasingly being found in illicit markets across Western Europe and Latin America.
According to UN data, at least 48,000 civilians were killed in conflicts in 2024, with small arms responsible for up to 30 per cent of deaths in some regions.
“These abuses are preventable,” Ebo said, calling for tighter stockpile controls, enhanced tracing systems, and strict compliance with arms embargoes.
He described controlling small arms as “a prerequisite for sustainable peace.”
Ebo commended the African Union for leading initiatives such as Africa Amnesty Month, which has resulted in the destruction of tens of thousands of illegal weapons. However, he cautioned that “the scale of the problem remains vast.”
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Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the AU High Representative for Silencing the Guns, likened the proliferation of small arms to “a cancer” that is spreading instability across Africa from the Sahel to the Great Lakes region.
“These weapons are being used to unleash horrific violence and suffering in the Darfur region of Sudan,” Chambas said, referencing ongoing atrocities in El Fasher.
Roraima Andriani, UN Special Representative to INTERPOL, also addressed the Council, warning that illicit arms trafficking is now deeply intertwined with transnational organised crime.
“Networks use weapons to control territory, protect illicit economies, and expand influence,” she said. “This is a transnational chain of violence that can only be addressed through transnational cooperation.”
Andriani noted that INTERPOL’s iARMS database, which tracks lost, stolen, and trafficked weapons, now contains over two million records. The database has been instrumental in multinational operations that have seized thousands of firearms and dismantled networks linked to terrorism, human trafficking, and illegal mining.
“No measure taken in isolation can prevent the flow of such weapons,” she said, urging the Security Council to explicitly include INTERPOL’s role in its sanctions and arms embargo mandates.
