Smart Guns, only a disruptive element or a way , alongside international arms trade treaties, to handle illicit small arms and light weapons (SALW) trafficking in West Africa - Research Proposal Example

Download file to see previous pages... However, there are also those who obtain them without the knowledge of the top authorities. As such, there has been an increased rate of gun trafficking in most of the West African countries that include Nigeria. However, in West Africa the idea of smart guns has been understood to be a significant contribution towards the handling of illicit small arms and light weapons (SALWs). This action is taken alongside the treaties that have been developed in relation to the international arms trades. Besides this, they also ensure that necessary measures are placed to ensure that the gun is only used by the appropriate owner. With this, a number of technological advancements have been used to make sure that the set standards and regulations are appropriately followed. Above all these, the introduction of the smart guns that possess higher levels of technological advancements have ensured that guns not only land in the rightful hands but are also operated by the licensed individuals. Besides, they also come with technological advancements that make it possible for the relevant authorities to realize instances when the guns are being helped by the wrong people. In this way, most of the catastrophic situations that were initially associated with irresponsible gun handling have been significantly reduced leading to an increase in safety of most citizens and the reduction of the related deaths and injuries.
Since the end of the Nigerian-Biafra war in the late 1960s the issue of proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALWs) has been intensive. Schroeder et al. (2006) suggest that during this era most of the weapons that were used were acquired from the Cold War era. According to Hazen and Horner (2007), the problem has intensified significantly in the whole of the Western African region due to a surge in weapons trafficking (Lumpe, 2000; McDonald, 2008). Several recommendations have been offered but lack of proper implementation has led to an increase in the ...Download file to see next pagesRead More