[{"bbox": [96, 152, 1135, 393], "category": "Text", "text": "SO2. Despite heightened awareness and attention to the risks of spill-over of violent extremism from the Sahel, the capacities of the national authorities to effectively patrol the country's porous borders need strengthening²¹. Border checkpoints in Ghana, apart from a few locations, are short of advanced technology and databases to monitor the entry and exit of individuals and goods. The significant movements across neighbouring countries pose challenges in terms of identifying and intercepting trafficked goods²². Additionally, the porous nature of the borders complicates the security agencies efforts, and facilitates the presence of illegal activities, including human smuggling, human trafficking, gold smuggling, and drug trafficking. If not efficiently combatted by law enforcement, there is a risk that those illegal activities may increasingly become important sources of income for organised crime groups, due to the crimes' lucrative nature."}, {"bbox": [96, 403, 1135, 618], "category": "Text", "text": "According to the last Africa Organized Crime Index 2023 of the ENACT project, Ghana ranked 14 out of the 54 African countries in the general criminality ranking, and 11 in the criminal market ranking²³. Firearms trafficking, notably of SALW (small arms and light weapons) is a particularly serious threat, both at the regional and at the national level. In the region, Ghana is perceived as a transit country and source for the trafficking of firearms destined for Burkina Faso and Mali²⁴, plays a significant role in the production of artisanal SALW, and serves as a source of artisanal explosives used in illegal mining sites within the country and the region²⁵. In this context, strengthening border patrolling, and the capacity of security agencies, prosecutors and judges, is of crucial importance in combating firearms trafficking."}, {"bbox": [96, 632, 1135, 794], "category": "Text", "text": "Ghana has enacted several laws to control the unauthorized proliferation of SALW and has ratified several international agreements²⁶. At the national level, the two main legislative frameworks are the Arms and Ammunition Act of 1972 (Act 236) and the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons Act 2007. However, there are notable gaps in Ghana's national firearms legislation, particularly concerning preventive measures and the criminalisation of firearms offenses. An amendment to the Arms and Ammunition Act, targeting many of the existing gaps, has been submitted to Cabinet."}, {"bbox": [96, 807, 1135, 968], "category": "Text", "text": "In 2017, it was approximated that over 2 million firearms were in civilian possession in Ghana, with about 1.2 million acquired through legal means²⁷. However, the database maintained by the Ghana National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA) lacks the necessary depth to enable national authorities to adequately document information regarding firearm ownership and circulation. Furthermore, the database does not include data on ammunition. Additionally, there is a scarcity of reliable data and research studies regarding firearms trafficking in Ghana, and Ghana's seizure of firearms is lower than in other African countries²⁸."}, {"bbox": [96, 983, 1135, 1091], "category": "Text", "text": "Although research and conclusive pieces of evidence on the subject are limited in the case of Ghana, transnational organised crime networks are believed to collaborate with terrorist organizations to achieve their objectives, and to receive both direct and indirect financial benefits from the provision of firearms²⁹, while areas characterised by illegal trafficking are generally associated to increased influence of jihadist groups. The presence of firearms can"}, {"bbox": [85, 1212, 1143, 1285], "category": "Footnote", "text": "²¹ The capacities of the national authorities to patrol the country's porous borders remain limited, both in terms of training and equipment, interagency and regional coordination need strengthening, and the use of cybertechnology and communication tools needs to be enhanced. National Border Security Strategy: Air, land and sea borders (2021). Republic of Ghana."}, {"bbox": [85, 1284, 1143, 1333], "category": "Footnote", "text": "²² Mangan, F. & Nowak, M. (2019): \"The West Africa-Sahel Connection. Mapping cross-border arms trafficking\". Available online: https://www.smallarmssurvey.org/sites/default/files/resources/SAS-BP-West-Africa-Sahel-Connection.pdf"}, {"bbox": [85, 1332, 1143, 1381], "category": "Footnote", "text": "²³ ENACT Organized Crime Index 2023: Africa. Available online: https://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Africa-organised-crime-index-Increasing-criminality-growing-vulnerabilites-2023-web.pdf"}, {"bbox": [85, 1380, 990, 1405], "category": "Footnote", "text": "²⁴ https://www.smallarmssurvey.org/sites/default/files/resources/SAS-BP-West-Africa-Sahel-Connection.pdf"}, {"bbox": [85, 1404, 1143, 1453], "category": "Footnote", "text": "²⁵ Research suggests that legally produced fertilizers and illegally produced explosives are trafficked from Ghana into neighbouring countries, including Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, and Togo."}, {"bbox": [85, 1452, 1143, 1526], "category": "Footnote", "text": "²⁶ Those include the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms, the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), or the Protocol Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunition (Firearms Protocol)."}, {"bbox": [85, 1525, 767, 1550], "category": "Footnote", "text": "²⁷ The Africa Report (2024): Ghana: Surge in small arms threatens 2024 elections."}, {"bbox": [85, 1549, 1143, 1598], "category": "Footnote", "text": "²⁸ According to the UNODC Global Study on Firearms Trafficking (2020), Ghana is the African country (out of the 18 included in the study) that has seized fewer arms by far. UNODC Global Study on Firearms Trafficking (2020)."}, {"bbox": [85, 1597, 1143, 1646], "category": "Footnote", "text": "²⁹ The provision of firearms, and sometimes trainings, to local organisations, may be helping them strengthen alliances and gain influence and presence. Further research is needed in order to ascertain the scale of those linkages."}, {"bbox": [1038, 1682, 1143, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 7 of 30"}]