Macedonia Fights Proliferation of Light Weapons

29/07/2005

The number of illegal light weapons circulating in Macedonia has been estimated at between 80,000 and 170,000 pieces. The government has taken a series of initiatives aimed at fighting the spread of such weapons.

By Zoran Nikolovski for Southeast European Times in Skopje – 29/07/05

Last year, 1,314 light weapons were seized in Macedonia. According to the interior ministry, the number of deaths caused by such types has dropped by 25 per cent. [AFP]

Earlier this month, Macedonia observed International Gun Destruction day with a special event organised by the interior ministry and the UNDP. A total of 3,100 pieces of light weaponry -- rifles, guns, mortars and even missile launchers -- were destroyed at the Makstil Steelworks furnaces in Skopje.

The weapons were among those seized in various interior ministry actions.

"Small and light weapons destabilise regions, encourage conflicts and undermine peace initiatives," Consuelo Vidal, UNDP acting resident representative in Macedonia, said at the 9 July event.

"Illegal weapons are a threat to peace and security," said Cane Capragovski, Macedonia's public security director in charge of weapons destruction. "Today, we have destroyed 3,100 pieces of weapons which will be used never again and will harm nobody."

Following the 2001 interethnic conflict, the interior ministry launched a series of actions aimed at halting the spread of illegal weapons. A disarmament action was conducted in 2003. At the same time, laws were amended and penalties stiffened. By law, anyone caught in possession of illegal weapons may be sentenced to jail terms of one to ten years.

Last year, 1,314 such weapons were seized in Macedonia. According to the interior ministry, the deaths caused by light weapons have since decreased by 25 per cent.

At a UNDP seminar last year, Light Weapons Control Programme project manager Alan Lapon said there are between 110,000 and 170,000 pieces of illegal weaponry in Macedonia. But Macedonian experts give a lower figure -- around 80,000 pieces. The spread of such weapons is largely due to the conflicts that followed the break-up of the former Yugoslavia.

According to the UN, there are about 639 million pieces of light weaponry worldwide, and one out of every ten people owns more than one such weapon. Light weapons kill around 500,000 people --one per minute -- annually, or one person dies every minute in the world. Some 300,000 of those deaths are due to armed conflicts, while another 200,000 are the result of homicide or suicide.