The Impact of the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons on West African States: An Analysis of the Sierra Leone Civil War

Abstract: The article is undertaken through the lenses of a documentary narrative that provides details of the history of political power challenges in Sierra Leone and its culmination in the destructive civil war from 1991 till the war was declared over in 2002. Furthermore, the central role of the illicit use of small arms and light weapons to prosecute the war, especially by the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) is highlighted. Here, the proliferation of SALW and the negative implications of the ease with which it could be sought, obtained and deployed is interrogated. Also, the paper discusses the importance of regulating access to small arms and light weapons in the post-conflict area because of the consequences on future security concerns.In the final analysis, the article highlights the various regional initiatives aimed at curbing the menace of the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons. In conclusion, an all-encompassing approach is recommended to ensure the total elimination of illicit dealing in small arms and light weapons; there must be an articulated regulatory framework acceptable to all stakeholders, for there to exist a modicum of national security within West African states, and by extension, a secure sub-region.