Assessing the role of amnesties in Silencing the Guns
Three years after its launch, how has Africa Amnesty Month helped to reduce armed violence?
Civilians in Africa own more than 40 million small arms and light weapons. In September each year, they are encouraged to surrender their arms without fear of prosecution. ‘Africa Amnesty Month’ was launched by the African Union (AU) in 2017 as part of its Silencing the Guns initiative. Three years on, Africa still grapples with armed non-state violence, gangsterism, gender-based violence and transnational organised crime.
Using case studies from across the continent, this seminar will explore the successes and challenges of using amnesties as a tool to silence the guns.
Simultaneous interpretation in French will be available for this seminar.
Chair: Martin Ewi, Regional Coordinator for Southern Africa, ENACT, ISS Pretoria
Speakers:
Christopher Suna Kayoshe, Political Officer for Strategic Issues and Anti-Terrorism, Defence and Security Division, African Union
Gugu Dube, Researcher, Complex Threats in Africa, ISS Pretoria
Richard Chelin, Researcher, Complex Threats in Africa, ISS Pretoria
