Officials and participants of course on arms control, non-proliferation & disarmament in group photo
By Nformi Sonde Kinsai
The certified course on Diplomacy of Arms Control, Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, DACPD, is gaining grounds with more institutions and participants adhering.
The second edition of the training programme placed under the theme: “Mainstreaming Gender in the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, SALW, in Africa,” kicked off on September 11, 2023 at the International Relations Institute of Cameroon, IRIC in Yaounde.
In remarks during the opening ceremony, the Director of IRIC, Dr. Daniel Urbain Ndongo, hailed the stakeholders of the training course, especially the Cameroon Youths and Students Forum for Peace, CAMYOSFOP, for their over 20 years determination to stem violence in society.
He noted that their fight against Small Arms and Light Weapons, SALW, has given the NGO much credibility.
He used the event to outline the various training courses offered by IRIC and described the certified course on Diplomacy of Arms Control, Non-Proliferation and Disarmament as a wonderful opportunity to holders and managers of weapons who still rely on seminars and workshops to get their capacities strengthened through the training modules.
Presenting the synopsis of the course, the Executive Director of CAMYOSFOP and Coordinator of DACPD, Eugine Ngalim Nyuydine, said the question of the illicit proliferation of SALW is a very complex one and calls for the training to enable forces of law and order, executives, professional and civil society actors to acquire more skills as experts in the domain of arms of control.
He said it is for that reason that CAMYOSFOP, in partnership with IRIC, the Regional Centre on Small Arms for the Great Lakes, Horn of Africa and Neighbouring States, RECSA; the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa, UNREC; the Africa Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council, ECOSOCC; and the Trans-Atlantic Business Consulting seek to improve on arms control management in Africa through the training.
Ngalim said this year’s theme is based on the fact that women and girls are the greatest survivors of most conflicts, but that they also participate in fighting, serving as intelligence to armed groups and are involved in proliferating SALW. He said, unfortunately, they are left out from the control of SALW.
“We hope the experts that will receive our training will become Ambassadors for promoting the inclusion of women not only in the fight against SALW but also as negotiators of peace in the continent,” he appealed.