Africa must move beyond signing international agreements and take concrete national action to domesticate and enforce the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) if the continent is to break the cycle of armed conflict, organised crime and displacement, Gabonese diplomat and African peace advocate Roll Stéphane Ngomat has said.
Addressing the Twelfth Conference of States Parties (CSP12) to the Arms Trade Treaty in Geneva, Ngomat called on African countries to sign, ratify and fully incorporate the treaty into their national laws, arguing that the illicit circulation of small arms and light weapons continues to fuel conflicts across the continent.
The conference, being held in Geneva, Switzerland, from August 24 to 28, 2026, brings together diplomats and representatives of states to deliberate on the proliferation of conventional weapons, illicit arms trafficking and the continuing movement of weapons and ammunition that contribute to armed violence around the world.
Ngomat, the chairperson of the African Peace and Security Union (APSU), said the effectiveness of the Arms Trade Treaty would ultimately depend on the willingness of individual countries to translate its international obligations into national legislation, policies, programmes and budgets.
“It is urgent that States Parties fully embrace the Arms Trade Treaty, assume responsibility for it, and dedicate the necessary financial resources for its effective implementation,” Ngomat said.
He urged countries that have yet to develop national action plans for implementation of the treaty to do so without delay, while calling on states that already have such plans to ensure they are implemented effectively.
From Geneva commitments to national action
For Ngomat, the challenge is not simply about the number of countries that have signed or ratified the treaty. The real test, he argued, lies in whether governments are prepared to establish practical systems capable of preventing weapons from falling into the hands of non-State armed groups and criminal networks.
He called for local ownership of the treaty, saying implementation must become a national priority rather than remain confined to international conferences and diplomatic commitments.
“States Parties must take concrete steps to make local ownership and implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty a national priority, integrating it into their national legal frameworks, policies, programmes, and budgets,” he said.
The Arms Trade Treaty, which entered into force on December 24, 2014, establishes international standards governing the trade in conventional arms and seeks to prevent illicit trade and the diversion of weapons.
According to the material presented at the conference, the treaty currently has 118 States Parties, while another 25 states have signed but not yet ratified it.
Ngomat’s intervention therefore placed particular emphasis on the gap between international commitments and domestic enforcement, especially in regions where porous borders, weak controls and persistent conflicts create fertile ground for illicit weapons networks.
Small arms driving conflicts
The diplomat warned that the unchecked circulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons has consequences that extend far beyond the battlefield.
“The major complications of conflicts are seen in the high rate of deaths, injury and population displacement. Armed conflicts affect health: they entail violence, displacement, infrastructure damage, social disruption and heightened risk of disease transmission,” he said.
He described armed conflicts as complex, dynamic and multi-faceted phenomena whose consequences continue long after active fighting has ended.
The effects, he noted, include destruction of infrastructure, disruption of social and economic systems, displacement of populations and increased vulnerability to disease and other humanitarian crises.
The human cost is immense.
The material presented to the conference notes that the United Nations recorded at least 48,000 conflict-related civilian deaths in 2024, with small arms accounting for as much as 30 per cent of deaths in some contexts.
For Africa, the concern is particularly pressing given the persistence of conflicts and instability in several regions, including the Sahel, Sudan, the Lake Chad Basin, the Great Lakes region, the Central African Republic and the Horn of Africa.
Ngomat has been involved in advocacy for peace and security in several of these conflict-affected areas, according to the profile accompanying his Geneva intervention.
Illicit weapons and organised crime
Beyond conventional warfare, Ngomat linked the illicit arms trade to organised crime, terrorism and forced displacement, warning that weapons diverted from legitimate supply chains can ultimately end up in the hands of non-State armed groups.
He called for stronger global coordination to disrupt the networks facilitating the illegal movement of arms.
“There is need for global coordination to stop the illicit flows that are driving conflict, organized crime and displacement, from Haiti to the Sahel,” he said.
The movement of weapons across national borders, he argued, makes it difficult for individual countries to address the problem in isolation.
Weapons diverted from national stockpiles or at different stages of the supply chain can cross borders and reach criminal organisations, insurgent groups and other non-State actors.
This, in turn, can prolong conflicts, strengthen criminal networks and make peace-building efforts more difficult.
The challenge has also attracted renewed attention in 2026, with global data on illicit weapons highlighting persistent problems surrounding small arms and light weapons trafficking. Among the developments cited are efforts to update data on illicit weapons flows in countries such as Nigeria and new European Union legislative proposals aimed at strengthening cross-border controls and standardising weapons seizure data.
The European Commission has also introduced a proposal seeking to harmonise criminal definitions, penalties and mandatory seizure-data registers among member states.
Africa urged to strengthen its own systems
Ngomat’s message in Geneva comes against a backdrop of continuing debate over how Africa can strengthen its own peace and security architecture.
Rather than relying exclusively on international interventions after conflicts erupt, he advocates stronger preventive measures capable of addressing the conditions that allow violence to escalate.
That includes improving weapons-control systems, strengthening border management, closing loopholes in arms-transfer procedures and ensuring that national institutions have adequate resources to enforce existing laws.
His appeal also extends beyond governments.
He stressed the need for coordinated participation by state actors, the private sector and the international community in addressing illicit arms proliferation.
The private sector has a role because weapons move through legitimate commercial supply chains before some are diverted into illegal markets. Governments, meanwhile, must strengthen oversight, record-keeping and accountability mechanisms to ensure that legally acquired weapons remain within authorised channels.
A continental peace advocate
Ngomat’s intervention reflects a career centred on diplomacy, international relations, peace and sustainable development in Africa.
A Gabonese diplomat and expert in international relations, he has worked with institutions including the African Union, the African Peace and Security Union and AU-ECOSOCC, according to the profile accompanying his Geneva address.
His work has focused on fostering regional cooperation, strengthening institutions and promoting international partnerships aimed at advancing peace and development.
Throughout his career, he has contributed to initiatives seeking to strengthen governance, promote peace and security, empower young people and advance sustainable development across Africa.
Working with governments, continental institutions, civil society organisations and international partners, his advocacy has emphasised African-led approaches to the continent’s challenges.
His Geneva intervention consequently goes beyond the technical question of arms regulation. It is also a call for African governments to assume greater responsibility for the security consequences of weapons entering, circulating within and leaving their territories.
Turning treaty obligations into action
The central message from Geneva is that treaties alone cannot stop illicit weapons from fuelling conflicts.
Ratification must be followed by legislation. Legislation must be backed by institutions. Institutions must have resources. And those systems must be supported by effective regional and international cooperation.
For countries confronting insurgencies, terrorism, organised crime and communal violence, controlling the movement of small arms could become a critical component of conflict prevention.
Ngomat’s call for African domestication of the Arms Trade Treaty therefore places the responsibility squarely on national governments to move from diplomatic declarations to measurable action.
As conflicts continue to generate deaths, injuries, displacement and economic destruction across parts of Africa, the stakes are high.
For Ngomat, closing the channels through which illicit weapons reach those who use them to sustain violence is not merely a matter of arms control—it is a fundamental requirement for building durable peace, security and sustainable development on the continent.
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