Illegal small arms pose danger

The head for the National Commission on Small Arms James Fromayan said the possession of illegal small arms in Liberia poses serious threat to citizens’ lives.

He said certain people in the country are in the constant habit of possessing small arms that have not been registered or marked.

Addressing reporters Tuesday, May 12, 2015 at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism on Capitol Hill, Commissioner Fromayan noted that the act of carrying unregistered small arms in the country is dangerous, stressing that the objective of registering arms is to safeguard owners from getting in trouble when they go missing.

Commissioner Fromayan, who previously headed the National Elections Commission before coming to the Small Arms Commission, said though his commission lacks the authority to prosecute people in possession of small arms in the country, it is charged with the responsibility to investigate anyone in possession of a fire arm and report to the Liberia National Police for appropriate punishment.

He said the Act that established the Small Arm Commission in 2013 also mandates the Commission to monitor small arms and light weapons brought into Liberia as well as provide coordinating efforts between state security institutions and border communities, including formulating policies that will control small arms in the country.

 Commission Fromayam indicated that as UNMIL draws down, the commission is faced with the huge responsibility of working along with enforcement agencies to provide maximum security for citizens, saying, the police, Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization, National Security Agency, and the Small Arm Commission will work collaboratively in making sure that things are under control in the absence of UNMIL.-Edited by Jonathan Brown

 By Lewis S. Teh