A ceremony took place to officially handover the stockpiling site that will be used by defense and security forces, the Ministry of Justice and the National Commission for the Control and Collection of Illicit Weapons.
The ceremony was presided by the Deputy High Commander of the National Gendarmerie who received the keys from the President of the National Commission, General Youssoufa Maiga and the Regional Coordinator for West and Central Africa of the Firearms Trafficking Section of UNODC. The Deputy High Commander called on other security forces and structures to deposit their seized arms and ammunition seals there to ensure their proper stockpiling as well as access to the justice system.
The construction of the site was made possible thanks to the contribution of Japan through UNODC’s Sahel Programme aimed at effectively combating illicit trafficking, organized crime, terrorism and corruption in the region. The activity was embedded in the overall efforts of the FTS to support Niger in the fight against illicit firearms trafficking.
UNODC is currently supporting various countries in the larger region in strengthening the stockpiling of seized firearms, including in Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic and another site in Niger. These efforts are also supported through the European Union’s Global Illicit Flows Programme (GIFP).
