The Ministry of Internal Affairs, working together with the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council, has destroyed 100 illegal firearms in Jinja as part of the 9th commemoration of Africa Amnesty Month (AAM).
The destruction exercise, which took place at Gaddafi Barracks in Jinja on Friday, marked Uganda’s continued commitment to regional peace and disarmament. The ceremony was led by the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Mr. Jacob Oboth Oboth, alongside representatives from the AU Peace and Security Council (AU-PSC) and the United Nations Office on Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).
During the event, Mr. Oboth Oboth explained that nearly 150,000 firearms and light weapons had been recovered in Uganda over the past 25 years through various disarmament operations. He said that destroying the recovered weapons was intended to send a strong warning to criminals and demonstrate Uganda’s firm resolve to uphold peace and stability both within the country and across the region.
Mr. Simon Peter Mundeyi, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, stated that over 32,000 firearms had been taken from communities since the year 2000, mostly from cattle-rustling areas in Karamoja, Northern Uganda, and the Rwenzori region. He urged all individuals still in possession of illegal firearms to voluntarily surrender them, adding that those who did so would not face prosecution. The remains of the destroyed weapons were to be carefully gathered and transported to Nakasongola for recycling.
Commander Ernest Nuwagaba of the Uganda Rapid Deployment Capability Centre reaffirmed Uganda’s dedication to continental arms control programs and to the AU’s Silencing the Guns initiative. Africa Amnesty Month, which was first declared in 2017 and later extended to 2030, encourages the voluntary surrender of illegal small arms and light weapons, which are among the major causes of conflict, displacement, and insecurity across the continent.
The AU and UN have also supported similar disarmament efforts in countries such as Liberia and Togo, showing the growing international commitment to reducing the flow of arms in Africa. In Kampala, the commemoration was attended by H.E. Ambassador Tebelelo Alfred Boang of Botswana on Thursday.
