The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) has published a new country insight detailing The Gambia’s efforts to strengthen the through-life management of weapons and ammunition, highlighting both progress and the urgent need for reforms to enhance national and regional security.
The report, titled “Weapons and Ammunition Management Country Insight: Republic of The Gambia,” authored by Theò Bajon and Hardy Giezendanner, draws on a comprehensive baseline assessment conducted in October 2024 by the Government of The Gambia through its National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NatCom SALW), in close cooperation with UNIDIR and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
UNIDIR defines weapons and ammunition management (WAM) holistically, encompassing oversight, accountability, and governance across the entire lifecycle of conventional arms and ammunition. This includes national frameworks for safe production and acquisition, stockpiling, transfers, end-use monitoring, tracing, and disposal. The approach ensures that arms regulation aligns with broader humanitarian, peacebuilding, security sector governance, rule of law, counter-terrorism, and armed violence reduction initiatives rather than operating in isolation.
The Gambia insight presents key findings from the 2024 assessment, including an evaluation of existing institutional and operational capacities, policies, and procedures. It identifies challenges faced by national authorities at both strategic and operational levels, and outlines practical options to bolster the national framework for managing weapons and ammunition throughout their lifecycle.
A central element is the emphasis on stockpile security to prevent accidental explosions and the diversion of state-owned weapons into illicit markets. The report also examines the legal and institutional structures governing arms control and recommends modernization to align with international and regional standards. It further underscores how The Gambia’s national efforts support ECOWAS’s regional mandate to combat the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) across West Africa.
An actionable roadmap with tailored recommendations has been developed to assist Gambian policymakers and international donors in prioritizing capacity-building and security sector reforms. These measures aim to address gaps in coordination, record-keeping, marking systems, and the handling of recovered illicit materiel.
“The report is not just a technical document; it is a roadmap for ensuring a safer, more secure Gambia and West African region,” UNIDIR noted in its release.
The publication encourages States, regional organizations such as ECOWAS, and international partners to consult the Gambia country insight, along with UNIDIR’s broader series and its annual updates on WAM in Africa. These resources provide valuable references for planning, implementing, and evaluating future arms management projects.
This collaborative effort between the Gambian government, UNIDIR, and ECOWAS reflects a growing commitment across West Africa to adopt integrated approaches to conventional arms control. By addressing WAM comprehensively, The Gambia seeks to reduce risks of illicit proliferation, enhance public safety, and contribute to lasting stability in the sub-region.
The full 20-page report, released on 8 April 2026, is available for download on the UNIDIR website https://unidir.org/publication/weapons-and-ammunition-management-country-insight-republic-of-the-gambia/
