The Ethiopian Parliament has passed a legislation that seeks to regulate the acquisition and ownership of guns in the country. The law follows a surge in ethnic violence blamed on the proliferation of small arms into private hands.
\”There is a significant number of guns in our society since the previous government, and the law will help us to formalize ownership,\” lawmaker Tesfaye Daba told parliament as he made a case for the bill.
The provisions of the new law, mandate each region in the country to stipulate the legal age for gun ownership and also limits the individual to own no more than one firearm. Those found in breach of this particular provision could face up to a three-year jail term.
The law also bars trade in weaponry by private entities, affording only certain state institutions the right to import guns. Those involved in arms trafficking will face a jail term of up to 20 years.
In October last year, the Ethiopian security forces confiscated 2,221 handguns and 71 Kalashnikov assault rifles in Gondar, one of the areas in the Amhara region plagued by ethnic violence. Earlier in April, a government operation had resulted in the seizure of more than 33,000 handguns, 21 machine guns, 275 rifles and 300,000 bullets in different parts of the country.
The new law promises to be a significant step in the government’s efforts to curb ethnic strife and sustain stability in the Horn of Africa country.
