Over 30 civil society representatives from Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan participated on 9 December 2016 in an intensive one-day strategic planning workshop aimed to advance the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) in the East and Horn of Africa region. Built on a previous workshop hosted by the Control Arms Secretariat on 20 June 2016 in Nairobi,Kenya, this meeting reviewed progress made in the past six months, explored challenges and solutions and developed a campaigning strategy to support the Treaty’s universalization in the region. Breakout group discussions explored the Treaty’s application to regional challenges, including wildlife poaching, the pastoralist conflicts and the diversion of arms to terrorist groups.
Deep interest was also expressed towards the alarming situation in South Sudan during a session which explored how the Treaty’s universalization in the region could reduce the illicit flow of arms into South Sudan. In this session, participants also discussed ways in which Control Arms regional members and partners could support their counterparts in South Sudan. Control Arms also engaged with new potential partners and members as part of the #ArmsFreeAfrica campaign in order to strengthen the coalition in the sub-region.
