AFRICA/GHANA - Proliferation of illegally held firearms raises concern

Accra (Agenzia Fides) – Ghana has seen a sharp increase in incidents involving illegally held firearms this year. According to the Firearms Incident Report prepared by the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA), a body established by Parliament in 2007 to advise on the illegal arms trade, there were 54 cases of illegal use of firearms in the second quarter of this year, compared to 15 in the same period in 2024.
Three regions saw the highest number of incidents between April and June. The Ashanti Region recorded the highest number with 21 incidents, followed by the Eastern Region with eight cases and the Upper East Region with seven cases.

The NACSA report shows that armed violence is widespread in 11 of Ghana's 16 regions, making it a national problem.

Men represent 100% of the perpetrators and 78% of the victims of armed violence. Of the 43 deaths recorded this quarter, 39 victims were men.
In addition to common firearms such as pistols and shotguns, three AK-47 assault rifles, the famous Kalashnikovs, were recovered at the scene. They had been smuggled into West Africa by criminal networks.

The increase in armed violence is part of a context of growing insecurity in Ghana and the entire West African region, where the proliferation of weapons is linked to political instability, transnational criminal networks, and the economic difficulties of the population in this region.

According to NACSA, of the 2.3 million weapons in Ghana, 1.1 million are illegally held. The main source of illegal weapons is neighboring Burkina Faso, a hotbed of terrorist activity. The flow of weapons from this country has contributed to an increase in ethnic violence in Bawku, in northern Ghana (see Fides, 13/4/2022) and caused numerous civilian casualties.

As for the future, there are fears that the difficult economic situation and high youth unemployment in Ghana could lead to increasing numbers of young people turning to criminal activity to survive. With the increasing availability of weapons, the risk of an increase in violent crimes such as armed robberies and assaults across the country increases. General insecurity and a lack of trust in law enforcement could prompt ordinary citizens to arm themselves. Party members frequently arm themselves, and violent clashes between different political factions have already occurred. (L.M) (Agenzia Fides, 28/9/2025)

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