Armed groups, arms proliferations and the amnesty program in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

The phenomenon of arms proliferation accelerated in the international system on the heels of the end of the Cold-War period when leftover arms from stockpiles made their way into unstable regions. In Africa, arms proliferation has led to general insecurity, increased criminal violence, privatization of violence and security in the form of proliferation of mercenaries, private military companies and paramilitary outfits. The mere presence of guns belies alternative conflict resolution strategies. In Nigeria alone, there are approximately one million to three million small arms in circulation. According to one reliable source, 80 percent of the weapons in civilian possession had been obtained illegally, due to strict laws on civilian possession. In turn, the illegality makes it intractable to track flows and possession.