Author: Benard Kipchirchir Kirui
United States International University-Africa
P. O. Box 14634 – 00800, Nairobi
Email: kiruisang@gmail.com
Abstract
Arms control is an important intervention measure aimed at reducing the likelihood of war or the intensity of violence once it occurs. As a theory and practice, arms control has two sides to it. On one side is the control of non-conventional arms such as nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. On the other is control of conventional weapons including small arms and light weapons (SALW). Control of small arms and a major focus of this study, is essential for the realization of international peace and security. However, the problem of proliferation of SALW still persists despite the numerous efforts to control arms through the regulation of production, trade and misuse of illicit and licit SALW. Why this paradox? This article provides the philosophical arguments on why and how small arms persist despite the intervention measures. Organized into an introduction to the practice of arms control followed by epistemological debates on arms control this article concludes that poor conceptualization impacts negatively on the interventions in Horn of Africa region. This article contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a critical analysis on small arms responses besides providing an alternative ways of conceptualizing arms control in the region.
Keywords: small arms, arms control, conceptual challenge, epistemology
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Suggested Citation
Kirui, B., K. (2020). Conceptualizing small arms control in the horn of Africa region: an epistemological debate. African Research Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 7(2), 2020. Available online at http://arjess.org/social-sciences-research/conceptualizing-small-arms-control-in-the-horn-of-africa-region-an-epistemological-debate.pdf
