The Ministry of the Interior, through the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons Board, on Thursday move to destroy over 2,000 illegal arms to mark this year’s National Arms Destruction ceremony.

This comprised weapons seized during law enforcement operations or confiscated by the law courts, firearms voluntarily surrendered during the Gun Amnesty Programme, and others surrendered outside the Gun Amnesty Programme.

The event held at the National Police Training School at Tesano, Accra is in commemoration of the International Day for the Destruction of Small Arms observed annually on July 09.

The day focuses on raising global awareness, promoting responsible arms control, and undertaking public destruction ceremonies of illicit or surrendered weapons.

Mr Julius Debrah, the Chief of Staff, said the national exercise demonstrated Government’s unwavering commitment to peace, security, public safety, and the promotion of gun violence-free Ghana.

“Today, we gather here not merely to destroy weapons, but to reaffirm our collective resolve that illicit firearms should have no place in our communities, our homes, or in our national life,” he added.

Every small arm destroyed represented a potential act of violence prevented, a life being protected, and a community made safer and more peaceful, Mr Debrah said.

He said the conflagration of illicit arms, ammunitions, and other related materials continued to pose a serious threat to peace, security, and development across the world.

“And within our sub-regions, undocumented weapons have been used to fuel armed robbery, violent extremism, chieftaincy and communal conflict, electoral violence, and other forms of criminality that undermine social cohesion, the rule of law, and national development,” he added.

Mr Debrah said the Government remained fully committed to addressing the challenge through a comprehensive approach that combined public education, law enforcement, stakeholder engagement, border security, legal reform, and international cooperation.

He, therefore, urged all Ghanaians to remain vigilant and provide timely and credible information to the security agencies regarding the illicit possession, trafficking, and misuse of firearms.

Mr Muntaka Mubarak-Mohammed, the Minister of the Interior, said the destruction of the weapons sent a clear message that illicit firearms recovered, seized, or voluntarily surrendered would not find their way back into the society.

He said the exercise was a fulfilment of Ghana’s national, regional, and international commitment under various instruments, including the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, and the Arms Treaty, among others.

“By permanently eliminating these weapons, we are reducing the risk of diversion, misuse, and criminal exploitation. We are closing the door on the possibility that these weapons may return to harm innocent people,” he added.