Almost 4000 (3,900) unserviceable weapons have been destroyed in Sierra Leone this year, as part of a nationwide effort to reduce the number of firearms in circulation. The exercise is led by Sierra Leone’s Commission on Arms and Ammunition (SLCAA), which says the move is critical to enhancing public safety.
Commissioner and Registrar, Major General (Rtd.) Christian Fahim Marah told journalists at the government’s weekly press briefing on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, that the destroyed weapons were rendered permanently unusable to prevent their return to circulation. He recalled that 8,500 others had been destroyed in previous years, including some that were still functional but deliberately eliminated to curb private possession of arms.
Marah said the actions form a core part of the commission’s mandate to regulate and manage small arms and ammunition, adding that removing unserviceable and surplus weapons from circulation helps strengthen public safety and national stability.
In addition to the destruction programme, the Commission recently completed a nationwide weapons-marking training to improve tracing of firearms used in crimes. The marking system is now in place across all regions except the Western Area. More than 1,000 firearm licences have also been issued to private individuals this year, strengthening oversight and accountability.
Established in 2010 and renamed under Act No. 23 of 2024, SLCAA regulates the manufacturing, trade, and use of firearms in line with the Arms Trade Treaty and ECOWAS small arms regulations.
