APA Abuja (Nigeria) The move to control movement of small arms and light weapons has recored a success as nine out of the 15 members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have deposited their instrument of ratification of the convention.

Since the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Their Ammunition and Other Related Materials was adopted on 14 June 2006 in Abuja by the Authority of heads of state and government.

Benin was first to ratify the convention. The president of ECOWAS Commission, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, said on Friday in Abuja the commission was glad to report that more states have ratified.

They are Burkina Faso, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal. Sierra Leone and Togo.

The convention provides for a ban of arms transfer by member states with possibility of exemption for the legitimate defense and security needs, law enforcement and participation in peace support operations.

It prohibits without exception, arms transfer to non state actors without the approval of the importing country.

Chambas said the National Commissions have been institutionalized as coordinating bodies of the fight against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

Also a Group of Independent Experts had been established to monitor the evaluate the implementation.

He urged all member states to ratify the convention because of the trans-border nature of the circulation of arms and light weapons.

ECOWAS, he said, had committed itself to working closely with member states who have not yet ratify the convention to propel them to do so to ensure a tight control of the circulation of small arms and light weapons.