President Mills off to Abuja for small arms summit

Accra, Sept. 10, GNA - Ghana is to make a strong input into discussions on the proliferation of small arms at today Saturday's mini summit of ECOWAS Heads of State in Abuja.

President John Evans Atta Mills, who left Accra this morning, for the summit in Abuja, would together with colleague Heads of State from four other countries, discuss the management of small arms in the sub-region.

The four other countries are Nigeria, Senegal, La Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia.

The participation of President Mills in the summit is against the backdrop of Ghana's role in the Ivorian peace process and its large participation in peace efforts and negotiations in trouble spots in the sub-region.

Mr Koku Anyidoho, Head of Communications at the Office of the President, in a pre-departure interview with journalists, said the President and his colleagues would try to find a way to manage the situation.

He said President Mills would also brief his colleagues about the refugee situation in Ghana, following the end of the Ivorian crisis.

Mr Anyidoho recalled that President Mills had recently visited the Refugee Camp to acquaint himself with the challenges of the camp.

He noted that security experts had also talked about small arms, their sources and negative use on the larger society.

"In as much as Ghana is an oasis of peace, we dare not go to bed on this matter (proliferation of small arms).

"That is why the President has deemed it fit to be there with his colleagues; because, we never know when it will hit us. We pray it doesn't. That is why proactively, we must get involved in managing the spread of arms in the sub-region," Mr Anyidoho said.

The Vice President John Mahama in the company of the Interior Minister, Dr Benjamin Kunbour and Foreign Affairs Minister, Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni, and some senior Government officials saw-off the President at the Kotoka International Airport.

President Mills is expected back later in the day.