Swift action will be taken against mob justice – Quartey

Government will ensure that mob justice is thoroughly and impartially investigated, the perpetrators arrested and put before the courts in a timely manner, Deputy Minister of Interior, Mr Henry Quartey, has assured.

Government, he added, would also improve police coverage and effectiveness in responding to crime in areas where mob justice is more prevalent.

Mr Quartey also stressed that government is very much committed to equipping the police service with the tools needed to effectively deal with the menace.

Speaking at press conference to climax this year’s Global Week of Action against Gun Violence, he emphasised that mob justice is illegal, primitive, and has no place in a civilised community.

The week-long campaign was to stop the proliferation and misuse of small-arms and light weapons.

The deputy minister announced that Ghana is committed to the implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty and the Sustainable Development Goals in addition to other arms control instruments such as the United Nations (UN) Program of Action, international tracing instrument and the firearms protocol.

These instruments, he believed, will help deal with gun violence issues. According to him, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons put all of us at risk and time to act is now.

Mr Jones Applerh, Executive Secretary, Small Arms Commission, said that there are about 2.3 million small arms in possessions of civilians, with only 1.1 million registered, and the small arms commission is putting steps in place to close the loopholes.

He announced that the commission would intensify its background checks on applicants before approving and issuing them with small arms.

On her part, the UN Resident Coordinator, Christine Evans-Klock, said the country must deal with the menace of small arms and light weapons and its potential to violent conflicts in its communities to maintain its push towards creating a resilient and robust economy to propel national development The conflicts in some part of Ghana and heightened sense of insecurity in some parts, according to her, have dire consequences on people and on prospects for development.

According to the global burden of armed violence report, more than 500,000 people die worldwide every year as a consequence of armed violence.

Armed violence, intended, threatened or actual use of arms to inflict death or injury take many form around the world but it always has devastating consequence.

The destructive illicit trade in small arms and the ammunition, which make them lethal, is one of the primary obstacles preventing communities from achieving the sustainable peace and development they deserve.

The Global Week of Action against Gun Violence was an opportunity to remind the world about this stark reality.