Small arms and light weapons became a real issue for the international society, as allegedly one citizen is killed per minute by a light weapon. The main factors that contributes to this issue are that one, the ease of access to light weapons, exacerbates from the mass manufacturing of Kalashnikovs during the Cold War, and two, the low-maintenance and skill required to operate one. While the cost of obtaining and maintaining light weapons is cheap, yet the destructive powers of automatic weaponry that poses on many local communities is worrisome. While there are some treaties and declarations that give the countries more power and control over the small arms and light weapons, yet it is feared by several advocacy groups, who claims that the …show more content…
Due to its ability to be concealed and carried around by any member of society, small arms pose an extreme threat to both law-enforcement officers and ordinary citizens alike. The ease of handling and access makes the use small arms extremely common in many sub-Saharan countries, or un-stable countries in general, where the sight of child soldiers carrying and using small arms is horrifyingly prevalent. Light Weapons Broadly speaking, light weapons represents a wider range of weapons that includes both small arms, and other weaponry that exceeds the definition of small arms, but remain man-portable enough to be defined as light weapons. Examples of the latter include, rifles, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), and other man-portable weaponry. The only major distinction between light weapons and heavy weaponry is loosely based on its method of transport – light weapons are man-portable, while heavy weaponry (such as artillery or anti-air pieces) often require mechanized transport. African