Africa-Press – Botswana. The Commissioner of Botswana Police Service, Dinah Marathe, opened the SADC training on Identification, Record Keeping and Tracing of Small Arms, Light Weapons and Ammunition in Gaborone on 18 November 2025. The event marked a focused effort to improve regional capacity against illicit weapons.
In her keynote address, she thanked SADC for selecting Botswana as host. She said the training aimed to strengthen the ability of Member States to use INTERPOL’s iARMS system. She added that officers would improve their skills in identifying and tracing firearms. She said participants would gain the capacity to establish forensic linkages across borders and recognise a wide range of weapons found in the region.
She said the initiative followed a resolution from the 2024 SARPCCO Chiefs of Police Meeting. That resolution called for stronger capacity to curb illegal weapons under the SADC Firearms Protocol. She noted a rise in illicit small arms and light weapons within the region. She said this rise required coordination and joint effort among all countries.
She said illegal weapons drive violent crimes at domestic level. She pointed to murder, rape and armed robbery. She reaffirmed Botswana’s commitment to peace and security. She also highlighted the country’s continued engagement in the United Nations, INTERPOL, the African Union and SARPCCO.
She thanked SADC, INTERPOL, the African Union and the Government of Germany for supporting the programme. She encouraged all partners to continue working together to limit the spread of illegal weapons and protect regional stability.
The training has drawn 20 officers from Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, South Africa, Seychelles, Namibia, Mozambique, Eswatini, Malawi and Mauritius. It aims to build a skilled network of officers who can trace weapons with accuracy and strengthen security efforts across the SADC region.
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