Rwanda has destroyed more than 12,000 firearms and 500 tons of explosive materials as part of a sweeping national effort to combat the spread of illegal weapons, a rare achievement in Africa’s conflict-prone Great Lakes Region.
Surrounded by instability, with over 250 armed groups active in neighboring countries, Rwanda has taken a firm stance against arms proliferation. Its strict gun control policies and investment in advanced disarmament technologies have helped keep weapons out of civilian hands and strengthened national security.
Much of the weaponry destroyed over the past two decades was recovered from former militias, including ex-FAR soldiers, Interahamwe fighters, and infiltrators, who had hidden arms across the country following the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Authorities credit the progress to a combination of legal reforms, public awareness, and international cooperation. Since signing key arms control treaties such as the Nairobi Protocol (2000) and the Kinshasa Convention (2011), Rwanda has adopted increasingly rigorous methods to trace, register, and eliminate small arms and light weapons.
The government has invested in four electronic firearms marking machines, which allow each weapon to be uniquely identified and linked to its legal owner. Additionally, two modern weapons destruction units have been installed to safely dismantle firearms without harming the environment, a significant improvement over past practices, when weapons were burned or crushed in open military grounds.
To ensure secure storage of legal weapons, the country has procured 335 bulletproof gun safes and 88 steel gun racks. Officials report that all police weapons, as well as those legally held by civilians and private security firms, are now electronically marked and traceable.
In December 2024, during the launch of a mobile arms depot, CP (Rtd) Vianney Nshimiyimana, Head of the Small Arms Division in the Ministry of Internal Security, emphasized the importance of vigilance. “A single firearm in the wrong hands can destabilize an entire city. That’s why we go to great lengths to ensure proper control,” he said.
Rwandan law permits private gun ownership, but only under strict licensing conditions. Civilians must carry documentation whenever in possession of a firearm or ammunition. Under Article 18 of Rwanda’s 2018 Firearms Law, civilians are prohibited from owning military-grade weapons meant exclusively for state security forces.
The country’s updated 2024–2029 national strategy on small arms control requires all new firearms, including those used by licensed private security companies, to be registered and marked.
According to the Ministry of Internal Security, very few illegal weapons remain inside Rwanda’s borders, and those that do are largely relics left behind by retreating armed groups in the post-genocide period.
Beyond its borders, Rwanda’s model is gaining recognition. As the African Union’s Agenda 2063 continues to push for “Silencing the Guns” across the continent, a goal now extended to 2030, Rwanda is being held up as an example of how national will, clear policies, and modern tools can reduce gun violence and strengthen peace.
A 2023 report by the Small Arms Survey estimated that more than 100 million small arms are circulating in Africa, often fueling violence and undermining development. Rwanda’s success offers hope and a model for a continent still grappling with the legacy of conflict.
