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Mwakasungula, Undule and David Nungu. 2004 ‘Homemade Firearms.’ Hide and Seek: Taking Account of Small Arms in Southern Africa, p. 88. Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies. 1 October

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Research conduced by Andrew Charman found that: "Apart from the conventional military and civilian weapons entering into Malawi, the country has an extensive home-based small arms industry at village level, producing 'home-made' weapons. The industry has been sustained by a demand for low cost and low maintenance guns for (illegal) hunting and crop protection against game. Muzzle-loader guns are the main weapons to be produced. They are both simple to make and can utilise a broad spectrum of metal objects (including nails) as bullets. Production techniques have recently become more sophisticated and a more diverse range of weaponry and ammunition has resulted. These greatly improved weapons have now begun to acquire a new utilisation in crime activities."(29)

Of all prosecuted homicides between 1999 and 2003, at least 55% were committed with homemade firearms indicating that the proliferation of homemade firearms is a problem which needs to be addressed by the MPS. The prison study by Eye of the Child established that much armed violence involves homemade weapons. A total of 26 (of the 90) respondents used homemade firearms in the commission of their crimes. This suggests that the production, possession, and use of homemade firearms is well entrenched in Malawi.

[MPS = Malawi Police Service]

Source:

29) Charman, A. Small Arms Proliferation in Malawi: An overview of the supply of weapons and small arms demand for crime and game poaching. Graduate Institute for International Studies, Geneva, January 2003.

ID: Q8795

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