On 14 October, UNIDIR, Switzerland and the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) launched a new phase of the Lomé Initiative at the Geneva Peace Forum. This partnership fosters an innovative approach to armed violence prevention in West and Central Africa that addresses both the root causes of violence and the supply of illicit weapons.
This third phase of the Lomé Initiative comes at a critical time. Armed violence has intensified in many parts of Africa, particularly in West and Central Africa, driven by the rise of armed groups. The steady supply of illicit weapons facilitates armed violence, which in turn drives the demand for more arms and ammunition, creating a vicious cycle.
Both threats have often been tackled through securitized responses. While important, these responses have not sufficiently addressed the root causes of violence and the demand for weapons.
Common drivers include weak State presence, marginalization or a lack of livelihood opportunities. In contrast, experience shows that integrated approaches can prevent armed violence more sustainably.
Sustainable prevention of armed violence requires a shift in perspective: looking beyond illicit supply and asking why individuals and communities feel the need to arm themselves, and how their security needs can be addressed peacefully.
Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli, Deputy Head, Peace and Human Rights Division, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
How the Lomé Initiative took shape
Against this background, UNIDIR partnered with UNREC and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) to kick off the Lomé Initiative in 2023. The inaugural regional dialogue brought together, for the first time in a dedicated space, West African national prevention and small arms control institutions, regional organizations, the UN, academia, and civil society.
Participants called for an integrated approach to preventing armed violence and illicit weapons proliferation in West Africa, tackling both the common root causes of violence and demand for weapons as well as illicit weapons supply. They recommended an empirical study to guide this new way of working.
In 2024 and 2025, UNIDIR, UNREC and the Swiss FDFA, together with experts across the region, gathered and analysed West African good practices of an integrated approach to armed violence prevention (AVP) and weapons and ammunition management (WAM).
At a regional multi-stakeholder dialogue in 2025, key West African actors expressed their resolve to further pursue such an approach and requested support for their efforts.
In early 2026, the partners released a study offering practical steps to help West African stakeholders implement an integrated approach to AVP and WAM.
This marked a shift for the Lomé Initiative, from research and dialogue to practical guidance.
Silencing the guns starts long before anyone picks one up. It starts with giving people a reason not to do so.
Anselme Yabouri, Director, UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa
Expanding support to West and Central Africa
In the next phase of the Lomé Initiative, which runs until 2028, UNIDIR, UNREC and the Swiss FDFA will continue to strengthen armed violence prevention in West Africa while also extending the initiative to Central Africa, in line with requests from the region.
They will support States, regional organizations and other stakeholders in operationalizing an integrated approach to AVP and WAM by:
- Supporting national partners in West Africa in initiating or strengthening integrated approaches to AVP and WAM within their policy frameworks, institutions and operational practices
- Developing a training module to institutionalize know-how on integrated approaches in partnership with renowned training institutes in the region
- Convening regional multi-stakeholder dialogue between prevention and WAM experts in West Africa to share best practices, foster learning across the region, and encourage wider implementation
- Engaging key Central African partners on integrated approaches, with a view to documenting and promoting successful integration practices
- Disseminating lessons learned during the implementation of the initiative to ground regional, continental and global policy debates in what has been shown to work in real-world settings
Through the Lomé Initiative, Switzerland accompanies States to think weapons management and prevention of armed violence together, in policymaking, institutional coordination and implementation – an innovative path to tackle armed violence more durably.
Carol Mottet, Senior Advisor, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Inclusive local ownership for lasting results
Discussions at the launch event at the Geneva Peace Forum underlined that integration of AVP and WAM yields the best results when it involves all relevant stakeholders, in particular trusted local actors such as mayors and community leaders.
The Lomé Initiative will support processes that are inclusive and crafted, owned and sustained over time by local, national and regional partners – a key for sustainability and responding to local priorities.
Ursign Hofmann, Senior Researcher, Conventional Weapons Programme, UNIDIR
Through this third phase of the Lomé Initiative, UNIDIR, UNREC and the Swiss FDFA aim to strengthen armed violence prevention with practical tools and support. The initiative will also help implement key political commitments: the UN’s Pact for the Future, the African Union’s Silencing the Guns initiative and other sub-regional African instruments.