Beijing, 16 June 2026 - From 8 to 28 June 2026, the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region, with the financial support of the United Nations Peace and Development Fund, is organizing in China a Training of Trainers programme on the management of small arms and light weapons (SALW).
The training aims to strengthen national and regional capacities in arms control, weapons and ammunition management, diversion prevention, and security cooperation. The initiative brings together participants from five countries in the Great Lakes region: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. These countries participate under the framework of the Contact and Coordination Group (CCG) of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes Region (PSCF).
The opening ceremony was attended by several high-level representatives, including Mr. Liu Bin, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China; Ambassador Alhaji Sarjoh Bah, Permanent Representative of the African Union to China; Ambassador Balumueni Nkuna, Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to China; representatives of the ambassadors of Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania; Mr. Zhao Wanpeng, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation of the Chinese Bureau of Public Security; and Mr. Wang Yi, President of the People’s Public Security University of China.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Liu Bin recalled China’s commitment to the global conventional arms control process, in line with the Global Security Initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping in 2022. He also highlighted China’s comprehensive approach to national security, centred on the protection of people and the safeguarding of lives. Mr. Liu further underlined China’s experience in SALW control, based on strict legal regulation, full-chain oversight, and the participation of society as a whole. He expressed hope that participants would use the training to deepen exchanges and translate their learning into concrete action.
In a video message, Mr. Huang Xia recalled that the illicit circulation of small arms and light weapons continues to fuel armed conflict, organized crime, community violence, and instability, undermining peace efforts across the region. He stressed that ongoing political efforts for peace can only produce lasting results if the issue of weapons and ammunition is addressed in a concrete manner. Addressing the participants, Special Envoy Xia stated: You are not merely participants in a training session; you constitute the core of a future regional network of expertise in weapons and ammunition management in the Great Lakes region. He further underlined that no country can effectively address illicit arms flows on its own, making regional cooperation essential.
Ambassador Alhaji Sarjoh Bah placed the training within the framework of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and its flagship initiative, Silencing the Guns. He emphasized that the programme is not merely a technical exercise, but an investment in institutions. He also recalled the importance of addressing ammunition control alongside weapons control, noting that a firearm without ammunition is only a piece of metal. In addition, he warned of emerging threats linked to drones and autonomous weapons systems, calling for stronger efforts to regulate them.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Police Commissioner Ms. Florence Kirabura expressed gratitude to China, the United Nations, and partner institutions for organizing the programme. Participants also reaffirmed their commitment to learning, sharing experiences, and transforming the knowledge gained into concrete action within their national and regional institutions.
