Blaineroth: We want a safe Western Balkans without weapons

Germany and France lead the initiative in the Balkans: A region without illegal weapons until 2024, speaks of DW expert Marcus Blainroth.

DW: Mr. Blainroth, an EU-backed initiative led by Germany and France, aims to disarm the population in six Western Balkan countries (BP) by illegally held small and light weapons. Do you have any evidence of how many such weapons are illegally in the hands of the civilian population in these six countries of BP?

Marcus Blainroth: The figure ranges from 4 million pounds. This data comes from the Office for Small and Light Weapons Control in South Eastern Europe, S EESAC, (South Eastern Europe and Eastern Europe Clearing House for the Control of Smalls and Light Ways)

DW: High figure, almost 1/3 of the population of 18 million and BP, which seriously jeopardises security in the region and the EU. How security is perceived in the region by Europeans, for example. German?

Marcus Blainroth: Germans think PB security is a problem. They start with events and facts: In the terrorist attack in Paris, in Bataclan concert hall in 2015, the weapons that terrorists used originated with BP. Such an incident makes the population in Germany think that... well, BP is where weapons come from and then recall events such as wars in the former Yugoslavia and perceive security in BP as problematic. This perception that is general in EU countries for BP must change. This prompted us to take the initiative for the maximum reduction of illegal small and light arms trade in BP, so that this perception will no longer be executed so as not to turn into an obstacle to BP's EU entry.

DW: Albania, among the six BP countries, represents a venerable case. BreakFr more yIn 1997, in the year of unrest by the collapse of pyramid schemes, stock depots were opened for over 50 years. Weapons fell into the hands of the civilian population. Thousands killed, thousands of weapons trafficked. Do you know this situation?

Marcus Blainroth: Of course, Albania is different from other BP countries. It was not part of the former Yugoslavia and its civil wars. But from the weapons stock that fell into the hands of the civilian population it is still not clear, the amount that has not been collected. The Albanian government has told us that there may be 200-300 thousand pieces. Other BP places, for example. Bosnia has 800, much more than Albania. Despite these figures, we have data that these weapons are trafficked to EU countries and in countries where there is conflict like this. Syria. Wherever there is market for them. Our ambition is to stop the trafficking and spread of weapons, increase security in Albania and other BP partners with the EU.

DW: Are international donors willing to finance it; to support all this initiative for security and life?

Marcus Blainroth: We have a lot of faith in their support. First, there are three places: Germany France and Great Britain, many involved. Our project, our initiative, is headed by Germany and France, but Great Britain has pledged to strongly support it with financial funds. At the London Summit last July, under the Berlin Process, the main topic was security at BP. Similarly, the EU and the US have been very active in disarming the civilian population in Albania, after the events in 1997. But it's not just finding funds, it's also needed by experts. We will take experts from EU member states for training and procedure standards. Many EU member states have expressed a desire to participate and engage. Their representatives have already been in the field.

DW: What are the biggest challenges to success: a BP without weapons, a civilian population armed with illegally held weapons?

Marcus Blainroth: International donors, in the last 1015 years, have focused on providing ammunition and weapons so that the warehouses will be safe and not robbed. They also focused on counting and recording weapons. So they don't get robbed. This has already been achieved. Our first challenge is security at the border. Borders in Albania are not entirely safe. Traffic continues. We don't have accurate information about how many weapons are trafficked, because technical capacities aren't everywhere. The situation is similar in other countries of the region. Another challenge is law enforcement. Traffickers must face justice, be punished for their criminal acts. The next challenge, possibly the most difficult, is changing the culture for weapons to the BP countries. Unfortunately, weapons are part of culture in the region. It's the mentality that the gun adds pride to the Balkan man. But there is another reason: to feel safe and self - protected. Law enforcement, the functioning of reform in justice will make the citizen believe in justice and not the weapon. Keeping the gun from men also has a gender issue: the victims of men who have weapons are mainly women and girls, domestic violence is often expressed by firearms. And the last challenge is that of gathering weapons, trying to get the population to hand over the weapon they hold illegally, campaigning.

DW: When specifically will work begin?

Marcus Blainroth: We have started in Bosnia to help authorities and border police do searches and uncover illegal arms trafficking. Co-operation with SEESAC is working to replicate this in other BP countries, including Albania. We have support from the UNDP to help implement the law, train judges, prosecutors, customs against illegal arms trafficking. We're accelerating and trying, and we're triple them. The goal is to disarm BP citizens, to the maximum of illegal trafficking in small and light arms by 2024.