>From Samuel Akapule, GNA Special Correspondent, Tenkodogo, Burkina Faso

Tenkodogo (Burkina Faso), Sept 22, GNA - The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo, has appealed to West African states to fashion out a common strategy to stem proliferation of small arms in the sub region.

The Minister said this during a meeting among the Central East Region of Burkina Faso, Upper East Region of Ghana and the Savannah Region of Togo held at Tenkodogo in Burkina Faso. The three-day meeting was aimed at fashioning out a common means to fight border crimes, insecurity, female genital mutilation, child trafficking and forced marriages.

Mr. Woyongo expressed concern about conflicts in West Africa and blamed them on proliferation of small arms in the sub region. He said weapons were flowing into Ghana from neighbouring countries and that this was fuelling the conflict in Bawku.

Mr. Woyongo appealed to governments of West African countries, especially the Governor of Central East Region of Burkina Faso and the Mayor of the Savannah Region of Togo, Mr. Simone Sawadogo and Mr. Mosseyamba Ali Seydou respectively, to curtail the small arms flow into Ghana.

The Minister also stressed the need to curtail the smuggling of fuel and fertilizers from Ghana to the neighbouring countries and said the situation was affecting the economy of Ghana.

Another problem he raised was the issue of movement of people and said most herdsmen from neighbouring countries led their cattle to destroy Ghanaian farms and sometimes indulged in criminal activities. Mr. Woyongo told the delegates that Ghana government was introducing a programme, Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), which would bridge the gap between the north and south of Ghana and said under the programme roads leading to neighbouring countries, especially Burkina Faso and Togo, would be reconstructed.