CAIRO: Egypt’s Cabinet agreed on establishing the “General Department of Unlicensed Arms and Ammunition,” to combat the acquisition of unlicensed weapons, according to a Wednesday report by the State Information Service (SIS.)
The Cabinet’s decision aims to fight illegal smuggling of arms and ammunition, preserving country’s peace and security, SIS said.
In a similar development, Marsa Matrouh governorate, in northwestern Egypt, organized a Wednesday exhibition of unlicensed arms that have been turned in by the locals to the authorities.
Matrouh citizens handed in 143 pieces of different weapons, variating from rifles, pistols, revolvers, rocket-propelled grenades and four warheads, Youm7 reported.
President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi launched an initiative in 2013 during his visit to Matrouh to encourage locals to turn in unlicensed weapons.
Firearms in Egypt
In September 2014, Sisi issued an amendment to the firearms law, declaring imported firearms must be approved by the Ministry of Defense. The Ministry of Interior, meanwhile, remains the only entity allowed to issue and withdraw gun licenses.
In January 2012, the then-ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) issued the amendment to the Firearms Commerce Law to help end the illegal proliferation of weapons after the January 25 Revolution.
Under the amendment, possessors of unlicensed machine guns, explosives and automatic assault rifles face life imprisonment, and shorter terms for those with less deadly weapons.
Licit and illicit guns held by civilians in Egypt were estimated at 1.9 million in 2007, with 3.5 firearms per 100 people. Egypt ranks 115 out of 178 countries in terms of private gun ownership, according to Gun Policy, a website managed by the University of Sydney’s School of Public Health in Australia.
However, in terms of weapons owned by national law enforcement agencies, Egypt ranks quite high. With 900,000 law enforcement guns, Egypt is fifth on the list following China, India, Russia and the U.S., according to 2012 figures.
Additional reporting by Hanan Fayed