League ITEKA and the Swiss institute of research "Small arms Survey" with a financial support of the UNDP and NOVIB Oxfam Netherlands organized on May, 29 2006 a workshop of validation of the study on the proliferation of the light weapons in Burundi. The study was undertaken in nearly 3060 families selected in 6 provinces of the 17 provinces of Burundi, being: Bujumbura capital city, Bujumbura rural, Cibitoke, Ruyigi, Bururi and Mwaro.

The study based its analysis on the statistics and data available at UNO, MSF - Belgium and in League Iteka. It also takes into consideration a report issued at a two day workshop organized by an Association of ex-combatants, CEDAC, in which seven ex-armed groups took part.

The aim of this study is to contribute in the setting up of a national policy on disarmament of the civil population and the fight against the proliferation of the light weapons in Burundi. The increasing of criminality, rapes and armed robberies cases reveal indeed that weapons constitute a real danger in Burundi. The national programme of disarmament of the population will have consequently to take into account some criteria: such as the improvement of security, the setting up of legal body, voluntary disarmament, the campaign of information and sensitising, the reinforcement of confidence in the institutions in charge of security, the reinforcement of the capacities of the national forces and the customs as regards as weapon traffics are concerned..., without which the programme runs the risk of failing.

The study is against a disarmament policy of the kind: " arms against money or food " which would be doomed to fail. The some money would be used again to repurchase other weapons which would overflow the markets again

The participants appreciated the quality of the study which was highly rated and therefore validated but after the correction of some few weaknesses which have been picked out.

In his closing speech, M. Sylvestre Kibeceri ,who represented the government of Burundi, recognized that the study has been well carried out, and that it required the effort of everyone.

He congratulated League ITEKA and Small Arms Survey for their efforts and initiatives, without which such study would not have been possible. He ended by promising that the government will take into account of the results of the study in the setting up a national strategy of disarmament of the civil population.