UN General Assembly
2008

and ready deployment, they may be described as Africa’s own experience of weapons of mass destruction. We remain convinced that the best and most effective strategy to achieve the goal of preventing, combating and eradicating that illicit and deadly trade is through the elaboration of a legally binding global instrument, as well as the political will on the part of all to stem the uncontrolled proliferation of small arms. Therefore, urgent action is needed to criminalize oil bunkering, the sale of oil so acquired and the use of its proceeds to fuel new crisis situations in Africa, especially in the Gulf of Guinea, through the proliferation of small arms and light weapons. The same creativity and political will that was demonstrated in confronting blood diamonds as a source of regional instability must be available at this time in dealing with the blood oil that now threatens the Gulf. Nigeria has made enormous sacrifices on behalf of peace in Darfur. Over the years we have maintained peacekeeping troops in the region, first, under the