Joining the arms race
The uncontrolled global trade in small arms is having a devastating impact in poor countries – where guns are fuelling widespread violence, ruining lives and perpetuating poverty. This is the story of one man who traded his gun in for a pair of running shoes, and has never looked back.
Julius Arile Lomerinyang, aged 23, was born in Kanyarkwat, Kenya.
His primary education was constantly interrupted by conflict between cattle herders over grazing lands. Aged 15 – unable to carry on at school because of lack of money – he became involved in livestock rustling, a traditional part of East African culture.
Old methods of raiding rarely involved killing, but by the time Julius became involved, these traditions had been dramatically transformed by the widespread availability of guns.
The attacks had become more deadly, and Julius lost many friends and relatives. In one dawn raid, his brother was killed, and many others – mainly women and children – were also left dead.
Although raiding had been part of life for centuries, competing villages always followed certain rules, such as announcing their arrival using drums and chants, and allowing surrendering men to run away. Women and children were always spared.
But the growing number of guns in Julius’ village, and in other cattle herding communities, have turned a cultural tradition into a local arms race – and a deadly war.
Raids have become brutal and indiscriminate.
In one incident not long ago, young Pokot tribesmen brandishing AK-47s raided their neighbours, the Marakwet. They killed 47 people, most of them women and children. Schools, houses and shops were burned to the ground.
Such terror and destruction were previously unheard of among these communities.
Julius found that raiding led only to death.
One day he decided to change his way of life.
During one of the annually-held Tegla Loroupe Peace Races in his district in 2004, he traded in his AK-47 for running gear.
He won the 10K race in the 'Warriors’ category, and has not looked back since.
Today, he trains with other athletes at a training camp, and occasionally competes in professional athletic events. He has also persuaded other warriors voluntarily to surrender their weapons, and take up athletics as a way of making a living.
Julius added his face to the Million Faces petition, joining 90,000 other Kenyans – and more than a million other people around the world – in calls for stronger international arms controls.
This call has been answered – in part, at least – with recent agreement at the UN to begin work on an Arms Trade Treaty.
It’s now up to us to keep leaders under pressure, and make sure the treaty is comprehensive, and legally binding for every country.
