 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The Central African Republic (C.A.R) has not signed the Mine Ban Treaty. Landmine Monitor has found no evidence to indicate that the country has taken any steps over the past year to join. An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Landmine Monitor that he knew nothing about the Mine Ban Treaty and that since CAR had no landmines it was not of interest.121
C.A.R was absent from the vote on UNGA Resolution 54/54B calling for universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1999. C.A.R. did not participate in the First Meeting of States Parties in Maputo in May 1999 and it has not attended any of the intersessional meetings of the ban treaty. It is not a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons and is not a member of the Conference on Disarmament.
The C.A.R. is not believed to be mine-affected. There is no evidence that the C.A.R. has ever produced or exported landmines. Government officials acknowledge that there is no practical way to control the movement of weapons, including landmines, across the C.A.R.'s territory, due to a near-complete lack of border controls. It is assumed that C.A.R. has a stockpile of AP mines, but no information is available.
When France withdrew its garrisons from Bangui and Bouar in early 1998, no stocks of landmines were left behind. Nor is the Francophone African peacekeeping force, which went in to deal with a crisis and army mutiny in early 1997 in C.A.R., believed to have used mines. The successor peacekeeping force, the U.N.-backed MINURCA, is also not believed to have used landmines.
Comoros has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. Just prior to the military coup in April 1999, the then Comoran chief government spokesperson, Ali Msaidie, said that signature and ratification of the treaty were under consideration.122 There has been no progress since and Comoros has been absent from all international fora at which landmines issues have been on the agenda.
The Comoros is not known to have produced or exported AP mines. Ali Msaidie told Landmine Monitor last year that Comoros did not possess landmines of any type, but it has not been possible to confirm this information. Despite a history of military coups, it appears landmines have not been used.123
In March 1999 local journalists reported that on Anjouan, landmines belonging to a construction company were stolen by supporters of one of the separatist leaders on the island from an army barracks where they had been kept for safe-keeping.124 There have been no reports that these mines have been used. 125
Key developments since March 1999: Congo-Brazzaville's parliament has reportedly ratified the Mine Ban Treaty and the army has reportedly started stockpile destruction. Much of Brazzaville has been cleared of mines and UXO since 1998.
Congo-Brazzaville is one of just seven non-signatories to the Mine Ban Treaty in Africa. However, in July 2000, the provisional legislature of Congo-Brazzaville was reported to have ratified the Mine Ban Treaty.126 It is assumed that this paves the way for formal accession to the treaty. It was also reported that the Congolese army had decided to destroy its stocks of AP mines because, according to a military source, "We no longer have a great number of mines."127 In December 1999, Congo-Brazzaville voted for UN General Assembly Resolution 54/54B calling for universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty. It voted for similar pro-ban UNGA resolutions in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Congo-Brazzaville did not attend the First Meeting of States Parties in Maputo in May 1999 and has not attended any of the treaty's intersessional meetings. It is not a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons, and is not a member of the Conference on Disarmament.
Congo-Brazzaville is not known to have produced or exported AP mines. AP mines are reportedly stockpiled in the country's seven military zones; the army is currently taking steps to destroy the stocks, but no date has been fixed for completion of the destruction.128
Congo-Brazzaville used AP mines most recently in the 1997 civil war. Strategically sensitive areas around Brazzaville's airport and the city's main power station were heavily mined, reportedly with both antitank and antipersonnel mines, and other utilities had unmarked minefields laid around them.129 Residential quarters of Poto-Poto and Mikalou were also affected, although it is thought this was more by contagion and carelessness than by concerted deployment.130
There is no overall survey of the mine problem in Congo-Brazzaville, but anecdotal evidence suggests that the problem was at its worst in Brazzaville itself. Many mines laid in 1997 have now been cleared by army engineers with French assistance.131 In late 1998, further clearance work was carried out around the airport, and civilian access to mined areas was carefully controlled. On 1 September 1999 the authorities detonated some landmines at the airport as a gesture to attract international airlines back to the airport, which had refused to fly to Brazzaville due to security concerns.132
Today landmines are no longer a major concern. A team from Human Rights Watch visited Brazzaville in July and found no evidence of renewed laying of landmines or concern about uncleared mines.133
There are no available records on mine-related injuries during or the after the civil wars. Repeated fighting and artillery damage has wrecked Brazzaville's medical infrastructure and has damaged national capacity for the treatment of landmine-related injuries.
Key developments since March 1999: It is clear that antipersonnel mines were still being used in the DRC in 1999 and 2000, despite an August 1999 peace agreement. But it remains impossible to verify who is responsible for laying the mines. There have been accusations that not only are government troops and opposition RCD forces using mines, but also troops from Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Chad. Similar accusations were also levelled at the plethora of foreign and local insurgent groups, which are fighting in eastern Congo against the RCD rebels and their foreign backers. Virtually all sides have denied using mines.
Uncertainties about who is responsible for use of antipersonnel mines in the DRC have continued for more than two years now. Landmine Monitor believes that it has reached the point where States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty should make detailed requests for clarification from Uganda, Rwanda and Zimbabwe, and should make all other efforts to establish the facts regarding mine use in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In July 2000, UNMAS drew up a three-phase action plan for the DRC for the UN mission charged with implementation of the peace agreement.
Background
By 1999 it had become evident that nobody had the upper hand in what is now referred to as Africa's "First World War." Angola, Zimbabwe, and Namibia deployed troops on Congolese territory in mid-1998 in support of President Kabila, as an offensive by the rebel Rassemblement Congolais pour la Democratie (RCD), with Ugandan and Rwandan support, threatened his overthrow. Other countries to become directly involved in the conflict include Burundi, Chad and Sudan. After months of tortuous negotiations, the Lusaka agreement was finally reached on 31 August 1999. This marked the start of a theoretical peace, although fighting has continued, including between past allies, Uganda and Rwanda. The end of use of landmines and their clearance were part of the Lusaka Agreement, but fresh mines continued to be laid. A United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) through Security Council Resolution 1291 (2000) has a mandate to develop an action plan for the overall implementation of the Lusaka Agreement; this includes assessment and action on landmines and UXO.134
Mine Ban Policy
DRC has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty (MBT). It voted in favor of the December 1999 UN General Assembly resolution in support of the Mine Ban Treaty, as it did on a similar resolution in 1998. The DRC is not known to have made any policy statements, or attended any diplomatic meetings, regarding landmines in 1999 or 2000. The Acting Ambassador of DRC to Kenya, Professor Mugaruka Bin Mubibi, told Landmine Monitor that his government "has more urgent issues to tackle."135 He also produced a list of parties involved in the DRC conflict and said, "Find out from them whether they are using landmines or not."
The DRC is not a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons and is not a member of the Conference on Disarmament.
Production, Transfer, Stockpile
DRC is not a known producer of antipersonnel mines. Information on the transfer of landmines either to or from the DRC remains unknown.136 Details on the size and composition of the DRC's stockpile of AP mines is also unknown.
Use
While it is clear that antipersonnel and antitank mines were still being used in the DRC in 1999 and 2000, it remains impossible to verify who is responsible for laying the mines. There have been accusations that not only are the government forces of Kabila and the opposition RCD using mines, but also troops from Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Chad. The only forces deeply involved that have not been accused of use are Namibia and Angola (which, oddly, admits to use inside its own country). All sides have denied responsibility for laying mines in Congo.137 Uganda and Zimbabwe are states parties to the Mine Ban Treaty; Rwanda ratified on 13 June 2000 and will become a formal state party on 1 December 2000.
Landmine Monitor stresses that information on mine use in the DRC remains sketchy and unreliable. The difficulties of researching and reporting events on the ground from a war zone are compounded by the possibilities of false accusations and disinformation from various concerned parties. Uncertainties about who is responsible for use of antipersonnel mines in the DRC have continued for more than two years now. Landmine Monitor believes that it has reached the point where States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty should make detailed requests for clarification from Uganda, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe, and should make all other efforts to establish the facts regarding mine use in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
There are reliable reports of mines laid in areas surrounding the hydroelectric facilities on the Inga Dam, in and around the town of Mbuji-Mayi, and Ikela airport, and unconfirmed reports of mining around areas of Bukavu and Goma in the east.138
Most recently, there have been reports of use of mines in June 2000 in the hostilities between Rwanda and Uganda over the city of Kisangani, held by the RCD rebels. It has been reported that during this fighting more mines were planted around Bangoka International airport and on a section of the Kisangani-Buta road known as Km 31. There have also been reports of mines laid at Simi Simi and Bunia airport and Ikela.139 A number of areas have been declared off-limits because of landmines.140 According to municipal authorities some ten people have been killed by UXO and landmines since hostilities ceased in Kisangani. 141 Following the fighting, the rebel RCD noted the need for demining parts of Kisangani town.142
With regard to who is responsible for laying the mines, a UN official told Landmine Monitor that Uganda and Rwanda had both used mines in the fighting over Kisangani.143
The RCD rebels claim that Rwandan and Ugandan troops left more than 4,000 antipersonnel landmines in the town, but state that they have found most of the mines close to a former Ugandan army base on the road to Bangoka airport.144
Uganda accused Rwanda of mining the Tchopo bridge in Kisangani, though it does not seem these were munitions prohibited by the Mine Ban Treaty. (See Landmine Monitor Rwanda report.)145
Outside of Kisangani, in August 1999 local people in the Bukavu area from Ngando village told Landmine Monitor that they believed Rwandan soldiers planted a mine on a path frequently used by Interahamwe militiamen.146 A cow detonated the landmine.
Landmine Monitor Report 1999 noted that Namibia and Zimbabwe had accused both Rwanda and Uganda of use of mines in the DRC; at that time Rwanda and Uganda were allies in the conflict.147
According to one source, there were accounts of Zimbabwean troops planting defensive minefields around Mbuji Maya when they feared that city would be captured by rebels in 1999.148 Landmine Monitor has not seen these accounts. In June 2000, the Namibia Campaign to Ban Landmines was informed by relatives that two Namibian soldiers died in the DRC when they stepped on "friendly" antipersonnel mines allegedly planted by Zimbabwean soldiers. Landmine Monitor Report 1999 noted that there had been accusations of mine use by Zimbabwe in the Congo in 1998 as well.149
Landmine Monitor has also obtained reports of mines being laid by Chadian forces in Equatoria. 150
Landmine Problem
Landmine Monitor conducted an informal survey of the mines in the eastern part of DRC, which is perhaps the most mine-affected part of the country,151 and concluded that mines have been planted in or around various places such as markets, airports, agricultural zones, hospitals, pathways, roads, and houses.152
While Kisangani suffered in recent fighting, it is not the only area affected. In April 1999, a landmine was found at Route D'uvira Avenue, not far from Kadutu market in Bukavu. Tutsi soldiers were called to remove it.153
In the Kivu region, Landmine Monitor believes that the following areas may be mined: along the Ruzizi river on the Rwandan border (including Nguba, Mushununu, Mumosho, Buhozi and Kasile); the Ngomo hills on the Bukavu-Uvira road; around Mudaka market; Karhale; Bunyakiri, Mwenga, Shabunda; Kaziba, especially in the Bumwe and Ngando area and the Kibumb to Goma road.
Mine Action
MONUC is mandated by the UN Security Council to develop an action plan for implementing the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement, which includes dealing with the landmine situation. In July 2000, UNMAS drew up a three-phase action plan for MONUC: (1) to establish and assess the scope of the UXO and landmine problem, to initiate mine awareness activities, and liaison with all actors in DRC; (2) the consolidation phase, to establish regional offices, to continue to develop the emergency mine action response to facilitate safe return of IDPs and refugees and to enhance mobility of MONUC troops and humanitarian organizations in the country; and (3) when possible and before withdrawal of MONUC, develop with national authorities a medium- to long-term mine action plan. At this stage, a Level 1 Survey might become necessary.154
In reporting on the situation in July 2000, UNMAS notes:
"General situation as far as political, military and security aspects are concerned, currently does not allow for a smooth initiation of any mine action activities.
- Freedom of movements is not yet guaranteed, in particular for MONUC in DRC Government controlled areas as well as in rebellion controlled areas;
-Fighting is still ongoing;
-Most of mine/UXO affected areas are under military (DRC or rebellion) control;
-MONUC deployment schedule is shifting: latest schedule plans for full deployment in September/October 2000.
However, the first mine action officer should be deployed within MONUC Headquarters in August/September..."155
In June 2000, following the fighting between Uganda and Rwanda, the rebel RCD said it will demine parts of Kisangani town. The RCD first vice-president Jean-Pierre Ondekane is reported to have said, "We are doing our best by asking humanitarian agencies to come in and supplement our demining efforts so that our people are safe."156 Some mines have been cleared, for example, an AT mine was removed from the Mental Health Center at Kisangani General Hospital. There has also been some demining at Simi Simi and Bunia Airport.
Landmine Casualties and Survivor Assistance
There are hospitals and health centers in the country, though they are poorly equipped, insufficient in number, and the situation has worsened with the war. During the emergency period, the ICRC established temporary first aid posts in the Bukavu area.157
In Kisangani, mine victims are treated at the University clinic, the General Hospital, or the Simana center for the physically handicapped. In addition to being poorly equipped, these facilities do not provide specialized assistance to mine victims.
In Bukavu there is a center for the physically handicapped, but services are provided at a high cost. There are also similar centers in Goma, Mabuji Maya, Kinshasa, and Kisangani. Of all the mine victims interviewed by Landmine Monitor only two could afford to pay for orthopedic devices.158
Handicap International runs a program in Kinshasa, and the Catholic Church tries to provide psychological care to the disabled.
In a limited survey, Landmine Monitor researchers identified forty-three mine and UXO victims in the eastern DRC for the period 1995-1999. Seventeen were fatalities. Of the 43, four were children under the age of sixteen, two died; of the thirty-nine adults, there were thirty men (thirteen fatalities) and nine women (two fatalities); seven of the victims required amputation of a limb.
Key developments since March 1999: In the 1998-2000 border war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, it appears that tens of thousands of new mines were laid. Each government has alleged that the other laid mines, and observers have expressed concern that both sides may have used mines. While Landmine Monitor cannot verify use by Eritrea, there are serious, independent reports of use of antipersonnel mines by Eritrean forces.
Background
In May 1998, Ethiopia and Eritrea went to war over a disputed border area. The two sides have accused each other of using landmines, and there are reports that more than 100,000 landmines have been laid. New use is compounding what was already a difficult landmine problem in Ethiopia and Eritrea. On 18 June 2000, the two countries signed an Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities. Article 8 of the agreement obligates both parties to demine the conflict frontier zone to allow UN peacekeeping forces and humanitarian agencies safe access.159
Mine Ban Policy
Eritrea has not signed or ratified the Mine Ban Treaty despite voting in favor of all pro-ban resolutions, including in December 1999, at the UN General Assembly. Eritrea did not attend the First Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Maputo in May 1999 and has not participated in any of the treaty's intersessional Standing Committee of Experts meetings. Eritrea is not known to have made any official statements about the Mine Ban Treaty in 1999 or 2000. Eritrea is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons nor is it a member of the Conference on Disarmament.
Production, Transfer, Stockpiling
Eritrea is not known to have produced or exported antipersonnel mines. The Eritrean government claims not to have any antipersonnel mine stocks,160 though such a statement is at odds with Eritrea's acknowledged use of mines in the past (leaving aside current allegations).
Use
While it is clear that antipersonnel mines were used by one or both parties to the recent conflict, Landmine Monitor has not been able to verify whether or not Eritrean forces are responsible for use of antipersonnel mines. However, there have been serious, independent reports (apart from allegations by the government of Ethiopia), as well as other credible indicators, that Eritrean forces have used antipersonnel mines.
In a February 2000 report regarding Eritrean human rights practices, the U.S. State Department said, "According to UN officials, [Eritrean] government forces laid approximately 50,000 to 60,000 landmines in the Badme area during their 8-month occupation of this disputed territory."161
In early June 2000, humanitarian sources told the UN Humanitarian Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) that there was much concern that both countries had mined border areas, and that "it would appear to take some time before people are confident enough to go back to their homes" in areas affected by the conflict.162
Western journalists accompanying Ethiopian forces during the final Ethiopian offensive noted the existing presence of mines, and television images of the battlefield clearly showed the presence of both antipersonnel and antitank mines.163 A journalist who visited the town of Zala Anbesa on 26 May 2000, the day after Ethiopian troops took it over from Eritrean forces, reported that the town had been mined and virtually destroyed by the Eritreans.164
For its part, Ethiopia soon after the start of the border war in May 1998 accused Eritrea of planting landmines in the conflict zone and areas of Ethiopia controlled by Eritrea, and continued to make allegations throughout the fighting. The Ethiopian government alleges that Eritrea planted more than 110,000 antipersonnel and antitank mines in the conflict zone.165 In late May 2000, Ethiopia accused Eritrea of planting mines in border towns before losing control of them to Ethiopian troops.166
Landmine Monitor is unaware of a clear denial of use of mines on the part of the Eritrean government.167 A letter sent to the government on 26 June 2000 explicitly requesting confirmation or denial had not been answered as of the end of July.
Eritrean opposition groups based in Ethiopia also allege that the Eritrean military has planted antipersonnel mines in Ayuman, Afambo, and Bada.168 Authorities in Somaliland deported Eritrean and Ethiopian nationals suspected of laying mines on roads that lead from Berbera Port.169 It is not possible for Landmine Monitor to assess the accuracy of such claims.
The U.S. State Department reported in February 2000 that Eritrea has provided support for armed opposition groups attempting to overthrow the Ethiopian government. These groups, mostly based in Somalia and Kenya, used landmines inside Ethiopia in 1999, according to the U.S.170
The Eritrean government alleged to Landmine Monitor in early 2000 that Ethiopian forces have been using landmines in the disputed territories,171 and that the mines are to a large extent not mapped or marked.172 The Eritrean government in late May and early June 2000 accused Ethiopia of laying mines in the towns Ethiopian forces were occupying.173 In an aide-memoire dated 17 July 2000 to the OAU and UN, Eritrea said that "Ethiopia has and continues to plant new mines inside sovereign Eritrean territory, particularly in the areas which fall within the temporary security zone."174
The government of Ethiopia denies that it has used antipersonnel landmines in the conflict with Eritrea or anywhere else since signing the Mine Ban Treaty.175
Landmine Problem
Even before the current Eritrea-Ethiopian war, Eritrea was heavily mine-affected. As of 1994, around fifty different antipersonnel and antitank mines from fourteen countries had been identified in Eritrea.176 According to information provided by the National Demining Center to the U.S., 200,000-250,000 mines and 3 million UXO are present in Eritrea.177 Older sources cite between 500,000 and 1 million landmines.178 It is estimated that more than 5% of Eritrea's total land area may be mine-affected.179 Most of the mined areas are located in the mainly rural sections of northern, northwestern, and south provinces of the country.
Landmine accidents usually occur along old trench lines, army garrisons, farmlands, and water wells.180 Areas that had been extensively mined include approaches to villages and towns, arable and pasture areas, roads, military camps, and bridges. Landmines were used in some of the most fertile and agriculturally important parts of the country and have created major problems for agriculture, locust control, rehabilitation, reconstruction, tourism, and development efforts in the country.181
Mine Action Funding and Mine Clearance
Soon after gaining independence, the Eritrean government embarked on a mine clearance program. Mine action in Eritrea is the responsibility of the Demining Project Office at the National Demining Headquarters in Asmara. The National Demining Headquarters has a command element, a historical research department, and a demining and training company,182 and it has established project offices and camps in Karen, Asha-Golgol, and Nakfa.183 Eritrea has prioritized its clearance program into the following categories: resettlement of refugees from the Sudan, transportation infrastructure to get the economy moving again, and general land use.184
According to the National Demining Headquarters, as many as 500,000 landmines were removed between 1977 and 1994.185 According to the U.S. Department of State, "between May 1991 and May 1993, there were approximately 2,000 landmine incidents, which included civilian casualties and Eritrean military personnel involved in mine clearance operations."186 However, Eritrean officials state that since 1996, there have been no incidents involving Eritrean personnel engaged in humanitarian demining.187
The U.S. is the only international donor to assist Eritrea with demining. Between 1993 and June of 1998, the U.S. government provided around $8 million to Eritrea's mine action program, including training and equipping nearly 400 military deminers. U.S. assistance to the Eritrean demining program was suspended as of June 1998 due to the outbreak of conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia. The program is expected to resume now that hostilities have terminated. Some $2.3 million is budgeted for fiscal year 2000, to provide mine-detecting dogs, training in explosive ordnance disposal and mine clearance, and the purchase of equipment.188
Survey and Assessment
There have been no comprehensive nation-wide surveys of landmine and UXO contamination in Eritrea. UNMAS planned an assessment mission to Eritrea in 1999, but it was not carried out due to the upsurge of conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia.189 Eritrea had been selected for a Level 1 landmines impact survey but this was also deferred due to the war.
Mine Awareness
The historical research department of the National Demining Headquarters along with the Department of Social Affairs and Eritrean War Disabled Fighter's Association undertakes mine awareness projects.190 The mine awareness efforts are largely carried out with local funding and suffer from a lack of funds and equipment. There is a general shortage of adequate medical services in Eritrea, and that tends to limit efforts to provide emergency or rehabilitation care and planning. There are continuous mine awareness programs run by the department of social affairs and the Demining Project Office. The funding for the programs comes primarily from the Eritrean Government, but UNICEF, OXFAM, and Radda Barnen had provided some support.
The mine awareness education programs involve community-based and in-school training, education to families, community elders and leaders and rehabilitation workers. More than 25,000 people throughout Eritrea are believed to have received mine awareness and prevention training from the Department of Social Affairs and the National Demining Headquarters. Those that received the training are estimated to have provided mine awareness education to more than 135,000 other people.191
Landmine Casualties
Casualty statistics have not been systematically kept in Eritrea. The government reported 2,000 incidents between May 1991 and May 1993. Government officials claim that 50,000-80,000 people have been victims of landmines in Eritrea since 1973. About 40% of those victims are believed to be children between the ages of 0-15. UNICEF and the Department of Social Affairs believe children and adult men working as sheepherders and wool collectors are the most likely victims of landmines in Eritrea.192
According to the Police Department registry, 137 deaths and 367 landmine injuries were reported between 1994 and mid-1999.193 The police registry is not exhaustive and may not present a true picture of landmine casualties. Many victims in rural areas may not be reported at all.
Survivor Assistance
There are few medical and rehabilitation facilities in Eritrea and the capacity for emergency and post-operative care is severely limited. There is one doctor per 20,000 persons.194 Critical cases are transported to the urban centers and later to the rehabilitation clinics in Asmara and May Habar.195
The treatment and rehabilitation costs for the victims are entirely covered by the Ministry of Health of the Government of Eritrea. Some financial and in-kind contributions are provided from private individuals or companies in Eritrea. The Norwegian Association of the Disabled provided aid for community-based rehabilitation projects in Eritrea in mid-1990s. There are currently no other international or non-governmental organizations that provide the needed medical and other special services to landmine victims in Eritrea.196
The Department of Social Affairs, in the Ministry of Labor and Human Welfare, has an ongoing community-based rehabilitation program to assist the rehabilitation and reintegration of victims back into the society by promoting self-care and sufficiency.197 This program has also been helpful in reintegration and resettlement of the victims, education, and awareness in issues related to handicap, for contribution/giving back to society and provision of special job or vocational training to the victims.
There are three prosthetic workshops in Eritrea, located in Asmara, Keren, and Assab. They produce prosthetic sockets, prosthetic knees and feet, arm and forearm and crutches. The equipment and training support for this project was provided by the Italian Government (through the World Health Organization, the Pharpe program) and Johanitar, a German organization. The Department of Social Affairs, in cooperation with the World Health Organization, is planning to build a national physical therapy center in Asmara for landmine victims and other persons with disability.198
The Landmine Survivors Network is in the process of establishing an amputee support network in the Eritrea, Zoba Maekel, whose targeted beneficiaries are going to be landmine survivors and any persons with limb loss. The project will be conducted under the umbrella of the National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students.199
There is a new draft National Disability Policy of Eritrea that was discussed at a national conference at the end of 1999. Its implementation is expected to occur around the end of 2000. In addition to the funds the Eritrean government provides for medical treatments and health care needs of landmine victims, it also provides persons with disability continuous pension for living expenses and vocational training.
Key developments since March 1999: Since a new democratic government took office in May 1999, top government and military leaders have stated that Nigeria will soon accede to the Mine Ban Treaty.
Mine Ban Policy
The Federal Republic of Nigeria is the only country in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sixteen-member regional group that has not signed the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. Since a new democratic government took office in May 1999 after more than fifteen years of military rule, there have been several indications that Nigeria will soon accede to the treaty.
In September 1999, Nobel Peace Laureate Jody Williams and a delegation from a Workshop on Mine Action met with the Vice President of Nigeria, Hon. Atiku Mohammed, who assured the delegation that Nigeria would join the treaty "very soon."200 About sixty participants attended the workshop, including representatives from Nigeria's Armed Forces and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.201 In June 2000 the Minister of Defense, retired Lt. Gen. T. Y. Danjumah, told participants at a Conference on International Humanitarian Law that "the only realistic solution is a total ban" on AP mines, and went on to state that it is "only a question of time before Nigeria becomes party to the treaty."202 Dr. Sola Ogunbanwo, the President's Special Envoy on Disarmament, told Landmine Monitor in June 2000 that "we will see some positive movement soon."203 On 26 July 2000, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson confirmed that the process for acceding to the Mine Ban Treaty "was in progress," but refused to give a time frame.204
At the end of the September 1999 workshop, NGO participants decided to establish a "Focus Group on Landmines in Nigeria" that would include in its activities advocacy for the government to join the Mine Ban Treaty. The Nigerian Red Cross Society has also acknowledged the "great need to sensitise the government and the general public about the excessive effects of antipersonnel landmines...."205
Nigeria did not attend the First Meeting of States Parties in Maputo in May 1999. It participated in the September 1999 meeting of the Standing Committee of Experts on Victim Assistance. In December 1999, Nigeria voted for UN General Assembly Resolution 54/54B urging universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty. It had previously voted for pro-ban UNGA resolutions in 1996 and 1998. Nigeria is not a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons. It is a member of the Conference on Disarmament, but has not been vocal on the issue of possible negotiations on a mine export ban in the CD.
Production, Transfer, Stockpiling and Use
Nigeria is not known to have produced or exported AP mines. It is believed to have a stockpile of antipersonnel mines, procured in the past from the former Czechoslovakia, former Soviet Union, former Yugoslavia, France, and U.K.206 Asked about stocks, the Chief of Operations of the Nigerian Army, Major General Yellow Duke, told participants of the Conference on International Humanitarian Law to "wait until Nigeria accedes then we will be obliged to tell you about that."207
Landmines were used during the 1967-70 (Biafra) civil war but a senior Nigerian army officer explained that AP mines "were used sparingly because we knew that this was a war between brothers and we were conscious of the need to minimise deaths and injuries."208 A retired general of the Nigerian Army claims that the Army cleared all of its AP mines after the war.209 The Biafra rebels also used a home-made device. Nigerian military officers allege that injuries to civilians after the war were caused by these devices known as "Ogonigwe."210
The situation in Somalia with respect to landmines is essentially unchanged since Landmine Monitor Report 1999. The reader is referred to that report for historical background, description of the landmine problem, and ban policies of various factions. There are still no mine clearance, mine awareness or victim assistance programs in Somalia.
As was the case last year, there have been ongoing, albeit unclear and undetailed, reports of use of mines. In 1999, there were allegations that new landmines had been laid along the Kenyan border with Somalia as a result of two factions fighting for control of the port city of Kismayo. There were also reports of use of mines by rogue militia involved in illegal activities such as smuggling along the border. Somali warlord Hussein Mohamed Aideed has claimed that Ethiopian troops occupying some parts of southern Somalia have used landmines.211
In May 1999 local elders in the Galgaduud and Mudug regions of central Somalia showed reporters documents to prove they had filed a detailed demining project proposal and made repeated requests for assistance with demining in central Somalia since 1993, most recently in a letter to UNDP Somalia in September 1998. The UNDP's Nairobi-based Somali Civil Protection Program Manager was reported as stating that one reason no work had been done is that there is "no functioning administration or recognised authority to work with," but he also complained of lack of funds for demining work.212
(See separate report on Somaliland.)
121 Telephone interview with Ministry of Foreign Affairs official, Bangui, 14 July 2000.
122 Telephone interview, Ali Msaidie, chief government spokesperson, Islamic Federal Republic of Comoros, Moroni, 1 April 1999.
123 Interview, diplomatic source, Moroni, 25 July 2000.
124 See, Landmine Monitor Report 1999, p.188.
125 Interview, diplomatic source, Moroni, 25 July 2000.
126 "Congolese army to destroy landmine stocks," Agence France Presse (Brazzaville), 27 July 2000.
129 "Congo: finding landmines proves tougher than laying them," Inter Press Service, 22 August 1998.
130 Telephone interview, Remy Bazenguissa, Paris, 31 March 1999. Bazenguissa is a respected analyst of the various recent battles for Brazzaville and surroundings.
131 Inter Press Service, 22 August 1998.
132 Airline Industry Communication, 3 September 1999.
133 Telephone interview with Human Rights Watch consultant Stephen Ellis, 13 July 2000.
134 The Resolution requires MONUC "to deploy mine action experts to assess the scope of the mine and unexploded ordnance problems, coordinate the initiation of mine action activities, develop a mine action plan, and carry out emergency action activities as required in support of its mandate."
135 Interview, Nairobi, 4 May 2000.
136 In one anecdote told to Landmine Monitor, a refugee in Mulengeza Township exchanged a lamp for a landmine offered by a Hutu refugee. Fortunately he handed the mine over to the head of the camp. Interview with the father of the refugee, Byamungu Bebe Badesire, Nairobi, 26 March 2000.
137 Telephone interviews with diplomats from DRC, Chad, Namibia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, New York, 28 July 2000.
138 See, "Regional Round Up," De-Mining Debate, South African Institute of International Affairs, 1-8 July 1999, p. 9.
139 Interview with BRZ International Ltd., Johannesburg, June 2000. BRZ is a South African mine clearance firm which conducted a survey in DRC in 2000 and described it as "badly contaminated."
140 Telephone interview with UN source in Kisanagani, 28 July 2000.
142 IRIN-CEA Update 973 for the Great Lakes, 24 July 2000.
143 Telephone interview with UN official in Kisangani, 28 July 2000.
144 "Rebels say more than 4,000 Mines Left in Kisangani," AFP (Kisangani), 21 July 2000, in FBIS.
145 "Tchopo Bridge Mines," New Vision, 19 June 2000.
146 Interview with Bali Munenwa, Chibanda/Kaziba, 27 December 1999.
147 Landmine Monitor Report 1999, pp.194-195.
148 Interview with U.S. intelligence specialist on DRC, London, 23 June 2000.
149 Landmine Monitor Report 1999, pp.194-195.
150 Interview with U.S. intelligence specialist on DRC, London, 23 June 2000.
151 This is defined as the "rebel-held," area which includes South and north Kivu, the Uvira Region, Orientale Province (formerly Haut Zaire) as well as a section of Katanga region, extending to Kalemie, Moba and Baraka. North Shaba is also included.
152 Interview with a prominent human rights activist, Nyawera, 23 December 1999.
153 Interview with Eliasa (a trader) at Walungu, 28 December 1999.
154 "Update on Mine Action in the Democratic Republic of Congo," UNMAS, 12 July 2000.
155 UNMAS Update, 12 July 2000.
156 IRIN-CEA Update 973 for the Great Lakes, 24 July 2000.
157 Landmine Monitor research in northeastern part of the DRC, May 2000.
158 Visit to Centre Heri Kwetu, 29 December 1999.
159 Ethiopian and Eritrean foreign ministers signed the agreement in Algiers, Algeria on 18 June 2000. The President of Algeria, who holds the Presidency of the OAU for the 2000 cycle, brokered the agreement.
160 Eritrean Ministry of Defense, "Answers to a Questionnaire Submitted by Landmine Monitor," 16 May 2000. In its reply to the questionnaire, Eritrea states that it used mines in the past "during the armed struggle against the Ethiopian army. All the mines used were captured from the enemy. Almost all types of mines were Soviet and U.S. origin like PMN, POMZ-2, MON-100, MON-200, M16, M14 and M3, etc." It states that Eritrea has never imported AP mines.
161 U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, "1999 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices -- Eritrea," 25 February 2000, p. 3.
162 United Nations, IRIN News Briefs, "Ethiopia: Landmine Deaths in Irob," 8 June 2000.
163 BBC World television broadcasts in Europe viewed by Landmine Monitor researchers of the Ethiopian offensive during the period 13-17 May 2000 also clearly showed antipersonnel mines and antitank mines stockpiled at fighting positions.
164 "Ethiopia says Eritrea laid 7,000 mines in and around border town," AFP, Addis Ababa, 6 June 2000.
165 For example see: Ethiopian Government Spokesperson, "Total Victory for Operation Sunset," Ethiopian News Service, Addis Ababa, 28 February 1999; Professor Addis Birhan, "Mine Eritrea's Minefields," Wata Information Service, 6 March 1999; Statement of Dr. Waktasu Negeri to the FMSP, Maputo, 3 May 1999; Embassy of Ethiopia, Washington, DC, "30,375 Landmines Planted in Eritrea in Northern Ethiopia Demined," 25 May 1999; Embassy of Ethiopia, Washington, DC, "Eritrean Landmines Pose Great Danger to Ethiopian Civilians," 23 November 1999; BBC News Online, "De-Mining in the Horn," 19 July 2000.
166 "Ethiopia says Eritrea laid 7,000 mines in and around border town," AFP, Addis Ababa, 6 June 2000.
167 In the Ministry of Defense's response to the LM questionnaire, dated 16 May 2000, the question "Is Eritrea currently using antipersonnel mines?" was left blank, while the question regarding past use was answered in the affirmative.
168 Radio Voice of Red Sea Afars, "Eritrea Still Planting Mines on Ethiopian Border," BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 28 March 2000.
169 Ayaamaha (Somali Newspaper), "Somaililand Authorities Reportedly Deport Eritreans, Ethiopians over Land Mines," BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 29 March 2000.
170 U.S. State Department, 1999 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Ethiopia, 25 February 2000, p. 4.
171 Interviews with Ato Abraham Yohannes, Embassy of Eritrea, Washington, DC, 28 January 2000 and 8 February 2000.
172 Interview with Eritrean National Demining Headquarters official, Asmara, January 2000.
173 IRIN-CEA, "Civilians returning slowly to Mined Town," 2 June 2000; "Eritreans Assess Damage in Barentu," BBC World (Africa), 2 June 2000; Ann M. Simmons, "Destruction, Danger Await Eritrean Returnees," The Times, 2 June 2000; Patrick Graham, "Eritreans Don't Think the War is Over," National Post, 4 June 2000; "Eritrean Town Looted by Retreating Ethiopian Army," Reuters, 2 June 2000; "Ethiopian Forces Reported Still in West Eritrea," IRIN News Briefs, 31 May 2000.
174 The aide-memoire was subsequently provided the UN Security Council and circulated as UN Security Council document S/2000/726, 21 July 2000. See also, "Eritrea Complains Ethiopia Violates Peace Pact," Reuters, United Nations, 24 July 2000.
175 For a recent denial, see: "Ethiopia: 40,000 landmines removed from central front," Ethiopian Television, Addis Ababa, in Amharic, BBC Monitoring, 20 June 2000.
176 For a complete list of landmines found in Eritrea, see Landmine Monitor Report 1999, pp. 197-198.
177 U.S. Central Command, "U.S. Government Humanitarian Demining Country Plan for Eritrea (Conditional, FY 2001 & 2002)," 23 February 2000.
178 U.S. Department of State, Hidden Killers, September 1998, p. 25; UNA-USA, "A Report on Landmine Clearance in Africa," the Eighth Annual Citizen's Inspection Tour, 25 April to 2 May 1998, p. 20.
179 Naizghi Ghebremedhin, "Reconstruction and Development following Armed Conflicts," Environment and Security, vol. 1, no. 2., 1997.
180 Eritrean Ministry of Defense, "Answers to a Questionnaire Submitted by Landmine Monitor," 16 May 2000.
181 List compiled from interview with Eritrean Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, Asmara, 14 January 2000; Kurt Hanevik, "Landmine injuries in Eritrea," at http://www.uib.no/People/mfakh/LM/Lmsocio.html; Naizghi Ghebremedhin, "Reconstruction and Development following Armed Conflicts," Environment and Security, vol. 1, no. 2., 1997; Andeberhan W. Ghiorghis, "The Human and Ecological Consequences of War in Eritrea," Conflicts in the Horn of Africa: Human and Ecological Consequences of Warfare, Terje Tvedt (Ed.), Uppsala University (Sweden), 1993.
182 U.S. Department of State, Hidden Killers, 1998, p. 27.
183 Interviews with National Demining Headquarters official, Asmara, 23 December 1999, 7 January 2000, 10 January 2000, 14 January 2000.
185 Ibid; Eritrean Ministry of Defense, "Answers to a Questionnaire Submitted by Landmine Monitor," 16 May 2000.
186 U.S. Department of State, Hidden Killers, September 1998, p.27.
187 Interviews with National Demining Headquarters official, Asmara, 23 December 1999, 7 January 2000, 10 January 2000, 14 January 2000.
188 U.S. Department of State, FY 00 NADR Project Status, p. 2; U.S. Central Command, "U.S. Government Humanitarian Demining Country Plan for Eritrea (Conditional, FY 2001 & 2002)," 23 February, 2000; Human Rights Watch, "Clinton's Landmine Legacy," July 2000, pp. 33-34.
189 Interview with UNMAS official, The Hague, Netherlands, 17 May 2000.
190 Interviews with personnel from the Demining Project Office, Department of Social Affairs, 12 January 2000, 14 January 2000; Interviews with official of the Eritrean War Disabled Fighter's Association, Asmara, 27 December 1999, 11 January 2000.
191 Interview with National Demining Headquarters official, 7 January 2000. Asmara, Eritrea and Interview with Department of Social Affairs official, Asmara, 12 January 2000, 14 January 2000.
192 UNICEF, "Landmine Education and Awareness Support in Eritrea - a proposal for funding," 1996.
193 Eritrean Police Department, "National Accidents Report 1999," undated, provided to Landmine Monitor by National Demining Headquarters.
194 Interview with personnel from the Department of Social Affairs, Asmara, 12 January 2000, 14 January 2000.
196 Interview with personnel from the Eritrean Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (ERREC) and War Disabled Association of Eritrea, 11 January 2000.
197 Ibid.; Interview with Department of Social Affairs officer, Asmara, 12 January 2000, 14 January 2000.
198 Interview with Sue Eitel, Landmine Survivors Network, The Hague, Netherlands, 17 May 2000.
200 "Report on Nigeria workshop on AP Mines, September 1999." Circulated to ICBL email network by ICBL Coordinator, 1 October 1999.
201 Abuja Workshop on Mine Action, organized by London-based Africa Topics magazine, and the Nigerian-based Centre for Civil Initiatives and the Centre for Conflict Resolution and Peace Advocacy, 6-8 September 1999.
202 Opening address to the Conference on International Humanitarian Law: Mines, Arms Availability and New Weapons, organized by the ICRC Regional Office in Nigeria and the Centre for Conflict Resolution and Peace Advocacy, Abuja, 14-15 June 2000.
203 Interview with Dr. Sola Ogunbanwo, President's Special Envoy on Disarmament, Abuja, 15 June 2000.
204 Human Rights Watch telephone interview, Spokesperson for International Organisations Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, 26 July 2000.
205 Notes taken by Landmine Monitor researcher of statement by Alhaji (Dr.) Shehu Musa, President, Nigerian Red Cross Society, to the Conference on International Humanitarian Law, Abuja, 14 June 2000.
206 See Landmine Monitor Report 1999, pp. 202-203.
207 Notes taken by Landmine Monitor researcher of statement by Major General Yellow-Duke, Chief of Operations, Nigerian Army, to Conference on International Humanitarian Law, 14 June 2000.
208 Interview with Major General Yellow-Duke, Chief of Operations, Nigerian Army, Abuja, 15 June 2000.
209 Interview with retired Major General Charles B. Ndiomu, Provost, Centre for Peace Research and Conflict Resolution, National War College, Abuja, 14 June 2000.
210 Interview with retired Major General Charles B. Ndiomu, National War College, Abuja, 14 June 2000.
211 "Adid Accuses Ethiopia of Annexing Somali Territory," AFP, 21 March 2000.
212 "Special report on Galgaduud and southern Mudug," IRIN (Galkacyo, Somalia), 12 May 1999.