Mine ban policy overview

Policy

The Arab Republic of Egypt has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. Egypt has often stated its reasons for opposing the treaty, including that antipersonnel mines are seen as a key means for securing its borders and that responsibility for clearance is not assigned in the treaty to those who laid the mines in the past.[1] 

Egypt attended as an observer the Tenth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Geneva in November–December 2010, but it did not make any statements. Egypt did not attend the intersessional Standing Committee meetings for the Mine Ban Treaty in June 2011.

Egypt signed the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) in 1981, but never ratified it. It attended as an observer the Twelfth Annual Conference of State Parties to CCW Amended Protocol II on landmines in November 2010. 

Production, transfer, stockpiling, and use

Egypt has stated that it stopped production of antipersonnel mines in 1988 and export in 1984.[2]

At the First Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty in December 2004, Egypt’s Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister stated that, “the Egyptian government has imposed a moratorium on all export and production activities related to anti-personnel mines.”[3] This was the first time that Egypt publicly and officially announced a moratorium on production.[4] The Monitor is not aware of any official decrees or laws to implement permanent prohibitions on production or export of antipersonnel mines.

Egypt is believed to have a large stockpile of antipersonnel mines, but no details are available on the size and composition of the stockpile, as it is considered a state secret. In 2010, Egyptian security forces seized mines, among other weapons, in the Sinai Peninsula.[5]

The Arab Republic of Egypt has not acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

On 2 August 2010, Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement welcoming the convention’s entry into force and noting the government’s support for the goals of the convention. According to the statement, “Egypt did not sign the Convention till now due to a number of shortages in it, on the top of which is excluding several types of cluster munitions especially the munitions with advanced technology from the ban, and also the main countries that produce and use cluster munitions did not join the treaty, as well as the issue that the affected countries are the one that have to shoulder the main responsibility of clearing its lands of the cluster munitions.” The statement concludes by expressing the government’s hope that these so-called shortages are addressed by the First Review Conference of the Convention, which is not scheduled to take place until 2015.[1]

Egypt participated in the Oslo Process that created the convention, but engaged in the negotiations in Dublin in May 2008 as an observer only and did not attend the Oslo Signing Conference in December 2008.[2] In October 2008, Egypt expressed concern with both the “substantive content” of the convention and “the process which led to its conclusion outside the framework of the United Nations.”[3]

Egypt has participated in some meetings related to the convention since 2008. It attended an international meeting on cluster munitions in Santiago, Chile in June 2010. Egypt was invited to, but did not attend, the First Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Vientiane, Lao PDR in November 2010. Egypt participated in intersessional meetings of the convention in Geneva in June 2011, but did not make any statements.

Egypt is not party to the Mine Ban Treaty. Egypt signed the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) in 1981, but has never ratified it or any of its protocols. Egypt has attended, but not actively engaged in CCW deliberations on cluster munitions in recent years.

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

Egypt has said that it has never used cluster munitions.[4] But it is a producer, importer, and stockpiler of the weapon. It is unclear if it has exported cluster munitions.[5]

The Helipolis Company for Chemical Industries produces 122mm and 130mm artillery projectiles which contain 18 and 28 M42D dual purpose improved conventional munition (DPICM) submunitions, respectively.[6] The SAKR Factory for Developed Industries produces two types of 122mm surface-to-surface rockets: the SAKR-18 and SAKR-36, containing 72 and 98 M42D submunitions, respectively.[7]

Egypt has also imported a significant number of cluster munitions, primarily from the United States (US). The US provided at least 760 CBU-87 cluster bombs to Egypt as part of a foreign military sales program in the early 1990s.[8] Lockheed Martin Corporation was awarded a US$36,132,500 contract to produce 485 M26A1 Extended Range Multiple Launch Rocket System rockets for Egypt in November 1991.[9] Between 1970 and 1995, the US also supplied Egypt with 1,300 Rockeye cluster bombs.[10]

Jane’s Information Group notes that KMG-U dispensers are in service for Egypt’s aircraft.[11] Additionally, Egypt possesses Grad 122mm surface-to-surface rockets, but it is not known if these include versions with submunition payloads.[12]

Contamination and Impact

Mines

Egypt is contaminated with mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), especially unexploded ordnance (UXO) from World War II. Most of the battles took place in the area between the Quattara depression and Alamein at the Mediterranean coast. Other affected areas lie around the city of Marsa Matrouh and at Sallum near the Libyan border.[1]

The full extent of contamination is not known. The joint Egypt/UNDP project document of November 2006 referred to 2,680km² of contamination, which is approximately four times the estimated contaminated area in Afghanistan.[2] An April 2009 assessment by the UN Mine Action Team (UNMAT) cautioned that accumulated data needed to be carefully analyzed in order to not misrepresent the overall mine problem as well as to avoid reporting areas for demining that had already been cleared.[3]

In August 2010, the Executive Secretariat for the Demining and Development of the North West Coast (Executive Secretariat) reported to donors than the army had destroyed 2.9 million mines while clearing 38km² in five areas, leaving more than 16 million mines covering an estimated area of 248km².[4] A government statement reported the existence of a further 5.5 million mines in the Sinai and the Eastern Desert.[5]

The developmental impact of contamination is also said to be significant. The government of Egypt development plans link mine clearance and large-scale development of the northwest coast area. Most projects will require demining support before starting. Population movement and population increases have put increased pressure on land usage, while placing an ever-growing number of people close to mined areas.[6]

Irrigation projects, an essential element in major development projects in desert areas, have experienced delays because of the need to clear mines and UXO.[7]It has been claimed that explosive ordnance in the Western Desert may impede access to an estimated 4.8 billion barrels of oil reserves, as well as 13.4 trillion cubic feet (379 billion m³) of natural gas.[8]New kinds of tourism, such as safari and ecotourism, can encroach on affected areas, increasing the risk of incidents. It is understood that it is necessary to warn people of potential hazards, but there is also a fear of discouraging travel to the country.[9] Towards the large-scale development of the region, UNDP has supported the Ministry of Planning in formulating a US$10 billion development program. The various proposals under consideration could have a considerable impact not only on the northwest coast, but also on the national economy as a whole. The project could create as many as 400,000 jobs and allow 1.5 million people to move into the area by 2022.[10]

Explosive remnants of war

In October 2009, Egypt reported that three-quarters of ordnance remaining from World War II is ERW, while 2.5% are antipersonnel mines, and 22.5% are antivehicle mines.[11]In addition to World War II ordnance, ERW from armed conflicts between Egypt and Israel in 1956, 1967, and 1973 remain to be cleared, especially in eastern areas (the Sinai Peninsula and Red Sea coast).[12]

Mine Action Program

Key institutions and operators

In 2000, the Prime Minister issued a decree establishing a National Committee for Supervising Mine Clearance and the Development of the North West Coast (National Committee) to supervise demining of this area. The National Committee serves as the focal body for the North West Coast Development Plan, approved in October 2005 by the Cabinet of Ministers, as well as for mine action coordination within the Egyptian government. The committee is chaired by the Minister of International Cooperation who oversees and coordinates mine action activities. The committee consists of 20 ministries, four governorates, and five NGOs.

The “Support to the North West Coast Development Plan and Mine Action Program” between the Ministry of International Cooperation and UNDP was signed in November 2006. This project constituted “Phase I,” and focused on the establishment of the Executive Secretariat; the development of a communication and resource mobilization strategy; a pilot demining operation; the introduction of mine/ERW risk education (RE); and a plan for a Phase II.

For Phase II of the project, covering 2011–2015, it is planned to expand mine clearance operations; facilitate development projects in the region; strengthen the Executive Secretariat; and mobilize more resources. As of March 2011, the second phase had not started due to lack of funding.[13] Manal Abdul Aziz, a journalist for Al Arabiya News wrote that when Egypt raises funding issues at international fora and requests assistance from the international community, the response is always “some trivial assistance.”[14]

UNDP has reported that the director of the UNDP National Demining Project and the director of the Executive Secretariat have prepared a background/policy document that outlines the conceptual framework of Phase II, the main issues, and the funding requirements. However, the UNDP consultant’s report on the design and formulation of Phase II was overdue as of early June 2010.[15] As of August 2011, it was unclear when Phase II would begin.

The Ministry of Defense trains the deminers, all of whom are from the army.[16]

Recent program evaluations

In April 2009, UNMAT conducted an assessment of UNDP’s support to mine action in Egypt. UNMAT concluded that Egypt, under the direction of the Executive Secretariat, had made considerable progress in implementing Phase I of the plan. A mine action structure had been created and demining was part of a larger development program. UNMAT recommended more consolidation of the army and civilian components of the development program to ensure its success.[17]

Land Release

Egypt has reported the release of 38.73km² in 2006–2009, approximately 13% of the baseline estimate of 287km². Since then, there has been no further land release.[18]

Summary of land release: November 2006–October 2009 (Phase I)[19]

SHA = suspected hazardous area

Mine clearance in 2010

No mine clearance occurred in 2010.[20]

Quality management

The Egyptian Military Corps of Engineers is responsible for quality assurance and quality control based on national standards.[21]

Other Risk Reduction Measures

There has not yet been a formal mine/ERW RE program in Egypt, and only very limited ad hoc activities have been reported in the last 10 years. In 2009, the Executive Secretariat initiated a program to train 35 persons from the ministries of agriculture, education, health, and social solidarity to conduct RE in the northwest coast area.[22] In 2010, 15,000 students were targeted in coordination with the Ministries of Education and the Environment, the Matrouh governorate, the Egypt State Information Service, and the Hanns Siedle Foundation—an international development agency that has been operating in Egypt since 1978.[23]

Casualties Overview

In 2010, 26 mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW) casualties were recorded in 14 incidents in Egypt. All but two of the casualties were male; three were children (two boys killed; one girl injured).[1] This was a decrease from the 41 casualties identified in Egypt in 2009, though the number of mine/ERW incidents rose from 12 in 2009 to 14.[2]

In 2010, more than half (eight of 14) of the incidents occurred in Matruh governorate, where the Executive Secretariat for the Demining and Development of the North West Coast (Executive Secretariat) mine action program operates; the eight incidents caused eight casualties, as compared with six incidents which caused 11 casualties in 2009.[3] Two casualties occurred as Egyptians attempted to cross illegally into Libya. An Egyptian national was injured by an unknown explosive device in January of 2010, in Tobruk, Libya.[4]

Several sources have estimated the total number of known casualties to be around 8,000. However, the period of data collection for these statistics is not reported. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported in 2006 that there had been 8,313 mine casualties (696 people killed; 7,617 injured; 5,017 were civilians) in the Western Desert since 1982.[5] Almost identical statistics were reported in 1998, but for the period 1945–1996.[6]

Victim Assistance

In 2010, there were estimated to be at least 900 mine/ERW survivors in Egypt.[7] By the end of 2010, detailed information had been collected on 686 survivors in the Matruh governorate.[8] This database was believed to include information on 91% to 95% of all mine/ERW survivors in the governorate.[9] No data was available on survivors based outside of Matruh.

Survivor data collected by the Executive Secretariat in 2008 was used in 2010 to facilitate assistance for some survivors who required it and to register all survivors within the national pension system through the Ministry of Social Solidarity.[10] No information was available on needs assessments carried out in 2010.

Victim assistance coordination

Victim assistance coordination[11]

The National Committee technically provides oversight for all mine action activities undertaken by the Executive Secretariat, including victim assistance. These activities are restricted to the Matruh governorate; there is no victim assistance coordination for the rest of Egypt. The Committee is comprised of representatives from 20 Ministries, local officials from four governorates and from several NGOs. The Executive Secretariat has among its objectives for the second phase of its activities, which started in 2010, to “support landmine victims of the north west coast,” “complete and consistently update Victims Database” and “mobilize more resources and expand victim assistance activities.”[12] The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Solidarity shared responsibility for protecting the rights of all persons with disabilities in Egypt.[13]

Survivors in Matruh governorate objected to the role of the Executive Secretariat in coordinating victim assistance and asserted that it had been “careless” while calling for the resignation of its director.[14] They also called on the Ministry of Social Solidarity to assume responsibility for victim assistance.[15] Survivor participation in victim assistance was not organized; in media interviews an ad hoc group of concerned survivors spoke out about the need to have their voices directly included in coordination efforts.[16]

Service accessibility and effectiveness

Victim assistance activities in 2010[17]

There were few reported changes in the accessibility or quality of victim assistance services for mine/ERW survivors in 2010, aside from an increase in the availability of physical rehabilitation services in Matruh governorate. Despite that increase, in 2010, the Executive Secretariat found that health and social services in Matruh governorate were inadequate and that “as a result, treating mine victims and their families can take years.” It also found that the fragility of the economy in the region “creates a serious challenge for efforts of finding labor opportunities and income generating activities for victims’ population.”[18]

Increased donor support provided via the Executive Secretariat, along with the launch of a physical rehabilitation project by the Arab Doctors Union, increased the number of survivors who were able to receive prosthetics and other mobility devices.[19] Survivors reported dissatisfaction with the quality of prosthetic devices.[20]

In 2010, there was no information available on psychological assistance for mine/ERW survivors. The Executive Secretariat’s victim assistance strategy described plans to include such support in the second phase of its activities.[21] The Executive Secretariat funded a feasibility study for income generating activities in 2010 and, in January 2011, signed a cooperation agreement with the Association of Landmine Survivors in Matruh to begin supporting these activities with members of the Association.[22]

Egypt had no legislation prohibiting discrimination against persons with disabilities in education, access to healthcare, or the provision of other state services, and discrimination remained widespread.[23]

Egypt ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 14 April 2008.

National

In 2010, Egypt did not report any contributions to its mine action program.

In 2009, Egypt, through the Ministry of International Cooperation (MIC), provided US$483,647 to the Executive Secretariat for the Demining and Development of the North West Coast (Executive Secretariat) for operational costs.

The Egyptian army conducts all demining. No costs associated with demining by the military are publicly available.

International

In 2010, international contributions to mine action in Egypt totaled $696,250.[1] The largest contribution was provided by Germany.

International government contributions: 2010[2]

In 2009, the UN Mine Action Service was quoted as saying the lack of contributions from international donors was one of the reasons for the delay in demining. Egypt reportedly stated it believes countries responsible for mine contamination should pay for clearance.[3]

An April 2009 UN Mine Action Team (UNMAT) assessment of the UNDP-supported mine action program recommended Egypt reach out to non-traditional donors in the Gulf states and that the director of the program, as a former ambassador to several countries in the region, develop a resource mobilization strategy that would appeal to such donors. UNMAT pointed out that international donors have limitations in contributing to military-controlled mine action programs.[4]

In December 2009 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent letters to Australia, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, requesting financial assistance for the second phase of demining, which is planned to completely clear all mine and ERW contamination in the North West Coast,  and was expected to begin in 2010.[5] This second phase was delayed and is scheduled to take place from 2011 to 2015.[6] However, as of August 2011, the second phase had not started due to lack of funding,[7] and it was unclear when it would begin.

UNICEF does not provide financial support for risk education in Egypt.[8]

Summary of national and international contributions: 2006–2010[9]

N/R = Not reported