Background

The status of Kosovo is disputed. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in February 2008. As of October 2011, the declaration of independence had been recognized by 80 states. However, Serbia considers the declaration illegal and still views Kosovo as its southern territory. Kosovo has not been able to become a UN member state and thus is not eligible to adhere formally to international instruments such as the Mine Ban Treaty.

Policy

A spokesperson for the self-declared Republic of Kosovo told the Monitor in March 2010 that Kosovo strongly supports a policy of banning antipersonnel mines and other explosive and deadly devices. The spokesperson stated that there has been no initiative in the Kosovo Assembly to draft a law banning mines, but this did not preclude the possibility of such a law in the future.[1]

The spokesperson said that Kosovo does not possess antipersonnel mines.[2] Some possession and trafficking of mines by criminal groups has been reported in the media.[3]

Background

The status of Kosovo is disputed. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in February 2008. As of July 2011, the declaration of independence was recognized by 77 states. However, Serbia considers the declaration illegal and still views Kosovo as its southern territory. Kosovo has not been able to become a UN member state and thus is not eligible to adhere formally to international instruments such as the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Policy

In March 2010, a spokesperson for the self-declared Republic of Kosovo told the Monitor, “In principle, as a country that that has been through war, Kosovo supports the initiatives to reduce and ban arms, including the policy to ban cluster ammunition.” He stated that Kosovo does not possess any cluster munitions.[1]

Forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) used cluster munitions during the 1998–1999 conflict in Kosovo.[2] Additionally, aircraft from the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and the United States dropped cluster bombs in Kosovo during the 1999 NATO air campaign.[3]

Cluster munition remnants

Kosovo is affected by remnants of cluster munition used by the FRY armed forces in 1998–1999 and by the 1999 NATO air campaign. The Kosovo Mine Action Centre (KMAC) reported that as of 1 June 2010 it had identified 48 areas of confirmed submunition contamination (four less than in 2009) and six suspected areas of contamination (two fewer than in 2009).[4] The estimated extent of contamination has not been made public.

Clearance of cluster munition contaminated areas

In 2010, the Kosovo Security Force explosive ordnance disposal teams, Mines Awareness Trust, and HALO Trust conducted cluster munition clearance.[5] KMAC reported that a total of five cluster munition clearance tasks were conducted, resulting in the destruction of 80 unexploded submunitions during 2010, but gave no further details.[6] HALO conducted cluster munition clearance at one site in Pepsh[7] over an area of 128,182m², finding and destroying 44 unexploded submunitions.[8] 

Cluster munition casualties

At least 203 casualties of cluster munition have been recorded in Kosovo. A total of 25 casualties were recorded during the 1999 cluster munitions strikes.[9]  Unexploded submunitions caused at least 178 casualties between 1999 and the end of 2009.[10] No casualties of unexploded submunitions were reported in 2010.

Contamination and Impact

Kosovo is contaminated by mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), including cluster munition remnants, primarily as a result of the conflict between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) and the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in the late 1990s and the conflict between the FRY and NATO in 1999.[1] However, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams continue to encounter occasional items of unexploded ordnance (UXO) dating back to World War II.[2]

The UN coordinated a major demining operation by international NGOs and commercial companies from June 1999 to December 2001 and reported that “the problems associated with landmines, cluster munitions and other items of unexploded ordnance in Kosovo have been virtually eliminated.”[3] However, further investigation since then has revealed considerably more contamination.[4]

In March 2011, the Kosovo Mine Action Center (KMAC) reported a total of 110 confirmed hazardous areas (CHAs) and suspected hazardous areas (SHAs). This is eight fewer than in 2010 and 20 fewer than reported in 2008, but still considerably more than the total of 58 reported three years earlier. The March 2011 estimate was composed of 60 CHAs (two fewer than in May 2010) and 50 SHAs that require survey and possibly clearance (six fewer than in May 2010).[5]

A community liaison survey completed by HALO Trust in August 2007 identified 172 remaining mine or ERW clearance tasks.[6] The Office for the Kosovo Protection Corps Coordinator (OKPCC)[7] discounted 42 of these after resurvey found they had no mine or UXO threat.[8] HALO found more contamination in areas the OKPCC had not considered dangerous in 2009,[9] but it did not report any additional finds in 2010.[10]

Mines

Kosovo has not published any estimate of the area contaminated by mines or other ordnance, but in March 2011 the KMAC reported 12 confirmed mined areas (two more than at the end of 2009) and 44 suspected mined areas (four fewer then at the end of 2009).[11]

Cluster munition remnants

Kosovo continues to be affected by cluster munition remnants. The 1998–1999 conflict between the KLA and the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) precipitated a NATO bombing campaign between 24 March and 10 June 1999 (Operation Allied Force) in which NATO aircraft dropped substantial numbers of cluster munitions.[12] Forces of the FRY also used cluster munitions during the 1998–1999 conflict in Kosovo.[13]

In March 2011, the KMAC reported 48 areas with confirmed contamination by unexploded submunitions and a further six suspected areas, the same numbers as in 2010.[14]

Other explosive remnants of war

EOD teams continue to encounter items of UXO dating back to World War II,[15] but most contamination consists of unexploded aircraft bombs located mainly in the west of the province, and items of abandoned explosive ordnance (AXO). Kosovo Force (KFOR) EOD teams regularly collect items of AXO in response to information provided by the public and demining organizations.[16]

Mine Action Program

 Key institutions and operators

In January 2011, the EOD Coordination Team became the KMAC under the Ministry of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF).[17] The KMAC is responsible for managing clearance of mines and ERW. It prepares an annual workplan in cooperation with demining NGOs[18] and coordinates operations of both the NGOs and KFOR. It also coordinates survey, quality assurance, mine/ERW risk education (RE), public information, and victim assistance, and has reported that in 2010 it inspected clearance sites daily.[19]

Land Release

Kosovo reported releasing a total of 477,809m² of land affected by mines, cluster munition remnants, and other ERW through clearance and technical survey in 2010.[20] Operators completed clearance of seven CHAs and started work on 12 more, but later suspended operations due to the end of demining season.[21]

KSF EOD Teams, which underwent restructuring and retraining in 2009, were active again in 2010, clearing an area of 130,880m², 27% of the total area cleared in 2010.[22] HALO, which temporarily increased capacity to implement a Swiss-funded project in the west of Kosovo, cleared 201,555m² of land.[23] MAT and MDDC, in a joint operation, released 145,374m².[24]

Five-year summary of mine and battle area clearance[25]

Survey in 2010

No non-technical survey was reported in Kosovo in 2010.[26] The MDDC from Konjic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, continued conducting technical survey in conjunction with clearance operations by MAT and the KSF EOD Team. It employed four MDD teams (each with one dog) and worked on 12 task sites in the areas of Ponoševac, Košare, Milaj, and Belinc, where it searched and released an area of 80,320m².[27] Out of 12 tasks, MDDC supported MAT on one task and supported KSF on the rest.[28]

Mine and battle area clearance in 2010

KSF EOD Teams, MAT, and HALO conducted mine and battle area clearance (BAC) on a total of 15 tasks in 2010.[29] Operators did not find cluster munition remnants on demining tasks or vice versa.[30]

MAT conducted mine and battle area clearance, technical survey, EOD disposal, and community liaison, clearing an area of 65,054m² and destroying a total of 22 items of UXO and seven antipersonnel mines, as well as some small arms ammunition and four mine fuzes.[31]

HALO manually cleared five tasks covering a total of 72,883m² in Dulje Pass, Košare, and Krivenik, destroying 45 antipersonnel mines.[32]

Mine and cluster munition remnants clearance in 2010[33]

* KFOR during EOD response tasks

Mine clearance capacity in 2010[34]

Clearance of cluster munition contaminated areas in 2010

KSF EOD Teams, MAT, and HALO cleared a total of five cluster munition contaminated areas in 2010.[35] HALO cleared an area of 128,182m² on one task in Pepsh, finding and destroying 44 submunitions.[36]

Battle area clearance and EOD in 2010

KFOR is responsible for EOD response tasks, acting on information provided by the public or demining organizations. In 2010, it found and destroyed a total of 466 items of UXO.[37] The KMAC reported that KSF EOD teams conducted 32 EOD response tasks during 2010 and found and destroyed 84 items of UXO.[38] The area cleared in both cases has not been reported.

Quality management

The KMAC deployed two quality assurance (QA) inspectors for quality assuring NGO demining and BAC teams in 2010, conducting at least one visit per week on every site.[39] NGOs reported conducting weekly internal QA visits to every demining site.[40] The EOD Coordination Team’s annual plan provided for QA inspectors conducting five QA visits a week and found no irregularities during 2010.[41] Public information assistants also investigated one reported incident in which two juveniles were slightly injured by a hand grenade fuze.[42]

Safety of demining personnel

No demining incidents were reported in Kosovo in 2010. All demining personnel go through regular refresher trainings before accreditation.[43]

Other Risk Reduction Measures

During 2010, RE continued to be implemented by three main actors: KSF, the QPEA, and Kosovo Red Cross. RE included trainings, presentations, and dissemination of materials.[44]

QPEA implemented a “School Based Mine Risk Education” project from November 2009 to October 2010 in cooperation with the Serbian NGO “FUTURE” which aimed to increase the role of teachers and schools in RE activities in providing psychosocial assistance to children in need as well as to their parents. Teachers participating in the project will implement it in their schools and communities.[45]

Casualties

Casualties overview

In 2010, two explosive remnants of war (ERW) casualties were reported in Kosovo in a single incident. Both casualties were boys and both were injured.[1] This represented a decrease from the seven casualties in three incidents reported for 2009.[2] No antipersonnel mine casualties have been reported in Kosovo since 2004.

Between 1999 and 2010, 560 mine/ERW/unexploded submunition casualties (114 killed; 446 injured) were identified in Kosovo. The vast majority of casualties (438 or 78%) were recorded between 1999 and 2000.[3]

At least 178 casualties from incidents involving unexploded submunitions were recorded between 1999 and the end of 2010.[4] An additional 25 casualties, which occurred during the use of cluster munitions in 1999, were also recorded.[5]

Victim Assistance

The total number of mine/ERW survivors in Kosovo is not known. Since 1999, 446 people were recorded as injured by mines, ERW, or unexploded submunitions.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MLSW) is responsible for protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, including mine/ERW survivors.[6] Implementation of the Action Plan for People with Disabilities (2009–2011), including monitoring activities, continued in 2010. However, overall, limited progress was reported for persons with disabilities.[7]

A 10-month project to empower 30 mine/ERW survivors to improve knowledge on socio-economic rights implemented by the Center for Promotion of Education (Qendra për Përparimin e Edukimit dhe Arsimit, QPEA) was completed in August 2010.[8] As a result of the International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF)-funded project, 10 survivors also received prostheses at the University Rehabilitation Institute, Slovenia.[9] Other services for mine/ERW survivors have included the National Ortho-Prosthetic Center, which provided free prosthetic devices; local NGO HandiKos, which provided rehabilitation and social inclusion services; and Jesuit Refugee Service, which provided support and assistance for young survivors.[10]

Kosovo has legislation prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities in the provision of government services. However, it was reported that the government did not effectively implement the law and the situation for persons with disabilities remained difficult. A law requiring access to official buildings was not enforced and such buildings were rarely accessible.[11] The MLSW provided disability pensions to mine/ERW survivors.[12]

In 2010, international contributions towards mine action in Kosovo totaled US$1,387,685, which represents a decrease of 15% compared to 2009.[1] The United States (US) provided the largest contribution ($1,100,000).

International contributions: 2010[2]

Summary of contributions: 2006–2010[3]