Rwanda
Mine Ban Policy
Mine Ban Policy
The Republic of Rwanda signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997 and ratified on 8 June 2000, becoming a State Party on 1 December 2000. The treaty was incorporated into domestic law with the presidential order of 24 December 1998.[1] Rwanda has not enacted further domestic legislation to implement the Mine Ban Treaty.[2]
Rwanda had not submitted an annual updated Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report since 2008.[3]
Rwanda participated in the Tenth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Geneva in November–December 2010 but did not participate in the intersessional Standing Committee meetings held in June 2011.
Rwanda is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.
Production, transfer, stockpiling, and use
There have been no reports of use of antipersonnel mines in Rwanda since 1998.[4] Rwanda has reported that it has never produced and has no stockpiles of antipersonnel mines. In April 2008, it stated, “Rwanda government has never imported antipersonnel mines since 1994 and has destroyed all that were imported by the former government forces.”[5] This was the first time Rwanda indicated that it destroyed stockpiles inherited by the previous government.[6]
After initially indicating that it retained no antipersonnel mines for training or development purposes, Rwanda reported in April 2003 that it possessed 101 antipersonnel mines, “uprooted from minefields and retained for training purposes.”[7] In 2008, Rwanda reported 65 mines retained for training purposes, a reduction of 36 mines and reported that 25 explosive ordnance disposal personnel had been trained, presumably using the mines.[8]
[1] Order of the President, No. 38/01, 24 December 1998. Rwanda has also stated that an existing law, Decree-Law 12/79, which prohibits illegal import, use, transfer, and possession of arms and ammunition, covers mines, although mines are not explicitly mentioned. Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form A, 1 June 2006.
[2] It reported in 2004 and 2005 that efforts were underway. It then reported that a bill was before cabinet for approval as of April 2006. A Ministry of Defense official said in May 2006 that the draft law had been submitted to parliament. No further progress has been reported. See Landmine Monitor Report 2008, p. 594.
[3] Rwanda has submitted six reports, in April 2008, and on 1 June 2006, 15 June 2005, 1 April 2004, 22 April 2003, and 4 September 2001.
[4] However, there were allegations of mine use by Rwandan forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 2000, and of transfer of antipersonnel mines to non-state armed groups in the DRC as late as 2004. Rwandan officials have repeatedly denied all allegations of involvement in mine use in the DRC. See Landmine Monitor Report 2006, p. 612.
[5] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Forms B and E, April 2008.
[6] No details are provided about when or how many mines were destroyed. Previously, Rwanda said that in 1994, the former government “fled into neighboring Congo with all arms and ammunitions including antipersonnel mines,” and that the current government “has never imported antipersonnel mines, and therefore no stockpiled antipersonnel mines [are] in Rwanda.” Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form E, 1 June 2006. The same language is used in earlier reports.
[7] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form D, 22 April 2003. The mines included 32 PMD-6, 26 TS-50, and 43 M-35 mines.
[8] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form D, April 2008. The mines included 22 PMD-6, 26 TS-50, and 17 M-35, which would indicate that 10 PMD-6 and 26 M-35 mines had been consumed in training.
Cluster Munition Ban Policy
The Republic of Rwanda signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 3 December 2008.
As of June 2011, no information was available on Rwanda’s progress towards ratification of the convention. Previously, in July 2010, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that ratification was awaiting parliamentary approval by the Chamber of Deputies and then by the Senate.[1] In November 2009, the CMC received information that the Council of Ministers had approved ratification and it was awaiting transmission to parliament.[2]
Rwanda attended one regional meeting (Kampala, Uganda in September 2008) of the diplomatic Oslo Process that created the convention, before it signed the conference in Oslo in December 2008.[3] Rwanda has continued to support the convention. It attended the convention’s First Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Vientiane, Lao PDR in November 2010, but did not make a statement. Rwanda did not attend intersessional meetings of the convention in Geneva in June 2011.
The Association of Landmine Survivors and Amputees of Rwanda campaigns in support of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.[4]
Rwanda is a party to the Mine Ban Treaty, but not to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.
Rwanda has stated that it does not use, produce, transfer, or stockpile cluster munitions.[5]
[1] Email from Eugene Mussolini, Association of Landmine Survivors and Amputees of Rwanda, 21 July 2010.
[2] Email from Albert Nzamukwereka, Country Program Coordinator for Rwanda, Survivor Corps, 16 November 2009.
[3] For details on Rwanda’s cluster munition policy and practice through early 2009, see Human Rights Watch and Landmine Action, Banning Cluster Munitions: Government Policy and Practice (Ottawa: Mines Action Canada, May 2009), p. 147.
[4] The Association of Landmine Survivors and Amputees of Rwanda undertook several activities to celebrate the 1 August 2010 entry into force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, including a public drumming event, media outreach, and a meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. CMC, “Entry into Force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions Report: 1 August 2010,” November 2010, p. 24.
[5] Statement of Rwanda, Kampala Conference on the Convention on Cluster Munitions, 30 September 2008. Notes by the CMC.
Mine Action
Contamination and Impact
Mines and explosive remnants of war
The Republic of Rwanda had a small residual problem with mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), the legacy of the 1990–1994 war against the government that committed the 1994 genocide, from the retreat of the army and Interahamwe militias to neighboring countries, and their subsequent attacks launched from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1996–1998 in the northwest of the country.[1]
At the Second Review Conference to the Mine Ban Treaty in November–December 2009, Rwanda declared it had fulfilled the clearance requirements of Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty. It stated that mine clearance had resulted in expanded commercial activity through safe access along hundreds of kilometers of roads and due to former tea plantations and farmland being again available for cultivation.[2]
The conflict in Rwanda resulted in a residual amount of ERW that may take years to clear,[3] as well as large amounts of small arms and ammunition. In 2009, Mines Advisory Group (MAG) destroyed more than 100 different types of small arms and over 70 tons of surplus munitions.[4]
Mine Action Program
Key institutions and operators
|
Body |
Situation on 1 January 2011 |
|
National Mine Action Authority |
None |
|
Mine action center |
NDO |
|
International demining operators |
None |
|
National demining operators |
Rwanda Defense Forces, operating under the NDO |
The National Demining Office (NDO), set up in 1995, has managed and implemented demining operations under the Ministry of Defense.[5] Mines Awareness Trust (MAT) and Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) supported demining in 2009 but have since left the country.
Land Release
In 2009, Rwanda completed its mine clearance operations with support from MAT (for quality management) and NPA (which provided a MineWolf machine to assist with the clearance effort). Since operations began in 2002, Rwanda cleared 52 mined and battle areas covering a total of 1,946,754m2 and found and destroyed 660 antipersonnel mines, 29 antivehicle mines, and 2,034 pieces of unexploded ordnance.[6]
Compliance with Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty
Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Rwanda was required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 December 2010.
At the Second Review Conference in November–December 2009, Rwanda declared it had fulfilled its Article 5 obligations and pledged to submit a full report to the States Parties. Rwanda said they would also inform States Parties if new mined areas were identified.
Quality management
In May 2008, MAT deployed three mine detection dog teams to Rwanda for quality management.[7] In October 2009, MAT completed quality control of all cleared mined areas, with the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining verifying the work.[8]
[1] Statement of Rwanda, Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 10 May 2006.
[2] Statement of Rwanda, Second Review Conference, Mine Ban Treaty, Cartagena, 1 December 2009.
[3] NPA, “Rwanda Project Report,” 12 December 2008, p. 12.
[4] MAG, “Rwanda: 30,000 small arms destroyed,” 18 January 2010, www.maginternational.org.
[5] Statement of Rwanda, Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 5 June 2008.
[6] Statement of Rwanda, Second Review Conference, Mine Ban Treaty, Cartagena, 1 December 2009.
[7] Email from Maj. Wilson Ukwishaka, Deputy Coordinator, NDO, 14 May 2008; MAT, “The Mines Awareness Trust: Rwanda MDD,” www.minesawareness.org; and response to Monitor questionnaire by MAT, 14 April 2009.
[8] Email from Ben Remfrey, former Director, MAT, 25 May 2010.
Casualties and Victim Assistance
Casualties
Casualties in 2009
|
Casualties in 2009 |
0 (2008: 6) |
In 2009, no new mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW) casualties were identified in Rwanda. This was a decrease from the six casualties reported in 2008.[1] The National Demining Office (NDO) which, prior to 2009 collected annual casualty data, lacked the capacity to continue this function as a result of decreased international donor support and thus was not aware if any new casualties occurred.[2]
In 2009, the NDO reported that casualty rates had been declining over the years since the peak of an average of two casualties per week in 1994.[3]
The total number of mine/ERW casualties in Rwanda is not known and estimates vary. The NDO recorded 702 casualties between 1991 and 2008 (299 killed and 403 injured).[4]
Victim Assistance
The Association of Landmine Survivors and Amputees of Rwanda (ALSAR) estimated there were more than 2,000 survivors,[5] however, Rwanda has no specific programs to assist victims and few programs for persons with disabilities.[6]
No efforts were made in 2009 to assess mine/ERW survivors’ needs.
Victim assistance coordination
|
Government coordinating body/ focal point |
NDO: inactive in 2009 due to lack of funds |
|
Coordinating mechanism(s) |
None |
|
Plan |
None |
The NDO is responsible for victim assistance coordination but lacked the capacity to fulfill this mandate in 2009 due to a lack of funds.[7] The 2009–2013 National Plan for Rehabilitation of Physical Disabilities had not yet been adopted by the Ministry of Health as of the end of 2009.[8]
No mine/ERW survivors were included in government planning, implementation, or monitoring of victim assistance or broader disability planning.[9]
Service accessibility and effectiveness
Victim assistance activities in 2009[10]
|
Name of organization |
Type of organization |
Type of activity |
Changes in quality/coverage of service in 2009 |
|
Ministry of Health |
Government |
Medical attention |
The percentage of survivors and people with disabilities with medical insurance increased. |
|
Rwanda Demobilization and Reintegration Commission |
Government |
Medical attention, socio-economic rehabilitation and reintegration |
The number of disabled demobilized combatants receiving financial assistance increased by 200 |
|
ALSAR |
National NGO |
Peer support, advocacy, socio-economic reintegration |
Initiated program providing financial assistance for survivors with financial need |
|
Survivor Corps |
International NGO |
Peer support, advocacy |
No change |
|
Handicap International |
International NGO |
Advocacy, community-based rehabilitation (CBR), inclusive education |
New CBR projects; increase in number of beneficiaries |
In 2009, there were some increased government efforts to improve assistance for disabled veterans and for all persons with disabilities, including legal reforms to promote disability rights, from which mine/ERW survivors could benefit.[11]
Throughout 2009, Handicap International (HI) provided follow up support to five physical rehabilitation centers that had been handed over to the public health system by the end of 2008. CBR programs were started in another five districts in 2009.[12]
Psychosocial support continued to be insufficient to meet needs, with no changes in provision identified in 2009.[13]
While 2009 saw an increase in the number of survivors receiving financial assistance from the Rwanda Demobilization and Reintegration Commission and ALSAR, this assistance fell far short of addressing the need for economic inclusion among survivors.[14] There were positive advances in the inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream schools.[15]
Between March and September 2009, a series of Ministerial Orders were issued regulating the implementation of the 2007 Law of Protection of Persons with Disabilities.[16] However, many survivors still lacked awareness of their rights.[17]
Rwanda ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, including its optional protocol, on 15 December 2008.
[1] Email from Maj. Wilson Ukwishaka, Deputy Coordinator, NDO, 10 May 2009.
[2] Interview with Maj. John Gahizi, Head of Operations, NDO, Kigali, 21 March 2010; and interview with Maj. Peter Katagarama, Head Engineer, NDO, Kigali, 24 March 2010.
[3] There were 10 casualties reported in 2007 and six in 2008. Email from Maj. Wilson Ukwishaka, NDO, 10 May 2009.
[4] Email from Maj. Wilson Ukwishaka, NDO, 10 May 2009.
[5] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Rose Kanyamfura, Vice-President, ALSAR, 30 March 2010.
[6] Email from Maj. Wilson Ukwishaka, NDO, 10 May 2009; and response to Monitor questionnaire by Rose Kanyamfura, ALSAR, 30 March 2010.
[7] Interview with Lt.-Col. Steven Ngabo Rugigana, Commanding Officer, NDO, Kigali, 15 March 2010.
[8] Email from Marc Vaenewyck, Program Director, HI, 13 May 2010.
[9] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Rose Kanyamfura, ALSAR, 30 March 2010.
[10] Interview with Eugene Mussolini, Executive Secretary, and Rose Kanyamfura, ALSAR, Kigali, 15 March 2010; interview with Jean Sayinzoga, Chair, Rwanda Demobilization and Reintegration Commission, Kigali, 12 January 2010; response to Monitor questionnaire by Rose Kanyamfura, ALSAR, 30 March 2010; and email from Marc Vaenewyck, HI, 13 May 2010.
[11] Interview with Eugene Mussolini and Rose Kanyamfura, ALSAR, Kigali 15 March 2010.
[12] Email from Marc Vaenewyck, HI, 13 May 2010.
[13] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Rose Kanyamfura, ALSAR, 30 March 2010.
[14] Ibid; and interview with Jean Sayinzoga, Rwanda Demobilization and Reintegration Commission, Kigali, 12 January 2010.
[15] Email from Marc Vaenewyck, HI, 13 May 2010.
[16] Office of the Prime Minister, “Ministerial Orders,” Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda, Year 48, No. 35, 31 August 2009, www.primature.gov.rw; and email from Marc Vaenewyck, HI, 13 May 2010.
[17] Interview with Eugene Mussolini and Rose Kanyamfura, ALSAR, Kigali, 15 March 2010.