Congo, Democratic Republic
Mine Ban Policy
Commitment to the Mine Ban Treaty
|
Mine Ban Treaty status |
State Party |
|
National implementation measures |
Enacted implementation legislation, Law 11/007, on 9 July 2011 |
|
Transparency reporting |
30 April 2011 |
Policy
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty on 2 May 2002, becoming a State Party on 1 November 2002. The National Commission to Fight Antipersonnel Mines was created in 2002.[1]
The DRC enacted legislation to implement the Mine Ban Treaty in 2011. “Law no. 11/007 implementing the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and on their Destruction in the Democratic Republic of the Congo” was promulgated by the President on 9 July 2011 and published in the official journal on 15 July 2011.[2] The law was first adopted in December 2010 and a final version adopted by Parliament on 16 June 2011.[3]
Law 11/007 prohibits the development, manufacture, production, acquisition, stockpiling, conservation, supply, sale, import, export, transfer, and use of antipersonnel mines or their components and also prohibits assistance, encouragement, or inducement in these activities.[4] The law establishes penal sanctions for persons violating its provisions of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of CDF10–20 million (about US$11,000–$22,000). The law also provides penal sanctions for legal entities (companies) guilty of violations of CDF10–20 million (about US$11,000–$22,000).[5] The law also contains provisions on victim assistance.
The DRC attended the Tenth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Geneva in November–December 2010 and the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva in June 2011 where it made statements on its progress on meeting its Article 5 clearance extension request and on victim assistance.
It submitted its annual Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report on 30 April 2011, the ninth submitted since entry into force.
Production, transfer, use, stockpile destruction, and retention
The DRC is not known to have produced or exported antipersonnel mines. While government forces have used antipersonnel mines in the past, the Monitor has not received any allegations of such use since it acceded to the treaty. There were credible allegations of use of antipersonnel mines in the DRC by non-state armed groups (NSAGs) at least until 2004 and by Ugandan and Rwandan government forces in 2000.[6]
In May 2006, the DRC informed States Parties that it had completed the destruction of all 2,864 stockpiled antipersonnel mines it had been able to identify, thus fulfilling its treaty obligation to destroy stocks by 1 November 2006. It stated that if more stockpiled mines were discovered they would be destroyed in a timely fashion.[7]
Since May 2006, the DRC has destroyed newly discovered, seized, or turned in antipersonnel mines on many occasions. It reported an additional 198 mines destroyed in 2006, 936 in 2007, 631 in 2008, 101 in 2009, and 70 in 2010.[8]
In March 2010, a government official informed the Monitor that there were some live antipersonnel mines retained for training at the Military Engineers’ School in Likasi, but the types and numbers had not yet been reported.[9] In its Article 7 report submitted in 2011, the DRC reported “not applicable” on Form D on mines retained for training or research purposes. In 2009, as in its previous report, the DRC stated that information on retained mines was “not yet available.”[10]
Non-state armed groups
NSAGs, both Congolese and foreign, remain active in the country.[11] In August 2009, a military officer reportedly stated that 25 soldiers had been killed by antipersonnel mines laid by the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (Forces Démocratiques de Liberation du Rwanda, FDLR, Rwandan Hutu rebels), and noted, “We are not aware of other antipersonnel mines planted in the area. Teams from the United Nations or other international bodies will be needed to clear the mines.”[12] The Monitor could not confirm if this constituted new use of antipersonnel mines, or if so, by whom.
[1] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form A, 30 April 2003; and see also Landmine Monitor Report 2006, p. 325.
[2] Email from André Tabaro, Coordinator, National Association of Landmine Survivors, 19 August 2011.
[3] The law was first adopted in December 2010, but there were differences between the versions adopted by the Senate and the National Assembly so a reconciled version was adopted on 16 June 2011. ICBL meeting with Sudi Kimputu, Coordinator, National Focal Point for Mine Action in DRC, and Charles Frisby, Chief of Staff, DRC Mine Action Coordination Center, in Geneva, 23 June 2011.
[4] “Proposition de loi portant mise en oeuvre de la Convention sur l’interdiction de l’emploi du stockage, de la production et du transfert des mines antipersonnel et sur leur destruction en Republic Democratique du Congo” (“Bill to implement the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and their Destruction in the Democratic Republic of Congo”), Assemblee Nationale-Senate Commission Mixte Paritarie, Kinshasa, June 2011, Articles 3 and 4.
[5] “Proposition de loi portant mise en oeuvre de la Convention sur l’interdiction de l’emploi du stockage, de la production et du transfert des mines antipersonnel et sur leur destruction en Republic Democratique du Congo” (“Bill to implement the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and their Destruction in the Democratic Republic of Congo”), Assemblee Nationale-Senate Commission Mixte Paritarie, Kinshasa, June 2011, Chapter 7. The law requires the immediate cessation of production of antipersonnel mines and for anyone, except government or other authorized public agencies, who produces or possesses antipersonnel mines or their components as referred to under Article 3, to immediately notify the Ministry of Defense or the Ministry of Civil Protection of the total stock, including the type, quantity, and where possible, lot number, for each type. Average exchange rate for 2010: US$1=CDF901.922. Oanda, www.oanda.com.
[6] See Landmine Monitor Report 2009, p. 327.
[7] See Landmine Monitor Report 2006, pp. 326–327. In May 2006, a representative did not indicate the date on which the DRC considered the program completed. The 2,864 mines destroyed included mines held in the military regions, mines recovered from NSAGs, and mines abandoned across the country. Apparently, it only included seven mines (Claymore type) held by the armed forces.
[8] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Reports, Form G, 30 April 2011, 30 April 2010, 22 May 2009, and 20 May 2008; Landmine Monitor Report 2009, p. 327; and Landmine Monitor Report 2008, p. 280. In 2010, the DRC reported 38 PMA-2 mines found and destroyed: 33 by Mechem in Kisangani; two by Handicap International (HI) Belgium and two by HI Federation in Oriental province; and one by Mines Advisory Group (MAG) in Bas-Congo province. As well, 16 TS-50 mines were found and destroyed: 10 by DanChurchAid; five by MAG in Katanga; and one by Handicap International Belgium in Oriental province. One PPM-2 mine was found and destroyed by MAG in Bas-Congo; 14 M35 mines were found and destroyed (nine by DCA and five by MAG in Katanga); and two mines of unknown types found and destroyed by MAG in September 2010. In 2009, the DRC reported 8 PMA-2 mines found and destroyed (one by MAG in Ikela, one by HI Belgium in Yengeni, and six by Mechem in Sange, Kisangani, and Bangboka); 43 TS-50 mines found and destroyed (41 by DCA in Kabumba, Mitondo, and Lubandula, one by MAG in Kirungu, and one by Mechem in Kisangani); one M2A4 mine, found and destroyed by Mechem in Bangboka; 21 M35 mines found and destroyed (15 handed over by the national armed forces [Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo, FARDC] and destroyed by MAG in Lubumbashi, five by MAG in Lubumbashi and Selembe, and one by DCA at an unspecified location); one PROM 1 mine found and destroyed by MAG in Kasenga; two No. 4 mines found and destroyed by MAG in Ikela; eight Type 69 mines found and destroyed by MAG in Lubumbashi; and eight Type 58 mines found and destroyed by MAG in Gemena. The 101 reported also included nine Claymore Z1 mines, eight found and destroyed by MAG in Shamwana, Ikela, and Bomongo, and one by MECHEM in Bogoro. The reports do not explain whether the mines were discovered among FARDC arsenals or were discovered or seized from other sources, with the exception of 15 M35 mines handed over by the FARDC in November 2009.
[9] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Capt. Roger Bokwango, National Focal Point for Mine Action in DRC , 30 March 2010. In the original French: “Il y aurait quelques mines Antipersonnel réelles à l’école du Génie Militaire de Likasi, mais les types et les nombres n’ont pas encore été rapportés.”
[10] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form D, 22 May 2009.
[11] Foreign armed groups reported to be active or present in DRC included the FDLR, the Interahamwe (Rwanda), and the Lord’s Resistance Army (Uganda).
[12] “350 Rwandan Hutu militiamen killed during Operation Kimia II in South Kivu province,” Radio Okapi, 29 August 2009, congoplanet.com.
Cluster Munition Ban Policy
Commitment to the Convention on Cluster Munitions
|
Convention on Cluster Munitions status |
Signatory |
|
Participation in Convention on Cluster Munitions meetings |
Attended Second Meeting of States Parties in Beirut, Lebanon in September 2011, intersessional meetings in Geneva in April 2012, and regional conference in Accra, Ghana in May 2012 |
|
Key developments |
Ratification process underway, submitted second voluntary Article 7 report, destroyed an abandoned stockpile |
Policy
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 18 March 2009.
In May 2012, a DRC official informed a regional conference that ratification legislation is awaiting Senate consideration and approval.[1] In April 2012, a DRC official stated that a draft ratification law was adopted by the National Assembly in 2011 and then referred to the Senate for approval.[2]
A DRC official said in April 2012 that the Convention on Cluster Munitions would likely be enforced through an amendment to the existing implementation law for the Mine Ban Treaty.[3] The convention has been included as an “integral component” in the work of the National Committee for Disarmament and International Security established in December 2011 and chaired by the Prime Minister.[4]
The DRC submitted a second voluntary Article 7 transparency measures report on 10 April 2012, covering the period of 1 January to 31 December 2011.[5]
The DRC actively participated in the Oslo Process that created the Convention on Cluster Munitions and strongly supported a comprehensive ban as well as the inclusion of provisions on international cooperation and assistance. Due to inadequate signing authority the DRC was not able to sign the convention in Oslo in December 2008, but signed at the UN in New York in March 2009.[6]
The DRC continued to actively engage in the work of the Convention on Cluster Munitions in 2011 and the first half of 2012. It attended the convention’s Second Meeting of States Parties in Beirut, Lebanon in September 2011 and intersessional meetings in Geneva in April 2012.
The DRC attended the Accra Regional Conference on the Universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Ghana in May 2012, where it provided an update on its ratification status. At the meeting the DRC endorsed the Accra Universalization Action Plan, which among other actions, encourages states not party to the convention to “take all necessary steps” to ratify by the convention’s Third Meeting of States Parties in September 2012.
At the UN General Assembly First Committee on Disarmament and International Security in October 2011, a DRC official described the convention’s adoption and entry into force as one of the most notable advancements in the domain of international humanitarian law and disarmament over the past decade.[7]
In April 2012, the government’s National Focal Point of the Struggle Against Mines (Point Focal National pour la Lutte Antimines, PFNLAM) coordinator said that the DRC agreed with the views of the CMC that the provisions of the convention forbid the transit, foreign stockpiling, and investment in the production of cluster munitions, as well as assistance with the use of cluster munitions in joint military operations with non-States Parties.[8]
The DRC is a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty.
Convention on Conventional Weapons
The DRC is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), but it attended the CCW’s Fourth Review Conference in Geneva in November 2011 as an observer. A month before the Review Conference, the DRC expressed strong concern that the Convention on Cluster Munitions would be seriously compromised if its States Parties agreed to adopt a CCW protocol permitting continued use of cluster munitions.[9]
At the conclusion of the CCW Fourth Review Conference, the DRC joined a group of 50 countries in endorsing a joint statement that there was no consensus on the draft protocol on cluster munitions and emphasizing its serious humanitarian inadequacies.[10] The Review Conference ended without agreement on a draft protocol, thus marking the conclusion of the CCW’s work on cluster munitions.
Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling
The DRC has reported that it has never used, produced, or transferred cluster munitions and does not stockpile them.[11]
It is not known which party to the various conflicts in the DRC used cluster munitions or when. In June 2011, the DRC stated that cluster munitions were used in armed conflict by foreign armies, both invited and not invited, and were a serious concern of the government.
According to the DRC, there is cluster munition contamination from BLU 755 cluster bombs, BLU 63 cluster munitions, and PM1 munitions.[12]
In April 2012, the DRC reported that on 9 November 2011 in Goma, North Kivu Province, its armed forces turned over an abandoned stockpile containing 1,593 ShOAB submunitions to humanitarian demining organization Mines Advisory Group (MAG) for destruction.[13] It stated that the authorization of destruction reflected the goodwill of the DRC, its respect for international law and its obligations under the Convention on Cluster Munitions.[14]
[1] Statement of DRC, Accra Regional Conference on the Universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Accra, 28 May 2012, http://www.clusterconvention.org/files/2012/06/Session-II_Statement-DRC.pdf.
[2] Statement by Sudi Alimasi Kimputu, Coordinator, National Focal Point of the Struggle Against Mines (Point Focal National pour la Lutte Antimines, PFNLAM), Convention on Cluster Munitions Intersessional Meetings, Geneva, 18 April 2012. According to a government official, the National Assembly approved the ratification law on 10 June 2011, after which it was immediately sent to the Senate for approval. Statement of the DRC, Convention on Cluster Munitions Intersessional Meeting, Geneva, 28 June 2011, www.clusterconvention.org; and CMC meeting with Sudi Kimputu, PFNLAM, Convention on Cluster Munitions Intersessional Meeting, Geneva, 27 June 2011.
[3] CMC meeting with Kimputu, PFNLAM, Convention on Cluster Munitions Intersessional Meetings, Geneva, 17 April 2012. In June 2011, the DRC stated that it was considering the amendment of its national implementation for the Mine Ban Treaty to include obligations relating to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. In October 2010, the National Assembly adopted a national law on antipersonnel mines to enact the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. Statement of the DRC, Convention on Cluster Munitions Intersessional Meeting, Session on Clearance and Risk Reduction, Geneva, 28 June 2011.
[4] Statement by Kimputu, PFNLAM, Convention on Cluster Munitions Intersessional Meetings, Geneva, 18 April 2012.
[5] On 15 May 2011, the DRC submitted an initial voluntary Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 report, for the period from February 2002 to 15 May 2011.
[6] For details on the DRC’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), pp. 60–61.
[7] Statement by Jose Ikongo Isekotoko Boyoo, Director, Ministry of the Interior, Security, Decentralization, and Territorial Management, UNGA First Committee on Disarmament and International Security, New York, 18 October 2011.
[8] Meeting with Kimputu, PFNLAM, Brussels, 15 April 2012.
[9] The DRC called for a solution to be found which would convince major users and producers of the importance of a strong instrument and would present a complementary alternative and not weaken standards set by the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Statement by Jose Ikongo Isekotoko Boyoo, Director, Ministry of the Interior, Security, Decentralization, and Territorial Management, UNGA First Committee on Disarmament and International Security, New York, 18 October 2011.
[10] Joint Statement read by Costa Rica, on behalf of Afghanistan, Angola, Austria, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Iceland, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mexico, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Senegal, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe. CCW Fourth Review Conference, Geneva, 25 November 2011. List confirmed in email from Bantan Nugroho, Head of the CCW Implementation Support Unit, UN Department for Disarmament Affairs, 1 June 2012.
[11] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Capt. Roger Bokwango, Deputy Coordinator, PFNLAM, 30 March 2010; and statement by Nzuzi Manzembi, Director, Directorate of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 6 March 2009. Notes by the CCIM.
[12] Statement of the DRC, Convention on Cluster Munitions First Meeting of States Parties, Vientiane, Lao PDR, 11 November 2010. Notes by the CMC.
[13] Convention on Cluster Munitions (voluntary) Article 7 Report, 10 April 2012, Form F; and Statement by Sudi Alimasi Kimputu, PFNLAM, Convention on Cluster Munitions Intersessional Meetings, Geneva, 18 April 2012. The DRC stated that the submunitions were left in the eastern part of the country by foreign troops invited onto its territory in recent armed conflicts. The stockpile consisted of three bombs containing 531 submunitions each.
[14] Statement by Sudi Alimasi Kimputu, PFNLAM, Convention on Cluster Munitions Intersessional Meetings, Geneva, 18 April 2012.
Mine Action
Contamination and Impact
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is affected by mines—both antivehicle and antipersonnel—although the impact of the mine threat is believed to be less than that from explosive remnants of war (ERW). Contamination from both mines and ERW is said to exist across the territory, but is predominantly found in the regions in the east, north, and part of the south. The planned completion of a nationwide General Mine Action Survey (GMAS), which was initiated in May 2009 and which incorporated limited technical survey and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) capacities, was postponed to the end of 2012.[1]
In March 2011, the UN Mine Action Coordination Center, DRC (UNMACC) reported that the provinces of Equateur, Katanga, Province Orientale, and South Kivu were the most affected.[2] The DRC’s 2009 Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report also included Maniema in a list of the most affected provinces.[3] In November 2008, the UN also stated that “more and more dangerous areas are being reported in Kasai Oriental and Kasai Occidental.”[4]
Mines
In November 2009, the UN reported that of the 884 suspected mined areas identified by the mine action program, 818 remained to be tackled.[5] In March 2011, UNMACC stated that 82 mined areas had been identified in survey operations and 692 areas had been reclassified from suspected mined areas to battle areas.[6] In June 2011 at the intersessional Standing Committee meetings, the DRC stated that of the 82 mined areas, 12 were confirmed while the other 70 were suspected of being contaminated with mines.[7] Contamination covered an estimated 14km2 of territory, although of this total some 8km2 was located around Kisangani airport.[8]
In May 2012, the DRC reported that 10 of the 12 CHAs had been cleared, covering 340,000m2. However, since its extension had been granted a further 10 suspected hazardous areas had been identified during survey work while other areas still required general survey.[9]
Cluster munition remnants
Cluster munition remnants have been found in the provinces of Equateur, Katanga, Maniema, and Province Orientale. Contamination is also suspected in North Kivu province.[10] In April 2011, UNMACC reported 18 sites in which submunitions had been found, most in Katanga province.[11] The scale of residual contamination from unexploded submunitions has not, however, yet been quantified.
According to UNMACC, no cluster munition remnants were found in 2010.[12] However, Mines Advisory Group (MAG) reported to the Monitor that it cleared eight BLU 63 submunitions while conducting survey operations in Bolomba territory, Equateur province in 2010 “which identified a large area requiring battle area clearance [BAC].”[13] In 2009, DanChurchAid (DCA) destroyed four unexploded submunitions in Manono and a fifth in Kabalo.[14] Handicap International (HI) destroyed a total of 10 PM-1 submunitions in 2009.[15]
Other explosive remnants of war
Other ERW contamination is from unexploded ordnance (UXO) as well as from significant quantities of abandoned explosive ordnance. The precise extent of contamination is unknown, although as of March 2011 UNMACC had recorded 1,515 ERW-affected areas. UNMACC has noted that most of the ammunition caches are cleared as they are encountered, for example by GMAS teams, or they are cleared if there are specific requests by the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), by development agencies, or by NGOs. It believes that the 1,515 ERW-affected areas include a large number of spot EOD tasks.[16] The Development Initiative (TDI) reports that most of the UXO they have found has been mortar rounds or grenades, and occasionally locally produced aircraft bombs.[17]
Ongoing conflict in the DRC has resulted in new contamination although the extent was not known. Combat in 2012 between the armed forces and M23, a non-state armed group, was likely to have added further contamination.
Mine Action Program
Key institutions and operators
|
Body |
Situation on 1 January 2012 |
|
National Mine Action Authority |
National Mine Action Commission (currently represented by the National Focal Point) |
|
Mine action center |
UNMACC Congolese Centre for Mine Action |
|
International operators |
Four NGOs: DCA, HI, MAG, and Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) Two commercial companies: MECHEM and TDI |
|
National operators |
National armed forces Seven NGOs: Action for the Complete Development of Communities (Action pour le Développement Intégral par la Conservation communautaire), Badu, Eglise du Christ au Congo (ECC-Meru), Humanitas Ubangi, Network for Information and Support to NGOs (Réseau d’Information et d’appui aux ONGs), Synergie de la Lutte Anti-Mines (SYLAM), and Tosalisana |
The government of the DRC is in the process of asserting full national ownership over the mine action program. Plans for a National Mine Action Commission and Congolese Centre for Mine Action have still to come to fruition, although a focal point has been mandated within the government.[18] On 9 July 2011, long-awaited national mine action legislation was signed into law by the DRC president.[19] DRC’s strategic plan for 2012–2016 sets as an objective clearance of all areas contaminated by antipersonnel mines or unexploded submunitions by the end of 2016.[20]
Mine action operations in the DRC are currently coordinated by UNMACC, established in 2002, and managed by the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS). UNMACC is part of the MONUSCO peacekeeping mission.[21] According to its mandate as set out in UN Security Council Resolution 1925, UNMACC works to strengthen national mine action capacities and support reconstruction through road and infrastructure clearance.[22] UNMACC maintains de facto responsibility for planning, managing, and monitoring all mine action activities on behalf of the government.
In 2010, UNMACC was deployed in Kinshasa (country office) and three regional offices: Kisangani, Goma, and Kananga (which opened in June 2010 following closure of the Lubumbashi office). The UNMACC operations department, previously working from Kinshasa, moved to Goma in September 2010 and as of March 2011 was co-located in the regional office.[23]
UNMACC operates under a three-year strategy covering 2010–2012. The strategy includes the following components: capacity development of the Congolese Centre for Mine Action; a “Concept of Operations” (a document setting out the UN’s approach to mine action in the country); mine/ERW risk education (RE); and victim assistance.[24] A “validation” workshop for a new national mine action strategy was held at the beginning of August 2011.[25]
In 2010, HI Belgium (HI-B) handed over its demining program to HI France (HI-F).[26] In April 2011, the United States (US) reported that it had conducted eight missions to train DRC Armed Forces in mine and ERW clearance.[27] Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) set up a mine action program in 2011 and initiated demining operations in 2012 in Bas Congo.[28]
Land Release
Land release decreased significantly in 2010 after a marked increase in 2009 compared to earlier years.[29] Detailed figures have not been reported for 2011. DRC’s latest Article 7 report claims only five antipersonnel mines were destroyed during the year.[30]
Five-year summary of land release
|
Year |
Mined and battle area cleared (km2) |
|
2010 |
1.11 |
|
2009 |
2.07 |
|
2008 |
0.55 |
|
2007 |
0.41 |
|
2006 |
0.78 |
|
Total |
4.92 |
Compliance with Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty
Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty (and in accordance with the 26-month extension request granted in 2011), the DRC is required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 January 2015.
In June 2010, the UN had noted, “It will be difficult for DRC to meet the 2012 deadline clearance deadline. UNMACC DRC is accompanying DRC government in the preparation of the extension request.” In March 2011, DRC submitted a request to extend its Article 5 deadline by four years.[31] The extension request largely blamed poor survey by demining operators for the failure to meet its deadline, although poor management and insufficient national ownership of the program are also considered major factors. In June 2011, however, at the Standing Committee meetings, the DRC informed the States Parties that it was seeking only an interim two-year extension to its deadline and that it would present a definitive extension request in 2014.[32] It ultimately requested a 26-month extension.
In the past five years, demining organizations have cleared almost 5km2 of mined and battle areas, the majority of which is likely to be BAC. Indeed, targeted mine clearance appears to have been very slow, with a total of 1.28km2 reported in the Extension Request since 2001 and only one mined area reported as having been cleared during 2010 (although, as set out above, data reported separately to the Monitor suggests that three mined areas were cleared during the year).[33] A total of 133 mined areas have reportedly been cleared since 2001.[34]
[1] Email from Charles Frisby, Chief of Staff, UNMACC, 8 March 2011; and Statement of DRC, Standing Committee on Mine Action, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 21 June 2011.
[2] Email from Charles Frisby, UNMACC, 8 March 2011.
[3] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form C, 22 May 2009.
[4] UN, “2009 Portfolio of Mine Action Projects,” New York, November 2008, p. 151.
[5] UN, “2010 Portfolio of Mine Action Projects,” New York, November 2009, p. 119.
[6] Email from Charles Frisby, UNMACC, 8 March 2011.
[7] Statement of DRC, Standing Committee on Mine Action, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 21 June 2011.
[8] Interview with Charles Frisby, UNMACC, in Geneva, 16 March 2011; and email, 16 April 2011.
[9] Statement of DRC, Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 22 May 2012.
[10] Email from Charles Frisby, UNMACC, 30 March 2011.
[11] Ibid., 21 April 2011.
[12] Ibid., 8 March 2011.
[13] Email from Kristin Pristupa, Programme Officer, MAG, 20 March 2011. Different figures for clearance of submunitions (totaling four from three locations) were included in DRC’s CCM voluntary Article 7 Report, Form F, for the period 1 February 2002 through 15 May 2011.
[14] Email from Signe Noermose, Desk Manager, Humanitarian Mine Action, DCA, 3 March 2010.
[15] Email from Stephan Jooris, Operations Coordinator, HI, 7 June 2010.
[16] Email from Charles Frisby, UNMACC, 8 March 2011.
[17] Email from Simon George, Sales and Marketing Manager, TDI, 22 March 2010; and email from Charles Frisby, UNMACC, 18 July 2010.
[18] Statement of DRC, Ninth Meeting of States Parties, Geneva, 27 November 2008.
[19] UNMACC, “Monthly Update, July 2011,” p. 2; see also Statement of DRC, Standing Committee on Mine Action, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 21 June 2011.
[20] DRC, “Plan Stratégique National de Lutte Antimines en République Démocratique du Congo, 2012 – 2016” (“National Strategic Mine Action Plan in DRC, 2012–2016”), Kinshasa, November 2011, p. 28.
[21] UN Security Council Resolution 1925 (2010), 28 May 2010.
[22] UN, “2011 Portfolio of Mine Action Projects,” New York, March 2011, p. 118.
[23] Email from Charles Frisby, UNMACC, 8 March 2011.
[24] Ibid.
[25] Emails from Charles Frisby, UNMACC, 30 July 2011; and from Francky Miantuala, Monitor researcher, 16 August 2011.
[26] UNMACC, “Monthly Update, May 2010,” p. 3.
[27] Staff Sgt. Amanda McCarty, “On the Frontline: Congolese Soldiers Combat UXO, Mines,” US Africa Command, 22 April 2011, www.africom.mil.
[28] NPA, Mines and Arms Department Portfolio 2012, Oslo, p. 20.
[29] Email from Patrick Tillet, Programme Officer, UNMAS, 16 June 2010.
[30] Article 7 Report, Form G, 10 April 2012.
[31] Article 5 deadline Extension Request, 31 March 2011, pp. 3 & 49.
[32] Statement of DRC, Standing Committee on Mine Action, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 21 June 2011.
[33] Article 5 deadline Extension Request, 31 March 2011, p. 24.
[34] Ibid., pp. 23–24.
Casualties and Victim Assistance
Casualties
Casualties Overview
|
All known casualties by end 2011 |
2,445 (1,045 killed; 1,394 injured; 6 unknown) |
|
Casualties in 2011 |
22 (2010: 13) |
|
2011 casualties by outcome |
12 killed; 10 injured (2010: 6 killed; 7 injured) |
|
2011 casualties by device type |
3 antipersonnel mines; 19 ERW |
The UN Mine Action Coordination Center (UNMACC) in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) reported 22 mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW) and submunition casualties in the DRC for 2011.[1] As in 2010, children made up more than two-thirds of the casualties. There were seven female casualties, of which six were girls. All casualties were reported as being civilians. This represented an increase from the 13 casualties recorded by UNMACC for 2010[2] but still a significant decrease from the 41 casualties recorded in 2009.[3]
Available casualty data significantly underestimates the true number of people killed and injured due to the absence of a national data collection system for mine/ERW casualties and the fact that parts of the country remain inaccessible due to a lack of infrastructure and security constraints.[4]
UNMACC reported 2,445 mine/ERW casualties between 1964 and the end of 2011, with 1,045 people killed, 1,394 injured, and six unknown.[5] Of all casualties, 1,572 were male and about a quarter (583) were female.[6] Children represented 20% (500) of the total casualties. Casualties were identified in all of the DRC’s 11 provinces, though nearly half of the casualties occurred in just two provinces: South Kivu (24%) and Equateur (22%). Landmines made up 67% of casualties for which the explosive item type was known. [7]
Cluster munition remnants caused 207 casualties, which equals 16% of all known casualties for this explosive item type, in the DRC through the end of 2011.[8]
Victim Assistance
By the end of 2011, UNMACC had recorded 1,394 mine/ERW survivors in DRC.[9]
Victim assistance since 1999
Since 1999 most people with disabilities in the DRC have remained unable to access services. Due to conflict, poverty, and mass displacement, the many needs of persons with disabilities were not met. Access to services ranged from limited to non-existent and was further hampered by long distances, inaccessible terrain and cost. Most services have been provided by NGOs. Conflict increased demands on services at the same time that some NGOs also faced funding difficulties.[10]
Through to 2011, the physical rehabilitation sector was under-resourced and the few functioning centers remained dependent on international support. Social workers within the healthcare system had received some basic training. Opportunities for psychological assistance were limited to ad hoc NGO projects for all people traumatized by conflict. [11]
Some encouraging changes were reported in the accessibility, availability, and quality of victim assistance services in DRC in 2011. However, as in previous years, the size of the country, combined with the lack of transportation, lack of infrastructure, armed violence, and the financial cost of obtaining assistance, all made it difficult for survivors to access the limited number of services, which were available only in major cities.[12]
Assessing victim assistance needs
Increased victim identification and needs assessment campaigns were conducted in 2011 as part of the implementation of the PSNAVH. Close to 500 mine/ERW survivors were identified among 1,000 persons with disabilities surveyed, identifying needs in healthcare, physical rehabilitation and economic inclusion.[13] Needs assessment surveys were conducted in different regions of the DRC by several organizations. The Church of Christ in Congo – Ministry of the Church for Refugees and Emergencies (Eglise du Christ au Congo – Ministère de l’Eglise pour les Réfugiés et les Urgence, ECC-MERU) collected casualty data to update the ICRC database and undertook a needs assessment survey in Katanga province. Other organizations conducting surveys were Humanitas – Ubangi in Equateur province, Action for the Complete Development of Communities (Action pour le Développement Intégral des Communautés, ADIC) in the southern region of South Kivu province, and Handicap International (HI) in the middle and western regions of South Kivu province.[14]
In March–May 2010, national and international NGOs carried out a national needs assessments of mine/ERW survivors in cooperation with the UNMACC to inform the development of the 2011 National Strategic Plan for Assistance for Mine/ERW Victims and other Persons with Disabilities (Plan Stratégique National d’Assistance aux Victimes de mines et autres personnes Handicapées – PSNAVH). These included the Congolese Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munitions (CCBL) and the National Association of Landmine Survivors and Advocacy for Victims (Association nationale de survivants de mines et de défense des interêts des victimes, ANASDIV).[15]
However, throughout 2011 the DRC lacked a mechanism for assessing survivors’ needs. Data collected by the Ministry of Health’s National Community-Based Rehabilitation Program (Programme National de Réadaptation à Base Communautaire, PNRBC) did not include information about the cause of disability. Most NGOs collecting data for UNMACC lacked training for accurate data collection and did not always refer survivors to existing services. Available data was not shared regularly with relevant victim assistance stakeholders.[16]
Victim assistance coordination in 2011[17]
|
Government coordinating body/focal point |
Ministry of Social Affairs, Humanitarian Action and National Solidarity (Ministry of Social Affairs) |
|
Coordinating mechanism |
Working Group on Victim Assistance, established in 2011 |
|
Plan |
PSNAVH |
The Working Group on Victim Assistance (Groupe de Travail sue l’Assistance aux Victimes, GTAV), chaired by the Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs of the Ministry of Social Affairs, was created in mid-2011.[18] UNMACC is the Secretary of this Working Group and, as such, continued to have an active role in facilitating victim assistance coordination.[19] NGOs and survivor organizations participate to the Working Group on Victim Assistance.[20] In June 2011, DRC reported that the victim assistance coordination body was an Interministerial Coordinating Committee.[21] However, as of March 2012, except for the Ministry of Social Affairs, ministries concerned with victim assistance had not participated in meetings of the Working Group on Victim Assistance.[22]
Eight regular Working Group on Victim Assistance coordination meetings were held in 2011. These meetings focused on the development of Terms of References for the Working Group itself and on updating the victim assistance activities of local and international NGOs. Two additional meetings were held to present the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) as it relates to the Mine Ban Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions, as well as to provide an update on the CRPD ratification process.[23]
The PSNAVH was approved by the government in February 2011. It was based on the Cartagena Action Plan and informed by the results of the March–May 2010 survivor needs assessment.[24] The action plan includes a proposed budget, though the funding sources are not identified and no national budget was allocated in 2011.[25] The only international funding received in 2011 towards the implementation of the action plan was provided by the Japanese Government. Implementation is monitored by the Working Group on Victim Assistance. The plan identifies six key objectives:
1. Improve data collection and analysis on mine/ERW victims;
2. Strengthen the coverage, efficiency and sustainability of medical and physical rehabilitation services;
3. Develop and implement psychological support, as well as social and economic inclusion programs for mine/ERW survivors and other persons with disabilities;
4. Strengthen advocacy, laws and policies to address the needs of survivors and other persons with disabilities;
5. Mobilize the necessary resources to fulfill the plan’s objectives;
6. Strengthen disability coordination mechanisms at national and local levels.
In 2011, the PSNAVH was used to inform the development of a National Mine Action Strategic Plan for 2012-2016.[26]
DRC provided updates on progress and challenges for victim assistance at the Mine Ban Treaty intersessional meetings in Geneva in May 2012 and at the Eleventh Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Phnom Penh in December 2011.[27] DRC did not include information on victim assistance in Form J of its Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report for calendar year 2011. Victim assistance was reported only briefly, with no detail or data, in Form H of the DRC’s voluntary Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report for 2011.[28]
Inclusion and participation in victim assistance
Mine/ERW survivors and their representative organizations, as well as disabled persons’ organizations, were included in the development of the PSNAVH, in efforts made towards its implementation and in meetings of the Working Group on Victim Assistance.[29] In 2011, survivors were included in survivor identification and needs assessments, in physical rehabilitation, and in economic inclusion services and advocacy through NGOs with funding from Japan.[30] One survivor was working in a rehabilitation center.[31]
Service accessibility and effectiveness
Victim assistance activities in 2011[32]
|
Name of organization |
Type of organization |
Type of activity |
Changes in quality/coverage of service in 2011 |
|
Ministry of Social Affairs |
Government |
Identification of victims and needs assessment; physical rehabilitation; economic inclusion |
Involved in the capacity building of orthopedic services in university clinics and in two other rehabilitation centers; increased economic inclusion of beneficiaries |
|
ADIC |
National NGO |
Needs assessment |
Started conducting survivor needs assessment |
|
ANASDIV |
National NGO |
Social and economic inclusion; and advocacy activities for assistance to mine/ERW and other persons with disabilities |
Increased economic assistance for mine/ERW victims in Kinshasa; needs assessment
|
|
CCBL |
National NGO |
Victim assistance advocacy on CRPD ratification and a national disability law |
Increased advocacy for assistance to survivors; needs assessment |
|
ECC-MERU |
National NGO |
Needs assessment |
Started conducting survivor needs assessments |
|
Humanitas |
National NGO |
Needs assessment |
Started conducting survivor needs assessments |
|
Synergy for the Struggle against Landmines (Synergie pour la Lute Antimines: SYLAM) |
National NGO |
Social and economic inclusion; services for mine/ERW victims in the eastern part of North Kivu |
Ongoing |
|
HI |
International NGO |
Physical rehabilitation; needs assessment and advocacy |
Ongoing; Started a new VA project in North Kivu which included needs assessment, physical rehabilitation and economic inclusion services |
|
ICRC |
International organization |
Physical rehabilitation and prosthetics, including training staff; transport and accommodation costs for beneficiaries, and a supporting a referral network |
Ended cooperation with the Kalembe Lembe Orthopedics Center in Kinshasa and significantly reduced the number of prosthesis produced compared to 2010; Ongoing support to rehabilitation centers; increased access to services; increased quality of services through training of prosthetics and physiotherapy personnel |
In 2011, the number of victim assistance projects and accessibility of services increased with funding support from Japan which supported projects led by local and international NGOs. These included projects to build the capacity of rehabilitation centers and to provide economic inclusion opportunities such as small business initiatives and farming livestock, as well as advocacy for the ratification of the CRPD.[33]
The long distances to travel to services and the financial cost of attaining them remained the greatest obstacles to accessing physical rehabilitation in 2011. The PSNAVH estimated that just 20% of the population in need of physical rehabilitation services was able to access them.[34] In the entire country there were only six rehabilitation centers operating effectively. Even these lacked sufficient materials to produce enough prosthetics to meet existing needs. Trained orthopedic technicians were needed, especially in mine-affected areas.[35] In 2011 the ICRC strengthened the capacities of the rehabilitation centers of the University Clinics in Bukavu, Mubji Mayi, and Kinshasa by providing training, materials and components.[36] However, in March 2011, the ICRC stopped working with the Kalembe Lembe Rehabilitation Center in Kinshasa as it was not possible to reach an agreement for renewing the cooperation agreement. The number of prostheses produced with ICRC support in 2011 decreased by almost half from 2010. The decrease in production equally affected mine survivors, who continued to receive 13% of all prosthetic devices produced with the assistance of the ICRC.[37]
Little or no psychological support or social inclusion initiatives were available to survivors. Health center staff in mine-affected areas required additional training to provide appropriate psychosocial support to survivors or their family members, but no training was available in the country.[38] In 2011, the ICRC continued to support 35 counseling centers in North Kivu and South Kivu where psychosocial workers help victims of physical violence connected to armed conflicts. Most people receiving these services were victims of rape and sexual violence and some 40% were affected by other conflict-related trauma.[39]
Despite legislation enabling children with disabilities to study with other pupils, inclusive education was available only in some 12 schools in the capital, Kinshasa. HI reported that “the whole system needs to change”, but no significant progress was reported since 2009.[40]
New domestic legislation to implement the Mine Ban Treaty was enacted in July 2011.[41] The law contains provisions on victim assistance.[42] The new legislation made discrimination against persons with disabilities prohibited by law. However, the legislation was not effectively enforced and persons with disabilities often found it difficult to obtain employment, education, or government services. Legislation did not mandate access to buildings or government services for persons with disabilities.[43] A law on social and humanitarian action was introduced to the Parliament in 2011 and was adopted by the National Assembly. It was pending adoption by the Senate in June 2012.[44]
In 2011, the Council of Ministers accepted draft legislation authorizing the ratification of the CRPD, which was sent to the National Assembly to be considered for adoption.[45]
As of 1 June 2012, DRC had not signed the CRPD.
[1] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Jean Marie Kiadi Ntoto, Victim Assistance Officer, UNMACC, Kinshasa, 12 April 2012; Analysis of casualty data provided by Jean Marie Kiadi Ntoto, UNMACC, Kinshasa, 12 April 2011.
[2] Ibid.
[3] See previous editions of the Monitor, www.the-monitor.org.
[4] Ministry of Social Affairs, “Plan Strategique National d’Assistance aux Victimes des Mines / REG et autres Personnes en Situation de Handicap: Novembre 2010 – Octobre 2011,” (“National Strategic Plan for Assistance for mine/ERW Victims and other Persons with Disabilities: November 2010 – October 2011,” PSNAVH), Kinshasa, 24 February 2011, p. 20.
[5] Analysis of casualty data provided by Jean Marie Kiadi Ntoto, UNMACC, Kinshasa, 12 April 2011.
[6] The sex of 290 casualties was unknown.
[7] Analysis of casualty data provided by Jean Marie Kiadi Ntoto, UNMACC, Kinshasa, 12 April 2011.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Ibid.
[10] See previous country reports and country profiles in the Monitor, www.the-monitor.org; and HI, Voices from the Ground: Landmine and Explosive Remnants of War Survivors Speak Out on Victim Assistance, Brussels, September 2009, pp. 91-92.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Ministry of Social Affairs, “PSNAVH,” Kinshasa, 24 February 2011; response to Monitor questionnaire by Louis Ibonge Numbi, Victim Assistance Focal Point, Ministry of Social Affairs, Kinshasa, 25 May 2012; and response to Monitor questionnaire by Jean Marie Kiadi Ntoto, UNMACC, Kinshasa, 12 April 2012.
[13] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Louis Ibonge Numbi, Victim Assistance Focal Point, Ministry of Social Affairs, Kinshasa, 25 May 2012.
[14] “Mapping of Mine Action VA Project in DRC,” UNMACC, 24 March 2011.
[15] Interview with Jean Marie Kiadi Ntoto, UNMACC, Kinshasa, 17 April 2011.
[16] Ministry of Social Affairs, “PSNAVH,” Kinshasa, 24 February 2011, p. 20; and response to Monitor questionnaire by Jean Marie Kiadi Ntoto, UNMACC, Kinshasa, 12 April 2012.
[17] Statement of DRC, Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-economic Reintegration, Geneva, 22 June 2011; Statement of DRC, Eleventh Meeting of States Parties, Mine Ban Treaty, Phnom Penh, 29 November 2011; interview with Jean Marie Kiadi Ntoto, UNMACC, Kinshasa, 17 April 2011; response to Monitor questionnaire by Louis Ibonge Numbi, Victim Assistance Focal Point, Ministry of Social Affairs, Kinshasa, 25 May 2012; response to Monitor questionnaire by Jean Marie Kiadi Ntoto, UNMACC, Kinshasa, 12 April 2012; response to Monitor questionnaire by André Tabaro, Coordinator, Association Nationale des Survivants des Mines et de Défense des Intérêts des Victimes (ANASDIV), Kinshasa, 14 May 2012; response to Monitor questionnaire by Francky Miantuala, Coordinator, CCBL, Kinshasa, 20 March 2012; Ministry of Social Affairs, “PSNAVH,” Kinshasa, 24 February 2011; Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form J, 10 April 2012; Convention on Cluster Munitions voluntary Article 7 Report, Form J, 10 April 2012; and Statement by Francky Miantuala for the CCBL, Convention on Cluster Munitions intersessional meetings, Geneva, 16 April 2012.
[18] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Louis Ibonge Numbi, Victim Assistance Focal Point, Ministry of Social Affairs, Kinshasa, 25 May 2012; response to Monitor questionnaire by Jean Marie Kiadi Ntoto, UNMACC, Kinshasa, 12 April 2012.
[19] Response to Monitor questionnaire by André Tabaro, ANASDIV, Kinshasa, 14 May 2012; response to Monitor questionnaire by Francky Miantuala, CCBL, Kinshasa, 20 March 2012.
[20] Including the ANASDIV, the Association Congolaise pour le Développement et la Libération de la Maman Handicapée (ACOLDEMHA), the CCBL and Parousia.
[21] Statement of DRC, Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-economic Reintegration, Geneva, 22 June 2011.
[22] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Francky Miantuala, CCBL, Kinshasa, 20 March 2012.
[23] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Jean Marie Kiadi Ntoto, UNMACC, Kinshasa, 12 April 2012; response to Monitor questionnaire by Louis Ibonge Numbi, Victim Assistance Focal Point, Ministry of Social Affairs, Kinshasa, 25 May 2012; and response to Monitor questionnaire by Francky Miantuala, CCBL, Kinshasa, 20 March 2012.
[24] Statement of DRC, Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-economic Reintegration, Geneva, 22 June 2011; and interview with Jean Marie Kiadi Ntoto, UNMACC, Kinshasa, 17 April 2011.
[25] Ministry of Social Affairs, “PSNAVH,” Kinshasa, 24 February 2011; and Convention on Cluster Munitions voluntary Article 7 Report, Form J, (for calendar year 2011) 10 April 2012.
[26] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Jean Marie Kiadi Ntoto, UNMACC, Kinshasa, 12 April 2012; and response to Monitor questionnaire by Sophie Texier, Programme Director, Handicap International Belgium, Kinshasa, 29 June 2012.
[27] Statement of DRC, Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-economic Reintegration, Geneva, 23 May 2012; and statement of DRC, Eleventh Meeting of States Parties, Mine Ban Treaty, Phnom Penh, 29 November 2011.
[28] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form J, 10 April 2012; and Convention on Cluster Munitions voluntary Article 7 Report, Form J, 10 April 2012.
[29] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Jean Marie Kiadi Ntoto, UNMACC, Kinshasa, 12 April 2012; response to Monitor questionnaire by Louis Ibonge Numbi, Victim Assistance Focal Point, Ministry of Social Affairs, Kinshasa, 25 May 2012; and response to Monitor questionnaire by Francky Miantuala, CCBL, Kinshasa, 20 March 2012.
[30] Statement by Francky Miantuala for the CCBL, Convention on Cluster Munitions intersessional meetings, Geneva, 16 April 2012; and “Mapping of Mine Action VA Project in DRC,” UNMACC, 24 March 2011.
[31] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Francky Miantuala, CCBL, Kinshasa, 20 March 2012; and response to Monitor questionnaire by Louis Ibonge Numbi, Victim Assistance Focal Point, Ministry of Social Affairs, Kinshasa, 25 May 2012.
[32] “Mapping of Mine Action VA Project in DRC,” UNMACC, 24 March 2011; Ministry of Social Affairs, “PSNAVH,” Kinshasa, 24 February 2011; ICRC PRP, “Annual Report 2011,” Geneva, May 2012; response to Monitor questionnaire by Louis Ibonge Numbi, Victim Assistance Focal Point, Ministry of Social Affairs, Kinshasa, 25 May 2012; response to Monitor questionnaire by Jean Marie Kiadi Ntoto, UNMACC, Kinshasa, 12 April 2012; response to Monitor questionnaire by Francky Miantuala, CCBL, Kinshasa, 20 March 2012; response to Monitor questionnaire by André Tabaro, ANASDIV, Kinshasa, 14 May 2012; US Department of State, “2011 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Democratic Republic of the Congo,” Washington, DC, 24 May 2012; and response to Monitor questionnaire by Sophie Texier, HI. Belgium, Kinshasa, 29 June 2012.
[33] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Louis Ibonge Numbi, Victim Assistance Focal Point, Ministry of Social Affairs, Kinshasa, 25 May 2012.
[34] Ministry of Social Affairs, “PSNAVH,” Kinshasa, 24 February 2011, p. 20.
[35] Ministry of Social Affairs, “PSNAVH,” Kinshasa, 24 February 2011.
[36] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Jean Marie Kiadi Ntoto, UNMACC, Kinshasa, 12 April 2012.
[37] ICRC PRP, “Annual Report 2011,” Geneva, May 2012, p. 31; and ICRC PRP, “Annual Report 2010,” Geneva, June 2011, p. 27. ICRC supported centers produced 670 prostheses in 2010 and 356 prostheses in 2011.
[38] Ministry of Social Affairs, “PSNAVH,” Kinshasa, 24 February 2011, pp. 21–22.
[39] ICRC, “DR Congo: conflict-related dangers still a daily reality for thousands of people,” Operational Update No 11/01, 24 November 2011, www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/update/2011/congo-kinshasa-update-2011-11-24.htm. Some 1,400 people in total received psychological assistance through the counseling centers in 2011.
[40] HI, “Congo: Our actions help change the way people see disability in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” 17 April 2012, www.handicapinternational.be/en/news/congo-“our-actions-help-change-the-way-people-see-disability-in-the-democratic-republic-of-cong; and HI, “Democratic Republic of Congo,” eng.handicapinternationalblog.be/Democratic-Republic-of-Congo_a548.html.
[41] ICRC PRP, “Annual Report 2011,” Geneva, May 2012, p. 31; Law No. 11/007 implementing the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and on their Destruction in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
[42] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Jean Marie Kiadi Ntoto, UNMACC, Kinshasa, 12 April 2012; ICRC PRP, “Annual Report 2011,” Geneva, May 2012, p. 31.
[43] US Department of State, “2011 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Democratic Republic of the Congo,” Washington, DC, 24 May 2012.
[44] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Louis Ibonge Numbi, Victim Assistance Focal Point, Ministry of Social Affairs, Kinshasa, 25 May 2012; response to Monitor questionnaire by Francky Miantuala, CCBL, Kinshasa, 20 March 2012; response to Monitor questionnaire by André Tabaro, ANASDIV, Kinshasa, 14 May 2012.
[45] Response to Monitor questionnaire by André Tabaro, ANASDIV, Kinshasa, 14 May 2012; response to Monitor questionnaire by Francky Miantuala, CCBL, Kinshasa, 20 March 2012.
Support for Mine Action
In 2010, international contributions towards mine action in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) totaled US$13,222,565,[1] which represents an increase of 271% compared to 2009, but only an increase of 7% compared to 2008.
The Netherlands (€3,016,646/$4,000,374) provided the largest contribution in 2010 while Sweden, Norway, Belgium, and Denmark each provided over $1 million.
In 2010, 92% of support went towards clearance, while 5% went towards risk education, and 3% went towards victim assistance activities.
The DRC has never reported any contributions to its mine action program.
International contributions: 2010[2]
|
Donor |
Sector |
Amount (national currency) |
Amount ($) |
|
Netherlands |
Clearance; victim assistance |
€3,016,646 |
4,000,374 |
|
Sweden |
Clearance |
SEK24,300,000 |
3,372,517 |
|
Norway |
Clearance |
NOK8,610,000 |
1,424,294 |
|
Belgium |
Clearance; risk education |
€1,050,000 |
1,392,405 |
|
Denmark |
Clearance |
DKK6,926,382 |
1,231,007 |
|
United Kingdom (UK) |
Clearance |
£465,202 |
718,830 |
|
Japan |
Clearance |
¥60,004,298 |
683,576 |
|
Spain |
Clearance |
€301,306 |
399,562 |
|
Total |
|
|
13,222,565 |
Summary of contributions: 2006–2010[3]
|
Year |
Amount |
|
2010 |
13,222,565 |
|
2009 |
3,567,964 |
|
2008 |
12,407,357 |
|
2007 |
5,909,017 |
|
2006 |
5,109,463 |
|
Total |
40,216,366 |
[1] Responses to Monitor questionnaire by Hanne B. Elmelund Gam, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department for Security Policy, Denmark, 29 March 2011; Chisa Takiguchi, Official, Conventional Arms Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan, 27 April 2011; and Hannah Binci, Security and Justice Team, Conflict, Humanitarian and Security Department, Department for International Development, UK, 10 August 2011. Email from Julia Goehsing, Program Officer, Resource Mobilisation Unit, UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), 19 April 2011. Sweden Convention on Conventional Weapons Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form E, 29 March 2011; Belgium Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form J, 30 April 2011; Belgium Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form I, 27 January 2011; Netherlands Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2010), Form J; email from Tessa van der Sande, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to IKV Pax Christi, 29 March 2011; and Spain Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form J, 30 April 2011.
[2] Average exchange rates for 2010: €1=US$1.3261; US$1=SEK7.2053; US$1=NOK6.0451; US$1=DKK5.6266; £1=US$1.5452;and US$1=¥87.78. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 6 January 2011.
[3] See previous editions of Landmine Monitor; and ICBL-CMC, “Country Profile: Congo, Democratic Republic: Support for Mine Action,” www.the-monitor.org, 1 October 2010.