Commitment to the Mine Ban Treaty

Policy

The Republic of the Sudan signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 4 December 1997 and ratified on 13 October 2003, becoming a State Party on 1 April 2004.[1]

Sudan adopted the Sudan Mine Action Law by Presidential Decree #51 on 31 March 2010.[2] The Act is comprised of 29 articles divided into four chapters. Chapter four includes Mine Ban Treaty obligations, including the prohibition on antipersonnel mine use and stockpiling, clearance of contaminated areas, risk education, victim assistance, and transparency reporting. It also includes penalties for violations.[3]

Sudan submitted its ninth Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report in April 2012.[4]

Sudan participated in the Eleventh Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Phnom Penh in November–December 2011 and attended the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva in May 2012. At both meetings, Sudan made statements on mine clearance and victim assistance.

Sudan signed the Convention on Conventional Weapons on 10 April 1981, but has not ratified it.

Production, transfer, and use

Sudan has repeatedly stated that it has not produced or exported antipersonnel mines.[5]

There have been a number of reports of use of antipersonnel mines in Sudan during 2011 and the first half of 2012, which the Monitor has been unable to confirm. There is a lack of clarity about whether antipersonnel mines or antivehicle mines, or both, have been used. The Monitor has not seen definitive evidence about what forces may have used antipersonnel mines. There have been no confirmed instances of government forces using antipersonnel mines since Sudan became a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty in 2004.

However, it is clear from evidence and testimony from various sources during the reporting period that in the southern part of the country, antipersonnel mines are available for use. There is little to no official information on the situation available from the government, aside from blanket denials of prohibited activity, in either transparency reports or in statements to the public or media.

In 2011, there were reports of new mine-laying in South Kordofan state in the Nuba Mountains near the border with South Sudan as part of clashes between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the northern branch of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army now called SPLM-N.[6] UN reports stated that both the SAF and the SPLM-N were reported to have laid antipersonnel mines in strategic areas of Kadugli town, the capital of South Kordofan state.[7]

On 1 March 2012, a British journalist visited the town of Taroji in South Kordofan that had been taken over by SPLM-N two days earlier on 28 February, where he found and photographed three crates containing a total of at least 100 antipersonnel mines in a structure previously used by Sudan government forces to store ammunition. The mines, with Farsi-language markings, were Iranian-made copies of Israeli Mark 4 antipersonnel mine,[8] a plastic, low-metal-content box mine.[9] Locals warned the journalist from entering the hills surrounding Taroji because, according to the locals, the area had been mined by Sudan government forces.[10]

On 8 March 2012, the ICBL expressed “grave concern” at allegations of antipersonnel mine use by armed forces of the Republic of Sudan in Southern Kordofan in February 2012. The ICBL requested in a letter to the government of Sudan that it clarify whether its forces have used antipersonnel mines in 2011 or 2012.[11]

On 25 May 2012, the National Mine Action Centre responded to the ICBL on behalf of the government of the Republic of Sudan, stating, “The allegations reported to ICBL were provided by rebel groups (SPLA). So it is obvious there is incredibility of the source that has passed the report to ICBL.” According to the response, the reported type of mine used at Taroji is not part of Sudan’s stockpile of antipersonnel mines retained for training purposes. In the response, Sudan committed to “carry out an investigation” and “declare the findings” in its annual Article 7 report (due April 2013).[12] At the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in May 2012, Sudan stated that it does not retain the type of mine referred to in the allegation but publicly committed to investigate the allegation both in the plenary and at a side event.[13]

In May 2012, the ICBL called on Sudan to clarify if it has new contamination resulting from antipersonnel mine use and urged the government to allow international NGOs to continue mine action operations across the country.[14]

In August 2012, SPLM-N fighters at Jebel Kwo military base (located near the village of Tess in Southern Kordofan) showed weapons, including Iranian antipersonnel mines, to two Irish Times reporters that the fighters said they had captured from government forces.[15]

In April 2012, the Justice & Equality Movement (JEM), a non-state armed group in Sudan, signed the Geneva Call Deed of Commitment which includes a pledge not to use, produce, possess or transfer mines, to cooperate in mine action, and to assist compliance monitoring. In signing the Deed of Commitment, JEM Chairman Dr. Gebreil Ibrahim Mohamed indicated that JEM had never used mines and did not possess them.[16] This is the second armed opposition group from Sudan to pledge non-use of antipersonnel mines since the SPLM/A renounced the weapon in 2001. JEM was party to two previous peace agreements in Sudan which prohibited mine use and required cooperation on mine action.[17] In April 2012, the Small Arms Survey, a Swiss NGO, reported that JEM and/or SPLA seized antipersonnel mines after occupying a Sudan Armed Forces base in Heglig.[18] Geneva Call said JEM denied seizing any antipersonnel mines.[19] The South Sudan Mine Action Authority announced that an investigation committee would be sent to the field to investigate these allegations.[20]

Stockpiling and destruction

Sudan reported completion of destruction of its stockpile of 10,566 antipersonnel mines on 31 March 2008, just ahead of its 1 April 2008 treaty-mandated deadline. The reported size and composition of Sudan’s stockpile, as well as the number of mines to be retained for training purposes, have varied.[21] At the Second Review Conference in 2009, Sudan stated that a total of 10,656 stockpiled antipersonnel mines were destroyed (possibly a typographical error from 10,566).[22] However, Sudan declared in April 2012 that a total of 13,371 stockpiled antipersonnel mines were destroyed in Khartoum in 2007.[23]

In 2009, Sudan reported the discovery of arms caches including antipersonnel mines at various locations of southern Sudan that were subsequently destroyed in Blue Nile state in 2008.[24]

Mines retained for training purposes

In its April 2012 Article 7 report, Sudan stated that it is retaining a total of 1,938 mines, the same amount as reported since 2009.[25] In 2009, Sudan reported a reduction in the number of mines retained for training from 4,997 to 1,938 mines.[26] Each year since 2009, Sudan has reported the transfer of 75 “Type 35” plastic mines from the SAF to the UN Mine Action Office “for training purposes,” but the total number of mines retained for training has remained unchanged.[27] Sudan has not disclosed the intended purposes or actual uses of its retained mines, as agreed by States Parties at Mine Ban Treaty Review Conferences held in 2004 and 2009.

Contamination and Impact

Mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) are primarily the result of more than 20 years of armed struggle between the Government of Sudan and non-state armed groups in the south, mainly the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army. The struggle ended with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) on 9 January 2005.[1] Recent armed violence in South Sudan has added to existing contamination.

Mines

10 of the 17 states in Sudan contain possible contamination from landmines. They are Blue Nile, Central Darfur, Eastern Darfur, Gadaref, Kassala, Northern Darfur, Red Sea, Southern Darfur, South Kordofan, and Western Darfur. Almost two-thirds of the suspected hazardous areas (SHAs) are located in South Kordofan and Kassala states. As of end May 2012, there were 136 dangerous areas across the 10 affected states, of which 46 were in Darfur, 62 were confirmed minefields, and 92 were SHAs. Only Blue Nile, Kassala, and South Kordofan states have confirmed minefields.

Contamination in Sudan as of May 2012[2]

In May 2012, the National Mine Action Centre (NMAC) reported that the unstable situations in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states were affecting demining operations. Sudan had planned to announce Blue Nile state would be “free of landmine impact by 2012,” but NMAC is unlikely to do so because of the instability in the state.[3]

In 2011, fighting broke out in South Kordofan and the Abyei region amid disputes over oil exports and payments, border demarcation, and citizenship rights.[4] In response to tensions and the displacement of more than 100,000 people in the Abyei region, the UN Security Council authorized a UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) “to monitor and verify the redeployment of any Sudan Armed Forces, Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLM) or its successor from the Abyei area” just prior to South Sudan formally declaring its independence from Sudan in July 2011. UNISFA is also mandated to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and provide security to the oil industry’s infrastructure in coordination with the local police. The resolution did not include a mandate for peacekeepers to conduct mine clearance operations.[5] In August 2011, four Ethiopian peacekeepers were killed and seven others injured by a landmine in Mabok, southeast of Abyei town. The town where the accident occurred had been occupied by troops from Sudan.[6]

Cluster munition remnants

Cluster munition remnants have been found in residential areas, farmland, pasture, rivers and streams, on hillsides, in desert areas, in and around former military barracks, on roads and in minefields. As of June 2011, Sudan had nine remaining areas thought to be contaminated with unexploded submunitions.[7] The National Mine Action Center in Khartoum did not respond to a Cluster Munition Monitor request for an update on the cluster-munition-contaminated areas including whether these nine areas had been cleared.

No. of cluster-munition-contaminated areas in Sudan as of June 2011[8]

In May 2012, a cluster bomb was reportedly discovered in the village of Angolo in the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan.[9] The Government of Sudan has denied using cluster munitions in South Kordofan.[10]

Other explosive remnants of war

In Darfur, ERW pose a serious threat to civilians, the African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID) Peacekeepers, and the delivery of humanitarian aid. ERW encountered in Darfur include air delivered bombs, rockets, artillery and rifle projectiles, mortars, and grenades. Over 200 accidents have resulted in death or severe injury to civilians.[11] In 2011, the UNAMID Ordnance Disposal Office and Exploration Logistics conducted battle area clearance over 1km² in Western Darfur state.[12]

Mine Action Program

Key institutions and operators

In 2005, UN Security Council Resolution 1590 and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) set out the legal framework to establish the UN Mine Action Office (UNMAO) to coordinate, facilitate, accredit, and conduct quality assurance (QA) of all mine action activities in Sudan, including support to the development of the National Mine Action Center (NMAC) through June 2011.[13] Resolution 1590 stated capacity development was to be the key focus of UNMAO.[14]

On 9 January 2011, 99% of those polled in South Sudan voted for independence.[15] As a result of a referendum foreseen by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, South Sudan formally declared its independence on 9 July 2011 and became the world’s 196^th State. At the same time the mandate for the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) ended, which also resulted in the closing of UNMAO in June 2011. A new peacekeeping mission was established in South Sudan.

Since its transition to national ownership NMAC has been coordinating all mine clearance activities, including accreditation and certification of mine clearance agencies. NMAC also coordinates risk education (RE).[16] NMAC roles and responsibilities are regulated by the Sudan Mine Action Law and the Sudan National Mine Action Policy Framework.[17]

At the request of the Government of Sudan, UNMAS has continued providing assistance to mine action in Sudan through technical support to the National Mine Action Center.[18] UNMAS Technical Advisors assist in RE, victim assistance, survey and clearance operations, data and information management, and resource mobilization.[19]

In Darfur, under the umbrella of the UNAMID, the Ordnance Disposal Office (ODO) works in direct support of UNAMID priorities. There are sub-offices in North, South, and West Darfur states.[20] UNAMID has contracted the commercial company, Exploration Logistics, to deploy three explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams in Darfur for a range of mine action activities.[21] The extent of activities is dependent on the availability of security forces and the permission from the Government of Sudan, and the UN Special Representative for Political Affairs. ODO comprises 11 international staff and 38 national staff and there are 27 international staff and 46 national staff working for its implementing partner Mine Tech International (MTI), which provides multi-tasking clearance teams. In 2012, ODO signed a Letter of Cooperation with the NMAC to establish regional mine action centers in El Fasher, El Geneina, and Nyala.[22]

Land Release

In 2011, Sudan cleared some 1.5km² of mined areas and 20.6km² of battle areas and canceled 0.15km² of SHA through non-technical surveys.[23]

In 2012, NMAC planned to release 115 SHAs at a cost of US$9 million. Over a 12-month period, Mines Advisory Group (MAG), DanChurchAid (DCA), and National Demining Units (NDUs) planned to survey and where necessary clear hazardous areas in Blue Nile State, the Eastern States, and South Kordofan. In South Kordofan, five multi-tasking mine clearance teams will conduct a survey to identify new hazardous areas and reduce the area of known mined areas. In Blue Nile State, three rapid response teams and one demining team will survey and clear 45 SHAs. In the Eastern States, one mine clearance team will be tasked to clear 10 contaminated areas.[24]

Five-year summary of land release[25]

Mine clearance in 2011[26]

Sudan cleared more than 1.49km² of mined areas in 2011, with the destruction of 2,412 antipersonnel mines and 870 antivehicle mines. Clearance has not been disaggregated between the different operators.

In July 2011, when the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) ended, peacekeeping-assessed funding for mine action was no longer available. As a result, DCA, MAG, and the National Demining Units were the only remaining clearance operators. The peacekeeping-assessed funds for mine action were used to contract commercial companies. The funds supported 80% of Sudan’s mine clearance capacity.[27] In January–July 2012, all mine clearance in Sudan, totaling 139,654m², occurred in Kassala and Red Sea states.[28]

Mine clearance in 2011

Compliance with Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty

In accordance with Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Sudan is required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 April 2014.

At the Intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva in June 2011, Sudan stated it was in a good position to be mine impact free by April 2014 to clear the remaining 295 hazardous areas by the deadline if funding, approximately $68 million, was available.[29] At the meetings in May 2012, Sudan said it needed funding to support 30 clearance teams to meet its Article 5 deadline. If the funding was not available “soon,” Sudan would have to request an extension of its Article 5 deadline.[30]

Clearance of cluster-munition-contaminated areas in 2011

UNMAO does not distinguish between clearance of different types of ERW in its reporting so is unable to confirm how much land was cleared of cluster munition remnants in 2011, nor how many submunitions were destroyed.

Battle area clearance in 2011[31]

In 2011, Sudan conducted 20.59km² of battle area clearance (BAC), most of it by RONCO in January through June. The Cambodian Demining Team attached to UNMIS until June also conducted BAC. Since 2002, 84% of all BAC has been conducted in the three states of Blue Nile, Kassala, and Red Sea. In the first five months of 2012, BAC was conducted only in Kassala with 482,192m² of clearance.

Quality management

NMAC is responsible for prioritizing, tasking, and post-clearance QA. Each of the sub-offices has one QA officer who oversees the quality management of clearance and risk education teams.[32]

Risk Education

Sudan has an extensive risk education (RE) program throughout the country. Activities are implemented by JASMAR Human Security Organization, Friends of Peace and Development Organization (FPDO), the Organization for Care of War Disabled and Protection from Landmine (ABRAR), Strengthening Protection and Community Empowerment in South Kordofan (SIBRO), Association for Aid and Relief (Japan), and Mines Advisory Group (MAG). NMAC reported 221,205 individuals received RE in 2011, of whom almost 60% were children.[33]

In coordination with the NMAA and the Ministry of Education, UNICEF supports the training of teachers in RE and the provision of materials for students in the Nuba Mountains and Western and Southern Darfur.[34] FPDO, with support from Japan, conducted an RE program in Gadaref state in April 2010–January 2011. In September 2011, it began an RE project in Red Sea state.[35] In 2012, in collaboration with AAR, FPDO launched an appeal to conduct RE for internally displaced persons and collect information on hazardous areas in South Kordofan.[36] JASMAR Human Security Organization conducts RE in Blue Nile state and Western and Southern Darfur with support from The Development Initiative, UNICEF, and Practical Action, a UK-based NGO.[37]

Casualties Overview

In 2011, the Monitor identified 122 mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW) casualties in Sudan.[1] Adult men, both civilians and peacekeepers, made up the majority of all casualties (75, 61%); six casualties were women. There were no casualties among deminers reported for 2011.

There were 30 child casualties of which 21 were boys and five were girls; the sex of four child casualties was unknown. This represented 48% of all civilian casualties for which the age was known, similar to the percentage (50%) in 2010.[2] The rate of child casualties in Darfur was significantly higher than in the rest of the country, representing 77% of casualties for which the age was known (21 of 27), all of which were caused by ERW. In South Kordofan, child casualties were 27% of the 22 civilian casualties reported.

Casualties were identified in nine of the 17 states of Sudan, with the vast majority (71 or 58%) in South Kordofan, a state bordering South Sudan which was the location of clashes between northern Sudanese and southern Sudanese forces in 2011. At least 11 casualties in South Kordofan were security forces, all of which occurred during a single incident east of Abyei town. In August 2011, 11 Ethiopian peacekeepers, including two women, from the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) became casualties (four killed; seven injured) when a patrol vehicle was destroyed by an antivehicle mine.[3] There were also another 38 casualties in South Kordofan for which it was unknown if the victims were civilians or security forces, which accounted for the vast majority of the 42 Sudanese casualties in 2011 for which the civilian status was not known.

The 122 mine/ERW reported casualties in 2011 were nearly double the 67 casualties reported in 2010 and more than three times the 40 casualties that were identified in 2009.[4] Part of the increase in reported casualties in 2011 was believed to have been influenced by improvements in Sudan’s data collection system with the launch of a new national casualty database in September 2010 and the subsequent increase in available data.[5] Previously, only casualties that occurred in the Darfur region were included. However, the increase was also certainly related to the ongoing violence in South Kordofan, which contributed to an increased movement of people, both civilians and military, in a region that is heavily contaminated by landmines and ERW.[6]

The National Mine Action Center (NMAC) registered 1,773 mine/ERW casualties (525 killed; 1,248 injured) for the period from 1964 to the end of 2011.[7]

Cluster munition casualties

In 2011, there were six casualties from cluster submunitions in two separate incidents in Blue Nile, a state that borders South Sudan.[8] There were a total of 29 casualties from cluster munitions in Sudan through the end of 2011, 23 of which occurred in 2009 or before.[9]

Victim Assistance

Sudan is known to have landmine survivors, cluster munition victims and survivors of other types of ERW. Sudan has made a commitment to provide victim assistance as a State Party to the Mine Ban Convention.

There were at least 1,248 mine/ERW survivors in Sudan at the end of 2011.[10]

Victim assistance since 1999[11]

Years of conflict seriously damaged the healthcare system in Sudan, and for many people living in remote areas, the nearest medical facilities were long distances away. In general, throughout the monitoring period, the assistance available for landmine casualties was irregular and insufficient to address the size of the problem, though there were some improvements in physical rehabilitation and economic inclusion.

In 1999, Sudan had just one rehabilitation center, located in Khartoum. With support from the ICRC, the National Authority for Prosthetic and Orthotics (NAPO) developed six satellite centers and mobile units by 2009. However, from 2007 to 2010, NAPO received reduced budget allocations from the Ministry of Finance, forcing it to suspend rehabilitation services for three months in 2010. It had also begun to close one center in Kadugli during 2009, which closed at the end of 2010, due to lack of technical staff. While rehabilitation services were free for mine/ERW survivors, lack of funding and insufficient raw materials meant that waiting periods were long, while the cost of transportation and accommodation made the cost of accessing services prohibitive.

From 1999, little to no economic inclusion initiatives or psychosocial support for mine survivors were available, a situation that improved significantly with increased international funding for victim assistance from 2007-2011. These programs were implemented by national organizations and coordinated by the National Mine Action Center (NMAC), with support from the United Nations Mine Action Office (UNMAO), within the framework of the National Victim Assistance Strategic Framework 2007–2011. In June 2011, UNMAO completed the handover of its victim assistance program to NMAC. The establishment of the National Disability Council in 2010 increased opportunities for the coordination of victim assistance and disability issues at national and state levels.

In 2011, poor security conditions prevented survivors in the states with the highest concentrations of mine survivors, Sudan’s southern states and the Darfur region, from accessing victim assistance services. No changes were reported in the availability of medical care or rehabilitation services, though the availability of economic inclusion programs for survivors decreased as funding for some targeted victim assistance programs provided through UNDP ended. NMAC made efforts to replace international funds with national resources, but this had little impact on the overall availability of victim assistance by the end of 2011. “Most if not all” health, rehabilitation and social services were physically inaccessible for survivors, according to Sudan.[12] As in previous years, the government pointed to the lack of funding as the greatest obstacle to expanding the victim assistance program throughout the country.[13]

Assessing victim assistance needs

No victim needs assessments were underway in 2011, despite the preparatory training in data collection and needs assessment provided in 2010 to 30 representatives from NMAC and NGO members of the Victim Assistance Working Group. This training had been planned in preparation for conducting a victim needs assessments in the Eastern States, Blue Nile, South Kordofan, and Khartoum.[14] In 2009, casualty data collection had been carried out in the states of Kassala and Khartoum.[15] In September 2010, a national casualty database was launched and the NMAC continued to maintain this through the end of 2011, adding data on new casualties as it was received.[16] Data in the database was disaggregated by sex and age group to ensure that the different needs of women, men, boys and girls could be addressed appropriately and met equally.[17] Data was shared with all members of the Victim Assistance Working Group, including government ministries and NGOs.[18]

Victim assistance coordination[19]

In 2011, NMAC continued to convene monthly meetings of the Victim Assistance Working Group to share updates on progress in implementing ongoing projects, to discuss issues such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), data collection, physical rehabilitation, and socioeconomic reintegration, and to plan the best use of available resources.[20] During the year, the Ministries of Health and Education joined the Victim Assistance Working Group and began participating in monthly meetings. Some 20 NGOs remained active participants providing regular updates on their activities during the year.[21] One NGO member of the Victim Assistance Working Group found the meetings to be “somewhat” effective as a venue for sharing information but indicated that the meetings did not result in significant changes.[22]

In June 2011,UNMAO completed the handover of the Sudan victim assistance program to NMAC, a transition that had been underway since 2006.[23] In order to ensure the continuity and sustainability of the program, NMAC advocated for the inclusion of victim assistance in the budgetary and technical plans of relevant government ministries. Related to this effort, as of the end of the year, the government of Khartoum state established a disability trust fund.[24]

In 2011, the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (the Council), established in October 2010, held four coordination meetings and finalized the Five Year Strategic Disability Plan 2012-2016.[25] NMAC as well as other members of the Victim Assistance Working Group were members of the Council and participated in meetings to ensure the inclusion of mine survivors in disability planning.[26] The disability plan included six objectives designed to promote the rights of persons with disabilities, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and to ensure the full participation of persons with disabilities in the community. The plan identified relevant government and NGO implementing agencies but did not include a budget or a monitoring mechanism.[27] In developing the disability plan, the National Victim Assistance Strategic Framework was considered.[28] During the year, the Council established state-level disability working groups with the goal of setting up State Disability Councils to replicate the work of the National Disability Council at the local level.[29]

Sudan provided comprehensive updates on progress and challenges for victim assistance at the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Beirut in September 2011, the Eleventh Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Geneva in December 2011, and at the Mine Ban Treaty intersessional meetings in Geneva in May 2012. Statements noted progress made in the inclusion of survivors and their representative organizations in victim assistance and highlighted the need for funding from the international community to extend victim assistance throughout the country.[30] Sudan also completed Form J of the Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report for calendar year 2011 to share information about victim assistance implementation.[31]

Participation and inclusion in victim assistance

Towards the implementation of the Cartagena Action Plan, the Ministry of Social Welfare issued a decree in 2010 recommending the involvement of all mine/ERW survivors associations in all decisions and activities related to victim assistance policies and plans.[32] Survivors and their representative organizations were included as members of the Victim Assistance Working Group.[33] Through NGOs, survivors were involved in the design and implementation of victim assistance projects, especially social and economic reintegration projects, and in advocacy for disability rights.[34]

Service accessibility and effectiveness

Victim assistance activities[35]

No significant changes to the accessibility or availability of medical care were reported in 2011. Medical facilities in mine affected areas were inadequate to address the emergency medical needs of mine survivors whose injuries required evacuations to hospitals in major cities. Injuries from mine/ERW incidents were aggravated by delays in providing an immediate emergency response due to a lack of first aid materials, expertise or ambulances.[36] While military mine/ERW survivors were covered by health insurance, many civilian survivors were not, making ongoing healthcare unaffordable.[37] Even for survivors who were insured, the National Health Insurance failed to cover a number of disability-related claims.[38]

In 2011, the number of mine/ERW survivors who received prosthetics through ICRC-supported rehabilitation centers doubled as compared with 2010.[39] Both the increasing number of new casualties and the referral system that the ICRC introduced in the Darfur region in 2010 likely contributed to this rise.[40] However, as of the end of 2011, prolonged waiting periods to receive care were still the norm due to the lack of both funding and qualified technicians coupled with the high demand for rehabilitation services. The rehabilitation sector remained dependent on external funding sources.[41]

The network of psychologists and social workers trained by the national NGO Rufaida in 2010 continued to provide psychological support to survivors in Khartoum state. Rufaida began preparations to extend this project to three other mine affected states in 2012.[42] The Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration Commission increased its coordination with the Ministry of Health to facilitate access to psychological support for former combatants with disabilities.[43]

In 2011, due to a decline in available funding, the number of economic inclusion programs targeting mine/ERW survivors decreased from six to three, significantly reducing the availability of these programs.[44] These three programs were limited to South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Khartoum. As in 2010, increased funding to the programs specifically for the reintegration of disabled former combatants, including mine/ERW survivors, somewhat offset this reduction, but did not benefit other survivors.[45] In 2011, NMAC established a partnership with the Bank of Khartoum to increase opportunities for micro-credit for mine/ERW survivors. However, it was not known if any survivors had benefited from this initiative by the end of the year.[46] In early 2012, NMAC began to extend economic inclusion programs to the Darfur region.[47]

In Sudan, the rights of persons with disabilities were guaranteed by law, though the law required amendment to comply with the CRPD.[48]  Legislation was not implemented effectively and many public officials lacked awareness of the law and the rights of persons with disabilities more generally.[49] Similarly, the employment quota for persons with disabilities was not fulfilled and the government lacked punitive measures through which to enforce it.[50] There were no laws or policies to ensure accessibility for persons with disabilities; almost no buildings and public spaces were accessible.[51]

Sudan ratified the CRPD on 24 April 2009.

Support for Mine Action

In 2011, five donors and the Common Humanitarian Fund contributed US$6 million for clearance operations in Sudan.[1]

Since 2007, the UN General Assembly has authorized the appropriation of annual mine action budgets for the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) operating in Sudan and the African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID). From 2007 until July 2011, the assessed budgets for UNMIS and UNAMID mine action were more than $190 million, including some 80% of the Sudan Mine Action Program over the five-year period. In 2011, the UN General Assembly authorized $25.1 million for UNMIS and $10.3 million for UNAMID, representing 82% of the total mine action budget in Sudan.[2]

Some of the funds from the assessed peacekeeping budgets were used to contract commercial companies for landmine clearance and battle area clearance. With the end of the UNMIS mission in July 2011, funds were no longer available to contract commercial companies in the northern states in Sudan, excluding Darfur. The contracting of commercial companies has continued in South Sudan under the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).[3]

UNAMID is the sole source of funding for mine action in Darfur. In 2011, UNAMID received $10.3 million through assessed peacekeeping funds for mine action.[4] Since 2007, it has received $54 million for mine action.

In June 2011, the UN Security Council approved a third UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan, the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), for which the UN General Assembly assessed $6.3 million for mine action. However, a mine action team was not established until December and by the end of 2011 was able to conduct only one road clearance operation resulting in only $263,000 of expenditures in 2011.[5]

In 2011, the government of Sudan contributed $1.2 million to mine action, the same amount as in 2010.[6]

Until July 2011 when South Sudan became an independent country, all international assistance had been reported for Sudan, though most of the assistance was used in the states now comprising South Sudan. As a result comparing funding levels in Sudan to previous years is challenging. Still, as can be seen in the table below that summarizes contributions in 2007–2011, Sudan, including the states comprising South Sudan and Darfur, received $373 million in international assistance through donors and assessed peacekeeping funds for mine action. Additionally, the government of Sudan in Khartoum has reported contributing almost $20 million to mine action during the same period.

International contributions in 2011[7]

Summary of contributions (assessed peacekeeping funds for mine action) in 2007–2011 (US$)[8]

Summary of contributions (includes South Sudan) in 2007–2011 (US$)[9]