Commitment to the Mine Ban Treaty

After years of conflict, the government of Sudan and the southern-based rebel group Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) signed a peace agreement on 9 January 2005 that led to a referendum in January 2011 approving self-determination for the South. The Republic of South Sudan became an independent state on 9 July 2011 and the SPLA became the regular army of the new Republic of South Sudan while the SPLM became the governing political party.

Policy

Less than six months after becoming an independent state, the Republic of South Sudan joined the Mine Ban Treaty on 11 November 2011 through the rarely used process of “succession.” According to the UN Office of Legal Affairs, the Mine Ban Treaty became effective for South Sudan on 9 July 2011, the date of state independence and succession.[1]

The succession came after South Sudan officials had made continued pledges of support to join the Mine Ban Treaty.[2] On 17 October 2011, South Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nhial Deng Nhial, signed the declaration of succession, which was deposited with the UN in New York on 11 November 2011, making South Sudan the 158^th State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty.

It is not known if South Sudan will promulgate national legislation or other measures to implement the Mine Ban Treaty.[3]

South Sudan’s initial Article 7 report for the Mine Ban Treaty was due by 5 January 2012. It has not been submitted as of 28 September 2012.

South Sudan participated in the Eleventh Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Phnom Penh in November–December 2011, where it provided a detailed general statement covering a range of topics including stockpile destruction, contamination, and clearance.

South Sudan did not attend the intersessional Standing Committee meetings held in Geneva in May 2012.

Production, Transfer, Stockpiling

Before independence, the SPLM/A stockpiled and used antipersonnel mines.[4] In November 2011, South Sudan informed States Parties that it does not possess facilities for the production of landmines.[5] There is no information available on past transfers.

At the Eleventh Meeting of States Parties, South Sudan stated that it does not possess a stockpile of antipersonnel mines, but said it has discovered small quantities of landmines in former Sudan Armed Forces camps vacated after separation. In accordance with the provisions of Article 4 of the Mine Ban Treaty, South Sudan must destroy these mines as soon as possible and no later than 9 July 2015. South Sudan said these stocks would be destroyed in 2012 during the dry season. As of 1 September 2012, it was not known if the stocks had been destroyed. In November 2011, South Sudan stated that it is not retaining any antipersonnel mines for training.[6]

Use

Between January and August 2012, there were no new allegations of landmine use in South Sudan.

The armed forces of the Republic of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-North (SPLA-N), the armed opposition group operating in the Nuba Mountains, have been engaged in armed conflict since July 2011. There were reports of mine stockpiles being captured by the SPLM-N in February 2012 in the Republic of Sudan’s South Kordofan state, north of the border with South Sudan, which is home to some Nuba communities which supported the South during the civil war.[7] During fighting in Heglig in April 2012, weapons that included antipersonnel mines were reportedly seized by combatants from an occupied Sudan Armed Forces base; these combatants included members of the regular army of the Republic of South Sudan and Justice & Equality Movement (JEM), a non-state armed group in Sudan.[8] Geneva Call said JEM denied seizing any antipersonnel mines and that a representative of the South Sudan Mine Action Authority stated that a committee would be sent to investigate the allegation.[9]

Further details have emerged about prior allegations made in 2011 concerning mine use in several locations in South Sudan. During 2011, there were several incidents in which mines were apparently laid in South Sudan, including in the states of Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile; however, the Monitor could not determine who was responsible for the mine-laying and to what extent antipersonnel mines, as opposed to antivehicle mines, were being laid.

The Small Arms Survey, a Swiss NGO, documented several seizures of mines in this area throughout 2011. In March 2011, the SPLA confiscated more than 250 antivehicle mines from South Sudan Democratic Army forces loyal to George Athor in Jonglei state. The Small Arms Survey identified the mines as TM-57 and GLD-215, manufactured in Russia and China. Additional TM-57 antivehicle mines were seized from the South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA) in April 2011, near Mayom, in Unity state. The SPLA also recovered PMN-type antipersonnel mines from the SSLA around Mayom, Unity state, in June 2011.[10]

In June 2011, Brigadier Jurkuch Barach, chair of the Southern Sudan Mine Action Authority, expressed concern at new civilian deaths from what were, in his opinion, newly-laid antipersonnel mines and antivehicle mines.[11] A representative of the UN Mine Action Office (UNMAO) Southern Sudan told media that evidence indicates rebel militia groups were laying mines and said, “We’ve seen an increase in mine incidents and mine accidents over the past six months or so and in many areas we think there are a lot of alleged cases of re-mining. We can’t prove it because we haven’t seen it but anecdotal evidence indicates that these are newly laid, not old mines.”[12]

In March 2011, the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) regional coordinator for Southern Sudan was quoted in media reports saying that forces loyal to George Athor, a former deputy chief of staff of the SPLA, had used mines in northern Jonglei state.[13] In February 2011, SPLA spokesperson Philip Aguer told media that Athor’s forces were “planting land mines.”[14] According to the SPLA, “two army trucks were blown up by land mines near the town of Fangak in Jonglei state.”[15]

In Unity state, there were several reports of antivehicle mine use in 2011, claiming multiple casualties including in May,[16] August,[17] September,[18] and October.[19] The Small Arms Survey documented newly-laid Chinese manufactured T-72 antivehicle mines, reportedly laid by the SSLA around Mayom, Unity state, on 29 October 2011, with the lot number 07-81-6902.[20] In November 2011, a UN Mine Action and Coordination Centre (UNMACC) representative told media that routes leading into and out of the state capital Bentiu were suspected to be mined and stated, “We’re experiencing re-mining of the re-mining. We’re clearing routes and having to re-clear them, time and time again … on some of the routes.”[21] In December 2011, an UNMACC representative said that it was increasing efforts to unblock aid and trade routes in Unity state because “the re-mining has shut down most of the state.”[22]

In September 2011, the South Sudan Liberation Army/Movement (SSLA/M), an armed opposition group in South Sudan that opposes the government of the Republic of South Sudan, issued a press release denying responsibility for landmine use in Unity state and blaming the SPLA “for planting anti-personnel mines which are now hampering free movements of civilians in Unity State.” The statement claimed that the governor of Unity state, Major-General Taban Deng Gai, had “ordered the SPLA army to plant Anti-personnel mines in major highways of the state to harm civilians and blame the SSLM/A.”[23] In November 2011, SPLA Major-General Mangar Buong accused the government of Sudan of funding the rebel groups to destabilize South Sudan by planting mines.[24] In January 2012, a former senior SSLA member interviewed by Amnesty International admitted that their forces had laid antivehicle landmines on Unity state roads expected to be used by SPLA forces, but denied that SSLA forces had laid antipersonnel landmines.[25]

In Upper Nile state, an antipersonnel mine was found in Malakal in April 2011. It is unknown who laid it, but there has been conflict in the area between the SPLA and a Shilluk armed group under Commander John Olony, a rebel SPLA officer.[26]

In June 2011, the ICBL expressed concern at “alarming reports” of new landmine use by non-state armed groups in South Sudan.[27] In May 2012, the ICBL again drew States Parties’ attention to apparent new mine-laying in 2011 in South Sudan, but noted it was not possible to determine who was responsible or whether antipersonnel mines in addition to antivehicle mines had been laid.[28]

 

Policy

On 9 July 2011, the Republic of South Sudan became an independent state. South Sudan has not acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

In September 2011, a South Sudan representative informed States Parties that “we do intend to join” the Convention on Cluster Munitions, but cautioned that it will not be a swift process as there are “many pressing issues to address not least to capacity build all departments of government and the judiciary.”[1] In a meeting with representatives of the CMC, the South Sudan delegate said that the government would address its accession to the Convention on Cluster Munitions after it joined the Mine Ban Treaty.[2]

South Sudan acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty on 11 November 2011.

South Sudan attended the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Beirut, Lebanon in September 2011. It did not attend intersessional meetings of the convention held in Geneva in April 2012.

In September 2011, South Sudan said that as a victim of the use of cluster munitions, “we call on all parties in the region to use their influence to ensure that cluster munitions not be used along with landmines by the parties who oppose our new state.”[3]

South Sudan is not a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Production, Transfer, Stockpiling, Use

The Monitor has no indications of any past production, export, use, or stockpiling of cluster munitions by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A). In September 2011, South Sudan stated that it “is not a user or producer of cluster munitions.”[4] A government official informed the CMC that South Sudan does not stockpile cluster munitions.[5]

Numerous independent sources have documented the presence of cluster munitions remnants that indicate that the armed forces of the Republic of Sudan sporadically used air-dropped cluster munitions in southern Sudan between 1995 and 2000.[6]

There were two new allegations of cluster munition use by the armed forces of Sudan in the first half of 2012 in Southern Kordofan, a state bordering South Sudan that has seen fighting by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army North (SPLM-N) and the Sudan Armed Forces since June 2011. (See separate entry on Republic of Sudan for more details).

 

Contamination and Impact

On 9 July 2011, after decades of civil war that ended with a six-year Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), South Sudan formally declared its independence. Throughout the long-running conflict, landmines were used by all parties to defend their positions and to disrupt the movement and operations of opposing forces. All 10 states of South Sudan are contaminated to varying degrees with mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW).

South Sudan faces tremendous humanitarian, development, and security challenges. Since independence, South Sudan has witnessed an increase in landmine/ERW threat levels from conflicts in the disputed area of Abyei and in Upper Nile, Unity, and Southern Kordofan states and from new laying of mines in Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile states that have resulted in the displacement of tens of thousands of people into and around South Sudan and into Ethiopia.[1] In September 2011, new military clashes were reported in Blue Nile state between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N). In addition, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a non-state armed group (NSAG) originating in Uganda, has attacked villages in Central Equatoria, Western Bahr el Ghazal, and Western Equatoria.[2]

Landmine and ERW threat levels increased in 2011 in South Sudan, largely from re-mining, which contributed to a spike in casualty levels in 2011[3]. The threat and impact of landmines increased significantly in the northern border areas of Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile states. Three-quarters of returnees in 2011 were located in these three states. Unity State alone saw a spike of 20% in the number of reported “dangerous areas”.[4] The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan at the time, Lise Grande, said in April 2012 that re-mining has prevented humanitarian aid agencies from delivering food and medical assistance.[5]

The UN Mine Action Coordination Center (UNMACC) in Juba, formerly the UN Mine Action Office (UNMAO) and re-named UNMAS South Sudan on 1 July 2012, estimates there are approximately 800 known areas containing explosive threats covering 173km² of land. As new dangerous areas are continually being identified, it is difficult to estimate the time needed to address the remaining threats in South Sudan.[6]

Mines

All 10 states of South Sudan are contaminated to varying degrees with landmines, with the states of Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei, and Upper Nile the most affected. The full extent of contamination is not known, especially in Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile states, because some communities remain inaccessible due to poor security conditions and communications as well as flooding.[7]

Contamination in the 10 states that comprise South Sudan[8]

* A “suspected hazardous area” has been defined by UNMAS South Sudan as an area “not in productive use due to the perceived or actual presence of mines or ERW”.[9]

At the end of 2011, within the category of dangerous areas, there were 38 ammunition dumps, 44 confrontation areas, nine current ambush areas, 349 suspected minefields, and 132 unexploded ordnance (UXO) spot tasks.

 More than 30,000 mines have been found in the South Sudan states since 2004 and over 800,000 individual ERW, reflecting both the longevity and intensity of the conflict with the North.

Mines Found in South Sudan 2004-2011[10]

Cluster munition remnants

Since 2006, 129 sites containing cluster munition remnants have been identified in four states in South Sudan. 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, in minefields, and in ammunition storage areas.[11] UNMAS reported that in July 2012 there were 52 known dangerous areas containing unexploded submunitions in three states: Central Equatoria, East Equatoria, and West Equatoria.

Cluster-munition-contaminated areas in South Sudan as of 13 July 2012[12]

Mine Action Program

Key institutions and operators

The South Sudan Demining Authority (SSDA) was established in 2006 by presidential decree to act as the main governmental authority for the coordination, formulation, and supervision of the implementation of plans for removing mines from roads, paths and other places where mines are suspected to be laid or buried.[13] It has been replaced by the South Sudan Mine Action Authority (SSMAA).

In June 2011, the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) (a peacekeeping mission) ended as South Sudan became an independent state. UNMAO redistributed its responsibilities between the UN mine action office in the north and the UN mine action office in the south and the SSDA assumed ownership of the mine action program. UNMAO reconstituted in September 2011 as the UN Mine Action Coordination Centre (UNMACC) under the auspices of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). UN Security Council Resolution 1996 of 8 July 2011 stipulates that UNMACC has the responsibility to support the Government of South Sudan in conducting demining activities while strengthening the capacity of the SSMAA. UNMACC, with the SSMAA, coordinates, facilitates, and oversees all mine action activities in South Sudan through its main office in Juba, and its sub-offices in Bentiu, Malakal, Wau, and Yei.[14]

Nevertheless, from 2005 UNMAO (and since July 2011, UNMACC) have managed most of the key mine action planning and coordination functions, including the accreditation of mine action organizations, the development of national mine action standards, the establishment of a quality management system, and the management of the national database.[15] According to the South Sudan Mine Action Strategic Plan 2012–2016, UNMACC will not complete handover of coordination and management of mine action activities to the SSMAA until 2016.[16]

More generally, UN Security Council Resolution 1996 authorized UNMISS to support mine action through assessed peacekeeping funds.[17] In 2010–2011, the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) commissioned a series of studies on transitioning mine action programs to national ownership. The in-depth study on Sudan documents the development, implementation and lessons learned concerning the transition process to national ownership in South Sudan from 2004 to 2011. The study describes the struggles in coordination among the UN Mine Action Team (UNMAT); the challenges of building national capacity while trying to meet the operational goals of the UNMIS mission of clearing roads of mines; and stresses the importance of both international and national staff stability at the UN and the SSDA, among others, on the planning and implementation of a successful transition plan.[18]

In June 2011, according to the GICHD study, “SSDA had no capacity to task and manage mine action activities.” The three sub-offices (Malakal in Upper Nile State, Yei in Central Equatoria State, and in Wau in Western Bahr El-Ghazal) were said to be barely functioning at the time of the transition. The information management office, though properly equipped, suffered from a lack of regular electricity supply, and the resource mobilization office appeared to be “at best, very low and at worst, nonexistent.” As a result, after South Sudan became a state, UNMAS, through UNMACC, assumed a stronger operational role than had originally been planned.[19] Although national ownership is a key goal of the mine action program, it is currently dependent on support from international donors (see the Support section of the South Sudan profile for further details) and will require the SSMAA to dialogue with donors, seek assistance, and report on progress. As reported above, the SSMAA is not expected to assume complete responsibility for all mine action activities until 2016.[20]

On 26 July 2012, the SSMAA and UNMAS South Sudan held the first donor meeting in collaboration with DanChurchAid (DCA), Danish Demining Group (DDG), Handicap International (HI), Mines Advisory Group (MAG), Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), and South Sudan Integrated Mine Action Services (SIMAS), each of whom made presentations to the donors. Representatives from Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO) attended the meeting.[21]

NPA has been a key partner in building the capacity of SSMAA since 2010. Originally asked by UNDP to provide training and support to the South Sudan Demining Authority (now the SSMAA), NPA has provided information technology equipment, training in the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA), and other management training including for quality assurance. NPA has also provided training in explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) levels one and two as well as a manual demining training course.[22]

The GICHD provides support to the SSMAA, UNMAS South Sudan, and other mine action actors in South Sudan in the field of strategic management, operations, and information management. The SSMAA has a seat on the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) Review Board.[23]

In February 2012, the SSMAA (with assistance from UNMACC, Cranfield University, James Madison University, and the GICHD) developed the South Sudan National Mine Action Strategic Plan for 2012–2016. The chairperson of the SSMAA, Jurkuch Barach Jurkuch, said the government of the Republic of South Sudan was committed to assuming full responsibility for mine action activities, but the government did “not have the financial and technical capacity to support its mine action program. UN agencies, development partners and international organizations will need to support the programme in providing technical and financial assistance.”[24] It is estimated it will cost US$204 million over five years to implement, most of which is expected to come from the UNMAS Voluntary Trust Fund (UN VTF) and from assessed peacekeeping funds.[25]

In April 2012, UNMACC and Mechem International opened an Explosive and Drug Detection System (MEDDS) facility using dogs in Juba. Ingemar Anderka, Operations Manager for Mechem, said the major challenge they faced was the re-mining of already cleared areas in Unity State and mined areas along the border with Sudan.[26]

Land Release

Mine action operations face major challenges in South Sudan. The state of the infrastructure, inaccessibility of large areas during the wet season in July, August, and September, and sporadic nationwide outbreaks of violence require good planning and flexibility from mine action operators.[27] Since the UN established a mine action program in South Sudan in 2004, 5,381 hazards have been cleared, released by survey, or canceled.[28]

Survey and clearance operations target highly impacted communities and are carried out by 50 mine clearance teams from DDG, G4S Ordnance Management (G4S OM), Mechem, MAG, MineTech International (MTI), NPA, The Development Initiative (TDI), and the only local organization in South Sudan, SIMAS.[29] Since 2004, South Sudan has been able to release 19.58km² of mined area and 27.47km² of battle area. During clearance operations, 25,904 antipersonnel mines and 4,312 antivehicle mines have been destroyed. UNMACC has also reported that 797,068 ERW have been destroyed during both mine and battle area clearance (BAC) since 2005.[30] UNMACC also reported that more than 1,000km² have been released through General Mine Action Assessment (GMAA) since 2004, with over 990km² released through survey in 2008 alone.[31]

Summary of Land Release 2004-2011[32]

Mine clearance in 2011

In 2011, South Sudan cleared 2.56km² of mined areas and found 1,213 antipersonnel mines and 1066 anti-tank mines. In 2011, operators found more mines during BAC than during mine clearance. In theory, however, and in accordance with the IMAS, BAC should be conducted on areas in which there exists no mine threat.

Mine clearance in 2011[33]

In January through July 2012, South Sudan closed records on 513 dangerous areas, mined areas, and suspected hazardous areas (SHAs) while identifying 107 new areas during the same period. It also cleared 2.5km² of mined area, released 300,000m² through technical survey, and canceled 7.4km² through non-technical survey. BAC was conducted on 2.08km² of land. [34]

Road verification and clearance

Road verification and clearance to support UNMISS and the delivery of humanitarian assistance, particularly food aid from the World Food Program (WFP), as well as to facilitate the return of internally displaced people and refugees, has been a mine action priority since 2005 when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed. As of May 2012, 3,531km of road had been verified and a further 17,070km assessed allowing South Sudan to open more than 20,000km of roads, including those connecting with Kenya and Uganda[35] and enabling the construction of schools, clinics and markets, and the start-up of agricultural projects.[36]

Compliance with Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty

In accordance with Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, South Sudan is required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 9 July 2021.

South Sudan expects to have surveyed and recorded all SHAs by the end of 2016 to facilitate the next strategic mine action planning phase.[37]

According to UNMAS, South Sudan faces major financial and security challenges in conducting clearance activities across South Sudan. UNMAS continues to provide substantial annual contributions through the UN VTF and assessed peacekeeping funds in order to assist the government of South Sudan to meet its Article 5 clearance deadline. The assessed peacekeeping budget in July–December 2011 was US$5.27 million,[38] and through June 2012 it is approximately US$28 million.[39] In the assessed budget from July 2012 to June 2013 (the UN assessed-budget year) UNMAS South Sudan received US$40.62 million.[40]

Battle area clearance in 2011

In 2011, 11 operators, including three battalions from UNMIS before its mandate ended in June 2011, conducted BAC. Large amounts of UXO were found in some relatively small areas. Additionally, while the Cambodian Military Demining Company conducted over 60% of all BAC, they found less than 2% of all mines and UXO found in 2011.

Battle Area Clearance, by operator, in 2011[41]

Quality management

Quality management (QM) in South Sudan includes the development and annual review of National Technical Standards and Guidelines (NTSG), annual accreditation of all clearance organizations, task site monitoring, external quality assurance (QA) and monitoring of organizations’ internal QM systems.[42]

SSMAA participates in QA of all tasks from start-up to completion in all 10 states in South Sudan. It is responsible for the development and review of the NTSG.[43]

Safety of demining personnel

There were no incidents during demining in 2011.[44]

Risk Education

Risk education (RE) is targeted to at-risk populations such as internally displaced persons and refugees. The South Sudan Mine Action Authority (SSMAA) claims to have delivered RE to more than 1.3 million people or one in seven of the estimated eight million people in South Sudan since 2004.[45]

Both national and international NGOs are actively involved in RE, though several national NGOs have limited coverage due to a small funding pool available to them.

National NGOs

Operation Save Innocent Lives (OSIL) is based in Yei, covering Yei, Morobo, and Lainya counties. One team accompanies a MAG clearance team in Eastern Equatoria State. The SIMAS, based in Juba, is funded by UNICEF to conduct RE in Central Equatoria and East Equatoria states. Operation Landmine Action and Victims Support (OLAVS) delivers RE in Yei County but has very limited coverage due to the lack of funding. Christian Recovery and Development Agency (CRADA), based in Akobo and supported by UNICEF, also has very limited capacity because of funding. Unity and Cultural Development Centre (UCDC), based in Wau and supported by UNICEF, similarly claims very limited coverage as a result of a low level of funding.[46]

International NGOs

MAG has nine RE teams, based in Juba and Yei, which cover the three Equatoria states (Central, Eastern, and Western) and Jonglei state.[47] In addition to delivering RE to mine-affected communities and returnees in the Greater Equatoria region, MAG also provides RE to development and humanitarian NGOs and UN agencies in South Sudan.[48] DDG has five RE teams, based in Juba, which cover Northern Bahr el-Ghazal state and Central and Eastern Equatoria states.[49]

Since August 2011, Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR Japan) has been providing RE in Kosti, White Nile state, for returnees from Sudan. AAR Japan distributes brochures and notebooks on how to avoid mines and UXOs.[50]

In May 2012, UNICEF and HI launched an appeal for two RE projects totaling more than US$1.46 million.[51] It is planned to mainstream RE into the school curriculum and other programs under the Ministry of Education by the end of 2016 at a projected cost of US$1 million.[52]

 

Casualties Overview

In 2011, the Monitor identified 206 mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW) casualties in South Sudan.[1] The age or sex was not reported for the majority of the casualties identified, making it difficult to determine incidence rates and trends. Among civilian casualties for which the age was known, 39% were children (16 of 41), most of whom were boys. At least 12 casualties were women. There was one casualty among deminers: a female deminer was killed by an antivehicle mine in the Equatoria region.

Casualties were recorded in eight of South Sudan’s 10 states in 2011, with the majority (167 of 206) in Unity state.[2] Unity state borders Sudan and was within the region where new mines were laid by non-state armed actors.[3] For most casualties, the civilian or military status was unknown (122 of 206). Civilians accounted for 58% of those casualties for which this status was known. Of the 35 military casualties, 32 occurred in Unity state.

The 206 casualties identified in 2011 were more than double the 93 casualties recorded for 2010.[4] The increase was attributed to the evacuation of people caught in conflicts in South Kordofan state and Abyei in Sudan into South Sudan and the laying of new mines near South Sudan’s northern border.[5]

There were at least 4,791 casualties (1,340 killed; 3,451 injured) in South Sudan for the period from 1964 to December 2011.[6] Of the total for which the sex was recorded, 3,378 or 71% were male and 666 were female;[7] when the sex among the injured was known, 2,542 survivors were male and 470 were female. There were 599 child casualties, or 21% of all casualties for the cases in which the age was known.

Cluster munition casualties

The UN Mine Action Coordination Centre–South Sudan (UNMACC) reported 65 casualties from cluster submunitions in South Sudan, all of which occurred in 2009 or before.[8] Another 16 casualties which occurred during cluster munition strikes in South Sudan have been reported.[9]

Victim Assistance

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

As of the end of 2011, 3,451 mine/ERW survivors were identified in South Sudan.[10] The Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare (MGCSW) estimated that there were a total of some 50,000 mine/ERW victims, including survivors, their families, and the families of people killed.[11]

Victim assistance since 1999[12]

As a result of decades of conflict, throughout the period mine/ERW survivors in South Sudan lacked access to basic services of all kinds. The limited services available were almost entirely provided by international organizations. Through to the end of 2011, emergency medical care was inadequate to address the needs of mine/ERW survivors and others wounded as a result of the armed conflict. Ongoing medical care reached just a fraction of the population.

There were some improvements in the availability of physical rehabilitation for mine/ERW during the period. In 1999, South Sudan had just one physical rehabilitation center, in the capital Juba. In 2003, Medical Care Development International (MCDI) began developing an additional rehabilitation center at the Rumbek Regional Hospital. By the end of 2010, MCDI had transferred full management of the center to the regional government. In 2008, the ICRC introduced a physical rehabilitation training program at the Juba rehabilitation center and by 2009 it had been upgraded to a Rehabilitation Referral Center.

From 1999, there were little to no economic inclusion initiatives for mine survivors, a situation that improved somewhat with increased international funding for victim assistance from 2007-2011. These programs were implemented by national organizations, including disabled persons’ organizations (DPOs), and coordinated by the South Sudan Demining Authority (SSDA) with support from the United Nations Mine Action Office (UNMAO), and later the UN Mine Action Coordination Centre – South Sudan (UNMACC), within the framework of the National Victim Assistance Strategic Framework 2007–2011. However, these programs were insufficient to address the need. Psychological support for mine/ERW survivors was entirely absent in South Sudan.

Victim assistance in 2011

As in previous years, long distances, the lack of a transportation system, the cost of transport when it existed, and the increasingly difficult security situation made access to all victim assistance services difficult for the majority of survivors, who were based outside of Juba.[13] Services were very limited in comparison with the level of need and most were provided by international organizations.[14] Already inadequate medical and rehabilitation services and infrastructure struggled to address the increased need during the year as refugees returned from Sudan and the number of new landmine/ERW survivors in South Sudan increased.

In early 2012, the government of South Sudan approved the South Sudan National Mine Action Strategic Plan 2012-2016, which included victim assistance.

Assessing victim assistance needs

No comprehensive victim assistance needs assessment was undertaken in 2011.[15] In early 2012, MGCSW carried out a pilot disability survey in the cities of Wau, Torit and Bor with technical support from Handicap International (HI) and funding from UNMACC.[16] Data collected was to be used in developing a national disability policy by the end of 2012.[17] Previously, needs assessments had been carried out in specific areas of the country by the South Sudan Demining Authority (SSDA) and the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare (MGCSW), with support from the UNMACC and by the South Sudan Disabled Persons Association (SSDPA). Data was collected in Juba and in Upper Nile state in October and November 2010 were included in the national casualty database, maintained by UNMACC.[18] The SSDA needs assessment in Juba collected data on 238 survivors. The SSDPA collected data on 1,188 survivors in Upper Nile state.[19]

Victim assistance coordination[20]

In 2011, the Victim Assistance Working Group continued to hold monthly meetings, chaired by the MGCSW, co-chaired by the SSDA and facilitated by UNMACC.[21] Participants included government ministries, DPOs, NGO service providers, and other stakeholders. The meetings provided a forum to share information about victim assistance activities implemented during the month.[22]

There were also several meetings organized during 2011 to prepare the South Sudan National Mine Action Strategic Plan 2012-2016.[23] The Strategic Plan, finalized in February 2012, includes victim assistance and was developed to address the impact of landmines and all kinds of ERW, including cluster submunitions.[24]

In 2011, MGCSW began to develop a national disability policy for South Sudan. Consultations were held with ministries, including representatives of the Ministry of Social Development from each of South Sudan’s 10 states, and with DPOs to provide input to a draft policy. These meetings were also used to lay the groundwork for the signing and ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).[25] As of the end of 2011, the national disability policy was still being developed; it was expected to be finalized by the end of 2012.[26]

Prior to July 2011, South Sudan was not yet an independent country and thus updates on progress and challenges in implementing victim assistance in the region of South Sudan were included in the statement made by Sudan at the Mine Ban Treaty intersessional meetings in Geneva in June 2011.[27] In addition, an informal statement prepared by South Sudan was distributed at the Mine Ban Treaty intersessional meetings in Geneva in June 2011.[28] South Sudan made a general statement at the Eleventh Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in December 2011 that included limited information on mine/ERW casualties and victim assistance.[29] South Sudan did not make a statement at the Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration in May 2012. As of 1 July 2012, South Sudan had not submitted its initial Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report, due January 2012.

Inclusion and participation in victim assistance

Persons with disabilities and their representative organizations were included in the Victim Assistance Working Group and in the process to develop a national disability policy. In 2011, there were no associations of mine/ERW survivors in South Sudan and it was reported that funding was needed to develop such associations and to strengthen the capacity of existing DPOs.[30] DPOs were involved in implementing survivors’ needs assessments, in income-generating activities and in providing basic health services.[31]

Service accessibility and effectiveness

Victim assistance activities[32]

In 2011 and into 2012, hospitals throughout the country and particularly in Unity state “struggled to cope” with the influx of wounded patients, most of whom had weapons-related injuries.[33] Armed violence and the laying of new landmines near the northern border of South Sudan limited the ability of humanitarian organizations to reach vulnerable populations, including mine/ERW survivors.[34] During the year, the ICRC worked to improve emergency care through training in first-aid and war surgery skills, distributing needed materials, and continuing to support a mobile surgical team as part of its staff.[35]

South Sudan’s public health system was “on the brink of collapse” in 2011.[36] It was estimated that medical facilities were available to just 25% of the population. Most care was provided by local and international NGOs. With the return of refugees in 2011, demand for these services increased and the quality deteriorated.[37] Several international organizations working with mine/ERW survivors assisted survivors in accessing these services alongside other program activities.[38]

As in previous years, transportation to either of the two physical rehabilitation centers proved the greatest obstacle to accessing services for survivors. Survivors in very remote areas were generally unaware that rehabilitation services existed or how to access them.[39] Access was further hindered by increasing levels of violence.[40] The ICRC-supported rehabilitation center in Juba provided prosthetics to more mine/ERW survivors than it had in 2010. Through a new partnership with the NGO Motivation, the ICRC increased the availability and improved the quality of wheelchairs provided through the Juba center.[41]

Psychological support and social inclusion initiatives, including peer-to-peer support, were very limited in 2011. Disabled veterans of war were given preference for inclusion in social programs. In early 2012, HI introduced a new psychological support component to its victim assistance activities.[42]

Local NGOs implemented some economic inclusion projects targeting survivors, focused on vocational training and income-generating activities, coordinated through UNMACC.[43] However, this was insufficient compared to the needs of mine/ERW survivors.[44]

South Sudan lacked laws and policies to protect the rights of persons with disabilities, including mine/ERW survivors.[45] As of 2011, the government had made no efforts to make buildings accessible to persons with disabilities.[46] Joining the CRPD was a priority for the MGCSW and other members of the Victim Assistance Working Group following the independence of South Sudan.[47]

As of 1 June 2012 South Sudan had not signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.