Mine ban policy overview

Policy

Less than six months after becoming an independent state on 9 July 2011, 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 took effect for South Sudan on 9 July 2011, the date of state independence and succession.[1]

In December 2012, South Sudan reported that it is aware of its obligations under Article 9 of the Mine Ban Treaty to “take all appropriate legal, administrative and other measures, including the imposition of penal sanctions, to prevent and suppress” any prohibited activity. While no legal measures have been taken yet, South Sudan said it is “committed to doing so in the future and to reporting on these measures.”[2] In April 2013, South Sudan again reported that it is aware of its Article 9 obligation, but has not yet taken any legal measures.[3]

South Sudan submitted its initial Article 7 report for the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 2012, covering the period from 11 July 2011 to 1 September 2012.[4] It provided an updated Article 7 report in April 2013 for the period from September 2012–April 2013.

South Sudan participated in the Twelfth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Geneva in December 2012, where it made a general statement and spoke on mine clearance, victim assistance, and stockpile destruction. South Sudan attended the intersessional Standing Committee meetings held in Geneva in May 2013, where it spoke on compliance and stockpile destruction.

Production and transfer

In December 2012, South Sudan declared “There are not and never have been anti-personnel mine production facilities in South Sudan.”[5] There is no information available on past transfers.

Stockpiling and destruction

In accordance with the provisions of Article 4 of the Mine Ban Treaty, South Sudan must destroy any stockpiles of antipersonnel mines as soon as possible and no later than 9 July 2015.

Before independence, the southern-based rebel movement the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) stockpiled and used antipersonnel mines.[6]

In its December 2012 Article 7 report, South Sudan reported that it had destroyed 10,566 stockpiled antipersonnel mines and also reported the discovery of previously unknown stocks of antipersonnel mines in former camps of the Sudan Armed Forces, stating that it had discovered four PMN antipersonnel mines that would be destroyed. The report also listed 30 different types of antipersonnel mines that have been destroyed in the course of mine clearance operations.[7]

In its April 2013 Article 7 report, South Sudan declared that the government destroyed 6,000 stockpiled antipersonnel mines in March 2008 and no longer had a stockpile. The report did not mention the four newly-discovered mines declared in 2012.[8] The National Mine Action Authority (NMAA) issued a letter confirming that the previously reported statement made by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs at the Eleventh Meeting of the State Parties in 2012, regarding discovery of new stockpiles of antipersonnel mines, was made in error. Contrary to the statement made, the Deputy Minister had actually intended to convey to the international community that new mine fields had been discovered in the states of Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Unity.[9]

In November 2011, South Sudan stated that it is not retaining any antipersonnel mines for training.[10] This was confirmed in the December 2012 and April 2013 Article 7 reports.[11]

Use

During 2011, there were several incidents in which landmines were apparently laid in South Sudan, including in the states of Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile (see below); 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. In 2012, there were no new allegations of landmine use in South Sudan, but further allegations of new mine use were made in the first half of 2013.

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.[12] 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 (NSAG) in Sudan.[13] 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.[14] 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.[15] 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.”[16]

In 2011, the ICBL expressed concern at “alarming reports” of new landmine use by NSAGs in South Sudan.[17] 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.[18]

The NMAA conducted a fact-finding mission in June–July 2013 to engage with civil authorities in the states of Jonglei, Upper Nile, Unity, and Western Bahr El Ghazal. The NMAA engaged in discussions with the Governor and the Deputy Governor as well as the Sector and Division Commanders from the SPLA. Both the civil authorities as well as the SPLA denied allegations of being involved in new mine laying activities. However, the SPLA confirmed that new mines had indeed been laid by rebel forces in Unity state and also in Jonglei state in the areas of Khorflus and Khorwai. A formal report is being prepared by the NMAA to include findings from the fact-finding mission.[19]

Jonglei state use allegations

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.[20] In February 2011, SPLA spokesperson Philip Aguer told media that Athor’s forces were “planting land mines.”[21] According to the SPLA, “two army trucks were blown up by land mines near the town of Fangak in Jonglei state.”[22]

In July 2013, after a visit to Jonglei state, Refugees International issued a report that stated “multiple UN and NGO sources have…reported that members of the SPLA have been laying anti-personnel mines in civilian areas. However the UN Mine Action Service has been unable to conduct an investigation that would confirm this.”[23] Refugees International informed the ICBL that the mine use was in the Pibor in the southeast of Jonglei state in South Sudan.[24] The Small Arms Survey, a Swiss NGO, documented several seizures of mines in Jonglei state and Unity state in 2011.[25]

Unity state use allegations

In Unity state, there were several reports of antivehicle mine use in 2011, claiming multiple casualties including in May,[26] August,[27] September,[28] and October.[29] The Small Arms Survey documented newly-laid Chinese manufactured T-72 antivehicle mines, reportedly laid by the South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA) around Mayom, Unity state, on 29 October 2011, with the lot number 07-81-6902.[30] 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.[31] In December 2011, a 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.”[32]

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.”[33] 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.[34]

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.[35]

Upper Nile state use allegations

In June 2013, a resident in Sudan’s White Nile state told a South Sudan media outlet that “armed rebels” planted landmines in an area from Wadakona, a village in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state to the border with Sudan’s White Nile state. After a farmer died when his tractor hit a mine, the listener said, “People are now avoiding using vehicles for fear of landmines.”[36]

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.[37]

 

 

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

In May 2013, a representative of South Sudan informed a regional seminar that the government is committed to acceding to the Convention on Cluster Munitions “as soon as possible” and explained it has been unable to do so until now because of competing priorities.[1] In September 2011, South Sudan said “we do intend to join” the convention but also warned that there are “many pressing issues to address not least to capacity build all departments of government and the judiciary.”[2]

South Sudan attended the Third Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Oslo, Norway in September 2012 and intersessional meetings of the convention in Geneva in April 2013. South Sudan also participated in a regional seminar on the universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Lomé, Togo in May 2013, where it provided an update on its efforts to join the convention.

South Sudan acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty on 11 November 2011.[3]

Production, use, transfer, and stockpiling

The Monitor has no indication 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 munition remnants, indicating that the armed forces of Sudan sporadically used air-dropped cluster munitions in southern Sudan between 1995 and 2000.[6] The UN Mine Action Coordination Centre reported that in April 2013 there were 58 known dangerous areas containing unexploded submunitions in seven states: Central Equatoria, East Equatoria, West Equatoria, Upper Nile, West Bahr El Ghazal, Jonglei, and Unity.[7]

Cluster Munition Monitor 2012 reported two allegations of cluster munition use by the armed forces of Sudan in the first half of 2012 in Troji and Ongolo in Southern Kordofan, a state bordering South Sudan that has seen fighting between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army North (SPLM-N) and the Sudan Armed Forces since June 2011. A network of citizen journalists, Nuba Reports, reported that on 18 April 2013 at 10:20am two cluster bombs were dropped from aircraft on the village of Lado in Southern Kordofan. According to the report “some of the internal explosives in the cluster bombs did not explode” and were scattered in the village.[8] The Monitor has not been able to independently confirm this report.

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.”[9]

 

Contamination and Impact

On 9 July 2013, the Republic of South Sudan celebrated its second year as an independent country after decades of civil war that ended with a six-year Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). 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).

Vincent Lelei, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in South Sudan, said in July 2013 that clearing mines and destroying ERW was a top priority for South Sudan.[1] The OCHA Mid-Year Review of its $1 billion appeal described South Sudan in June 2013 as a fragile situation with fewer population displacements, better food security, improved security, and a weak economy.[2] At the same time, the 28 accidents from landmines and ERW reported in the first quarter of 2013 were five times more than reported for the same period in 2012.[3]

In 2012, South Sudan saw an increase in landmine/ERW threat levels in the northern border states of Upper Nile, Unity, and Southern Kordofan as well as in the disputed area of Abyei.[4] In May 2013, access to the Pochalla and Pibor areas in Jonglei State has been extremely limited because of the security situation. The National Mine Action Authority (NMAA) went on a fact-finding mission during June/July 2013 to engage with civil authorities in the states of Jonglei, Upper Nile, Unity, and Western Bahr El Ghazal. NMAA met with the Governor and Deputy Governor, as well as the Sector and Division Commanders from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). Both the civil authorities and the SPLA denied allegations they laid new mines. The SPLA, however, confirmed that new mines had indeed been laid by rebel forces in Unity state and in the areas of Khorflus and Khorwai in Jonglei state. The UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has been unable to independently verify the allegations due to access restrictions to the alleged sites.[5]

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. In September 2012, South Sudan reported there were 707 suspected hazardous areas (SHAs) remaining covering 159km².[6] UNMAS, in May 2013, reported there were approximately 660 known areas containing explosive threats.[7] However, as previously unknown hazards are continually being discovered, UNMAS expected the overall number of contaminated and cleared areas to increase.[8]

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 states of Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile, because some communities remain inaccessible due to poor security conditions and communications as well as flooding, making surveys difficult to conduct.[9]

Contamination in South Sudan as of April 2013[10]

* A “suspected hazardous area (SHA)” 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”[11]

** UXO = unexploded ordinance

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

Mines Found in South Sudan: 2004–2012[12]

Cluster munition remnants

Since 2006, 629 sites containing cluster munition remnants have been identified in all 10 states in South Sudan. By April 2013, UNMAS reported 58 known dangerous areas containing unexploded submunitions remained in seven states: Central Equatoria, East Equatoria, West Equatoria, Upper Nile, West Bahr El Ghazal, Jonglei, and Unity. 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.[13]

Cluster munition-contaminated areas in South Sudan as of April 2013[14]

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.[15] It has been replaced by the NMAA.

UN Security Council  Resolution 1996 of 8 July 2011 stipulates that UNMAS has the responsibility to support the government of South Sudan in conducting demining activities while strengthening the capacity of the NMAA. UNMAS, with the NMAA, 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.[16] As of May 2013, UNMAS was responsible for tasking, accreditation, and database management. The NMAA takes the lead on victim assistance and risk education.[17]More generally, UN Security Council Resolution 1996 authorized the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to support mine action through assessed peacekeeping funds.[18]

In 2011, fighting between Sudan and South Sudan over the disputed border area resulted in the complete destruction of the town of Abyei and surrounding villages, the displacement of over 100,000 people, and additional mine and UXO contamination.[19] In response, 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 (SPLA) or its successor from the Abyei area” just prior to South Sudan formally declaring its independence from Sudan in July 2011. UNISFA was 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, however, did not include a mandate for peacekeepers to conduct mine clearance operations as did the UN Mission in Sudan mandate that ended in July 2011.[20]In November 2012, UN Security Council Resolution 2075 expanded the UNMAS role to include identification and clearance of mines in the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone. UNMAS enables the work of the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM) along the 2,100km international border between South Sudan and Sudan. It also provides training to UN and national observers while facilitating access on the ground by assessing and clearing priority areas and routes.[21]In May 2013, the UN Security Council increased the number of peacekeepers in Abyei and noted concern in the resolution that a residual landmine and ERW problem in Abyei hampered the return of displaced people.[22]

As of May 2013, UNMAS functioned as the coordination body for mine action operations, and the NMAA mirrored the UNMAS structure with operational and programmatic support in Juba. The NMAA also had sub-office locations in Yei, Wau, and Malakal. It is planned that eventually the NMAA will take over the UNMAS coordination role.[23]

Austerity measures imposed by the government of South Sudan in July 2012 have impacted NMAA’s ability to operate.[24] As of May 2013, they did not have funds for clearance, risk education, or victim assistance projects.[25]

Since 2010, NPA has been a key partner in building the capacity of SSNMAA. Originally asked by UNDP to provide training and support to the SSDA (now the NMAA), NPA has provided information technology equipment, training in information management, 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.[26]

The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) provides support to the SSNMAA, UNMAS South Sudan, and other mine action actors in South Sudan in the field of strategic management, operations, and information management. The SSNMAA has a seat on the International Mine Action Standards Review Board.[27]

In February 2012, the SSNMAA (with assistance from UNMAS, Cranfield University, James Madison University, and the GICHD) developed the South Sudan National Mine Action Strategic Plan for 2012–2016. The chairperson of the SSNMAA, 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.”[28] South Sudan has received approximately US$20 million in international assistance in both 2011 and 2012 as well as $37 million in assessed peacekeeping funds in order to assist the government of South Sudan to meet its Article 5 clearance deadline.[29]

Land Release

In July 2013, UNMAS reported that since 2004 over 2,000km² of mine contaminated area had been released through survey and clearance in the states comprising South Sudan.[30]

Survey and clearance operations target highly impacted communities and are carried out by mine clearance teams from DDG, G4S OM, MAG, MTI, NPA, TDI, and the only local organization in South Sudan, SIMAS.[31] Since 2004, South Sudan has been able to clear 23.77km² of mined area and 30.32km² of battle area. During clearance operations, 25,904 antipersonnel mines and 4,312 antivehicle mines have been destroyed. The UN Mine Action Coordination Centre (UNMACC) has reported that 797,068 ERW have been destroyed during both mine and battle area clearance (BAC) since 2005.[32] UNMACC also reported that more than 1,000km² have been released through General Mine Action Assessment since 2004.[33]

Summary of Land Release: 2004–2012[34]

Mine clearance in 2012

In 2012, seven operators cleared a total of 4.19km² of mined areas, destroying 936 antipersonnel mines, 116 antitank mines, and 1,295 UXO.

Mine clearance: 2012[35]

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, as well as to facilitate the return of internally displaced people and refugees, has been a mine action priority since 2005 when the CPA was signed. UNMAS has prioritized clearance of major roads, some of which were still mined as of May 2013. There is less information available about the extent of the mine threat problem on the smaller roads at the county and payam (district) level. UNMAS planned to conduct further road surveys in 2013 after the rainy season.[36]

As of July 2013, over 3,000km of road had been verified and a further 20,000km assessed allowing South Sudan to open more than 20,000km of roads, including those connecting with Kenya and Uganda.[37] Route assessment and verification continued in 2013 as UNMAS identified routes in Eastern Equatoria state as a priority.[38]

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.[39]

According to UNMAS, South Sudan faces major financial and security challenges in conducting clearance activities across South Sudan. It is too early to know if South Sudan can meet its 2021 deadline.

Battle area clearance in 2012

In 2012, eight operators conducted BAC and cleared 2.85km². MTI cleared more battle area than the other seven operators combined.

Battle Area Clearance, by operator: 2012[40]

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.[41]

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.[42]

Safety of demining personnel

There were no incidents during demining in 2012.[43]

 

Casualties and Victim Assistance

Summary findings

·         The expansion of ICRC support for physical rehabilitation increased the availability of centers; but a decrease in trained personnel reduced production

·         The Republic of South Sudan made progress in integrating victim assistance and disability issues into 10 government ministries through the establishment of focal points

·         Victim assistance projects funded through the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and implemented by national and local organizations, including survivor associations, closed in June 2012; this significantly reduced economic inclusion opportunities for mine/ERW survivors and other persons with disabilities

Victim assistance commitments

South Sudan is responsible for a significant number of landmine survivors, cluster munition victims, and survivors of other explosive remnants of war (ERW) who are in need. South Sudan has made commitments to provide victim assistance through the Mine Ban Treaty.

Casualties Overview

In 2012, the Monitor identified 22 mine/ERW casualties in South Sudan.[1] All casualties were civilians; boys made up the single largest casualty group (6 or 27%). Children constituted 63% of all casualties for which the age was known (10 of 16).[2] At least two casualties were women. There were no casualties among deminers in 2012. One deminer casualty was recorded in 2011. Casualties were recorded in four of South Sudan’s 10 states in 2012, down from eight states in 2011.

The 22 casualties identified in 2012 were a significant decrease compared with the 206 identified in 2011.[3] The decrease was attributed to the reduced movement of displaced populations from the north into South Sudan in 2012 as compared with 2011, when there was a great deal of people movement. In addition, it was believed that not all incidents were reported or identified due to the poor communications infrastructure and the movement of populations within the country.[4]

There were at least 4,813 casualties (1,349 killed; 3,464 injured) in South Sudan for the period from 1964 to December 2012.[5] Of the total for which the sex was recorded, 3,390 (or 83%) were male and 668 were female;[6] when the sex among the injured was known, 2,548 survivors were male and 476 were female. There were 609 child casualties.

Cluster munition casualties

In 2012, 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.[7] Another 16 casualties which occurred during cluster munition strikes in South Sudan have been reported.[8] No casualties from cluster munitions have been identified after 2009.

Victim Assistance

As of the end of 2012, 3,464 mine/ERW survivors were identified in South Sudan.[9] In 2011, 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.[10]

Victim assistance since 1999[11]

As a result of decades of conflict, since 1999, 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 2012, 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) (later named the National Mine Action Authority, NMAA) with support from the United Nations Mine Action Office (UNMAO), and later the UNMACC, within the framework of the National Victim Assistance Strategic Framework 2007–2011. However, these programs were insufficient to address demand. Psychological support for mine/ERW survivors was entirely absent in South Sudan.

Victim assistance in 2012

As in previous years, a lack of transportation, insecurity, and poor road infrastructure proved the greatest obstacle to accessing all services for survivors. Services were very limited in comparison with the level of need and most were provided by international organizations. In June 2012, the government of South Sudan approved the South Sudan National Mine Action Strategic Plan 2012–2016, which included victim assistance. The Victim Assistance Coordination Group changed its name to the Victim Assistance and Disability Working Group and steps were taken to integrate victim assistance and disability into the work of all relevant government ministries.

Assessing victim assistance needs

Several surveys of survivors and needs were undertaken in 2012. In 2012, the 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 UNMAS.[12] Data collected was used in developing a national disability policy and was shared with relevant government authorities at the national and state level and with members of the Victim Assistance and Disability Working Group (VADWG).[13] The survey found that 53% of respondents had a physical impairment, 20% a visual impairment, 12% a hearing impairment, and 8.3% of respondents were identified as having mental illness.[14]

Also in 2012, the National Mine Action Authority (NMAA) assessed the needs of 238 mine/ERW survivors in Juba and found that 72% lacked prosthetics or mobility devices and adequate housing.[15]

Between December 2011 and June 2012, South Sudan Disabled Persons Association (SSDPA), with support from UNMAS, surveyed mine/ERW victims in Bentiu, Unity state and collected data on 1,466 victims who had not been registered prior to the survey.[16]

Previously, needs assessments had been carried out in other areas of the country by the NMAA and the MGCSW, with support from the UNMACC and by the SSDPA. Data collected in Juba and in Upper Nile state in October and November 2010 were included in the national casualty database, maintained by the UNMACC.[17] The SSDA needs assessment in Juba collected data on 238 survivors. The SSDPA collected data on 1,188 survivors in Upper Nile state.[18]

Victim assistance coordination[19]

In 2012, the name of the victim assistance coordination mechanism was changed from the Victim Assistance Working Group to the Victim Assistance and Disability Working Group in order to underscore that victim assistance included persons with disabilities and that there was no discrimination among persons with disabilities based on the cause.[20]

The VADWG continued to hold monthly meetings, chaired by the MGCSW and supported by the NMAA.[21] Participants included government ministries, DPOs, NGO service providers, and other stakeholders. Meetings were used to develop the victim assistance component of the Mine Action Strategic Plan 2012–2016, share information about activities implemented, and track progress in the implementation of the plan in the second half of the year. The VADWG also appointed focal points within government ministries and commissions to mainstream victim assistance and disability issues throughout government structures. By early 2013, 10 focal points had been appointed.[22]

In June 2012, the Mine Action Strategic Plan 2012–2016 was endorsed by the Office of the President.[23] It was developed through consultations with all members of the VADWG. The plan includes the following three victim assistance objectives:

·         Establish an information system for persons with disabilities to provide reliable, systematic and comprehensive information on persons with disabilities, including landmine and ERW victims, that is shared with relevant national authorities during regular coordination meetings with VA and rehabilitation partners;

·         Accede to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) by the end of 2013[24] and adopt the necessary national laws to protect the rights of landmine/ERW survivors and persons with disabilities;

·         Ensure equal access to rehabilitation, psychosocial (including peer support) and socio-economic inclusion services for all landmine and ERW victims, as well as women, girls, boys, and men with disabilities.[25]

The plan states the relevant partners and budget needed per objective and includes a monitoring and evaluation plan with indicators for each objective against which to measure progress. Sources of funding are not indicated.[26]

A national disability policy, started in 2011, was still under development by the MGCSW as of early 2013.[27]

South Sudan provided updates on progress and challenges for victim assistance at the Twelfth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Geneva in December 2012 and through the voluntary submission of a Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report for the period from July 2011–September 2012.[28] South Sudan did not make a statement at the Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration in May 2013.

Inclusion and participation in victim assistance

Mine/ERW survivors and other persons with disabilities and their representative organizations were included in the VADWG and in the process to develop the national mine action strategy and the national disability policy.[29] Representative organizations were consulted in the preparation of South Sudan’s Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report. No survivors have been included in a delegation of South Sudan to an international meeting but plans were in place to strengthen the capacity of survivor associations so that they might be in a position to participate effectively in the future.[30]

Survivor associations and DPOs were involved in assessing the needs of survivors and other persons with disabilities, as well as in income-generating activities, peer support, and in providing basic health services.[31]

Service accessibility and effectiveness

Victim assistance activities[32]

As in previous years, a lack of transportation, insecurity, and poor road infrastructure proved the greatest obstacles to accessing all services for survivors.[33] Several international organizations working with mine/ERW survivors assisted survivors in overcoming accessibility obstacles alongside other program activities.[34] Nearly all victim assistance projects supported through UNMAS were closed by the end of June 2012.[35]

Emergency and continuing medical care

In 2012, hospitals throughout the country and particularly in Unity state “struggled to cope” with the influx of wounded patients, most of whom had weapon-related injuries.[36] During the year, the ICRC worked to improve emergency care through training in first-aid and war surgery skills, distributing needed materials, and expanding the coverage of its emergency response.[37] Throughout 2012, the majority of South Sudan’s population continued to lack access to any form of healthcare and only one in four people had access to medical facilities, including those wounded by landmines/ERW and other conflict-related causes.[38]

Physical Rehabilitation including prosthetics

Increased support from the ICRC and the MGCSW for physical rehabilitation increased the availability of these services. In addition to continuing support to the national Rehabilitation Reference Center in Juba, the ICRC began providing materials and supplies to the government-run center in Rumbek. The ICRC also established a rehabilitation unit in Wau, in northwestern South Sudan, staffed by ICRC rehabilitation specialists, which operated one week of every month. However, the number of mine survivors receiving prosthetic services through ICRC-supported centers declined by almost 40% between 2011 and 2012.[39]

The MGCSW worked with the Italian NGO OCVI to increase services to children with disabilities, including landmine survivors, through the USURATUNA Center in Juba. However, these gains were somewhat offset by the loss of trained rehabilitation professionals who left their jobs, leaving the centers understaffed and causing declines in the production of prosthetics and mobility devices.[40]

Economic Inclusion

During the first half of 2012, several local NGOs (including survivor associations and DPOs) implemented economic inclusion projects targeting survivors that were focused on vocational training and income-generating activities and were coordinated through UNMAS.[41] UNMAS estimated that some 50% of the beneficiaries of victim assistance programs were persons with disabilities due to causes other than landmines and ERW.[42] By June 2012, all of these projects were closed because the funding available through UNMAS ended, significantly reducing economic inclusion opportunities for mine/ERW survivors.[43]

The South Sudan National Commission for War Disabled, Widows and Orphans slightly increased its capacity to provide training and income-generating support to those disabled due to the conflict.[44] However, this was insufficient compared to the needs of mine/ERW survivors.

Psychological support and social inclusion

Psychological support facilities were very limited in 2012.[45] In early 2012, HI introduced a new psychological support component to its victim assistance activities.[46] Some survivor associations and DPOs offered peer support to their members.[47]

The MGCSW worked to establish community-based rehabilitation with support from international organizations.[48]

A new school for children with disabilities was opened in 2012, but South Sudan lacked teachers trained to teach children with disabilities or to teach in an inclusive educational setting.[49]

Laws and Policies

South Sudan lacked laws and policies to protect the rights of persons with disabilities, including mine/ERW survivors.[50] Access to targeted victim-assistance programs coordinated through UNMAS was equal for all persons with disabilities regardless of the cause, including mine/ERW survivors and men and women had equal access to assistance.[51] There were special programs for disabled veterans, such as the Wounded Heroes program, and for others disabled by war, including programs through the National Commission for War Disabled, though a lack of government resources meant that all victims faced similar challenges in having their needs met.[52]

As of 2012, the government had made no efforts to make buildings accessible to persons with disabilities.[53] Joining the CRPD was a priority for members of the VADWG and was included as one of the three main objectives within the National Mine Action Strategy.[54]

As of 1 June 2013, South Sudan had not signed the CRPD.

 

After decades of civil war that ended with a six-year Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the Republic of South Sudan became a state on 9 July 2011.

In 2012, 10 donors contributed US$18.9 million for clearance and victim assistance.[1]

As part of Canada’s C$1,268,693 (US$1,269,328) it provided C$40,000 (US$40,020) to the Hunger Foundation while Finland provided €100,000 ($128,590) to the ICRC for victim assistance.[2]

The UN General Assembly appropriates annual mine action budgets for the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMISS) operating in South Sudan. In 2012, the assessed budget for UNMISS in South Sudan was $37.3 million.[3]

Combined with $18.9 million from international assistance, and $37.3 million from the peacekeeping assessed budget, the total budget in 2012 was $56.2 million, one of the largest in the world.

International contributions: 2012[4]

Summary of contributions: 2011–2012[5]