Policy

Nagorno-Karabakh is not recognized by any UN member state. Prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the parliament of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Province voted in 1988 to secede from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) and join the Armenian SSR, which resulted in armed conflict from 1988 to 1994. The region declared independence as the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in 1991.

Authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh have not taken any unilateral steps to ban antipersonnel mines. Nagorno-Karabakh’s political and military leaders have stated their support for an eventual ban on antipersonnel mines but have indicated that, even if eligible to do so, Nagorno-Karabakh would not join the Mine Ban Treaty until the conflict with Azerbaijan is resolved and all states in the region support a ban on antipersonnel mines.[1]

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

Nagorno-Karabakh has stated that it has never produced or exported mines, and has not purchased new mines since 1995. Its antipersonnel mine stockpile consists of mines left over from the Soviet Union (OZM-72, PMN-2, and POMZ-2 mines).

In July 2013, Nagorno-Karabakh’s military chief, General Movses Hakobian, was reported by the media to state that “his forces have placed more anti-personnel landmines this year along the Armenian-Azerbaijani ‘line of contact’ east and north of the disputed territory.”[2] General Hakobian said the use was aimed at preventing sabotage attacks by Azerbaijani troops.

In a 4 September 2013 response to a letter by the ICBL to authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh seeking clarification, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nagorno-Karabakh did not deny the allegations and confirmed that “due to the ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan…today we are not in a position to refrain from using AP [antipersonnel] mines for defensive purposes along the line of contact.” He also wrote, “these mines are neither aimed at the civilian population nor at the extermination of the adversary but for limiting its advances and ceasing any possible military aggression against us.”[3]

Background

Prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Parliament of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Province voted in 1988 to secede from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) and join the Armenian SSR, which resulted in armed conflict from 1988 to 1994. The region declared independence as the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in 1991. Nagorno-Karabakh is not recognized by any UN member state and thus is not eligible to adhere formally to international instruments such as the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Policy

In the government’s last comment on the matter in May 2012, acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Vasiliy Atajanyan acknowledged that “the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is not in a position to join the Convention, in view of the fact the conflict with Azerbaijan is not yet resolved.” Atajanyan declared the government’s support for the ban on cluster munitions: “Realizing what a deadly [sic] to civilians are cluster munitions, and assuming that the suffering of civilians caused by cluster munitions outweigh the potential military benefits of using this weapon, the authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic fully support the Convention on Cluster Munitions.”[1] Atajanyan also stated that “the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic does not produce, export, stockpile or use cluster munitions and does not intend to do so.”

Cluster munition remnants including submunitions have been identified in Nagorno-Karabakh from the 1988 to 1994 conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the territory. Large quantities of air-dropped cluster munitions were used over the six-year period.

Contamination and Impact

All regions of Nagorno-Karabakh have been affected by mines, unexploded submunitions, and other explosive remnants of war (ERW) as a result of the 1988–1994 conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. A feature of the conflict was the extensive use of antivehicle mines, but antipersonnel mines were also used.[1]

Mines

As of September 2013, the remaining mined area was 1.6km² (down from 50km² in 2000), of which 0.88km² across 34 different areas contained antipersonnel mines and 0.73km² across 15 different areas contained antivehicle mines. Around 70% of the remaining contamination—consisting mainly of antivehicle mines—is in areas occupied by the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Forces outside Soviet-era boundaries.[2] HALO Trust has operated in these areas since the beginning of its presence in Nagorno-Karabakh but, in recent years, HALO’s activities have been reduced due to difficulties in attracting funds to operate in these areas.[3]

New contamination was added in 2013. In July, Nagorno-Karabakh’s military chief, General Movses Hakobian, was reported as stating that “his forces have placed more anti-personnel landmines this year along the Armenian-Azerbaijani ‘line of contact’ east and north of the disputed territory.”[4] General Hakobian said the use was aimed at preventing sabotage attacks by Azerbaijani troops.[5]

On 4 September 2013, in response to a letter by the ICBL to authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh seeking clarification, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nagorno-Karabakh did not deny that mines had been used. He stated that “due to the ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan…today we are not in a position to refrain from using AP [antipersonnel] mines for defensive purposes along the line of contact.” He noted further that “these mines are neither aimed at the civilian population nor at the extermination of the adversary but for limiting its advances and ceasing any possible military aggression against us.”[6]

Cluster munitions contamination

Nagorno-Karabakh has significant cluster munition contamination, particularly in the Askeran, Martuni, and Martakert regions, where more than 75% of the remaining cluster munition remnants are located. Large quantities of cluster munitions were dropped from the air during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 1988–1994. As of September 2013, HALO reported a total of 79 known cluster munition strikes covering an area of 39.5km².[7]

Since 1995, HALO has recorded 268 mine/ERW incidents resulting in some 330 casualties, including 73 killed.[8]

Mine Action Program

A mine action coordination committee is primarily responsible for liaising between the de facto government and HALO.[9] In 2000, HALO established the Nagorno-Karabakh Mine Action Center which consolidates all mine action-related information and responds to requests from the de facto government ministries, other NGOs, and local communities.[10]

In 1995 and 1996, HALO trained local Karabakhi personnel in demining and left national staff to manage operations. In 1999, HALO returned to find the program had very significant failures, including many accidents and a breakdown of management.[11] Since 2000, HALO has been the sole organization conducting demining in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Strategic planning

A 2013 demining needs assessment by the United States (US) Agency for International Development (USAID) concluded that HALO needed to seek and secure additional support and funding to continue its demining operations in Nagorno-Karabakh.[12] In October 2013, HALO obtained a grant of US$5 million from USAID for the next two and a half years.[13]

According to HALO, full clearance of minefields in Soviet-era Nagorno-Karabakh can be achieved within the next three years if sufficient funding is available.[14] It said that clearance of all Nagorno-Karabakh-controlled territory (outside Soviet-era boundaries) would take much longer unless significant additional funding is provided.[15]

In 2014, HALO aimed to clear some 0.35km² of land contaminated with antipersonnel mines, 0.3km² contaminated with antivehicle mines, and 17km² of battle area.[16]

Land Release

Mine clearance in 2013

In 2013, HALO cleared 0.31km² of mined land in 11 contaminated areas containing both antipersonnel and antivehicle mines. A further 37,000m² of mined area was released by mechanical demining.[17] HALO also surveyed two areas totaling 47,000m² that were contaminated with antipersonnel mines and seven areas contaminated with antivehicle mines, totaling 0.81km² of land.

In 2008–2010, HALO cleared an average of between 5km² and 6km² of mined areas annually and averaged over 30km² of battle area clearance. In 2011, however, the United Kingdom (UK) interrupted its funding of the program and HALO lost 37% of its capacity; consequently, clearance rates have declined year on year.[18] In 2012, HALO cleared 1km² of contaminated land.[19]

Battle area clearance in 2013

In 2013, 4.65km² of cluster munition contaminated area was cleared through surface battle area clearance (BAC) and 37 unexploded submunitions were destroyed. HALO also conducted survey of five BAC sites in 2013 totaling 2.5km² of area.[20]

Five-year summary of land release 2009–2013

Note: UXO = Unexploded ordinance

Support for Mine Action

In 2013, HALO received US$2 million of international funding for its activities in Nagorno-Karabakh: US$1.85 million from USAID; US$131,421 from the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO); and US$15,000 of private donation.[21]

For 2014, HALO applied for funding from the FCO for an additional clearance team from April.[22]

Five-year summary of international funding 2009–2013 (US$ million)

Casualties Overview

HALO Trust reported three casualties in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2013. All casualties were male; one was a boy.[1] HALO reported five casualties in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2012.[2]

HALO collected information on 342 mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW casualties (of which 74 people were killed) in 260 incidents in Nagorno-Karabakh between 1995 and the end of 2013. Over a quarter of the total recorded casualties (90) were children, mostly boys. Most casualties were civilians; 37 were military and another nine were deminers. After 2002, antivehicle mines caused the majority of annual mine/ERW incidents.[3]

In 2013, the ICRC visited and collected data of mine/ERW victims. The data contains information on the accident, casualties, and health, social, psychological, and economic needs of 615 “victims” who were directly visited by the ICRC staff.[4]

Cluster munition casualties

Unexploded submunitions caused at least 16 casualties between 1995 and 2013.[5]

Victim Assistance

In Nagorno-Karabakh, at least 268 people have been injured by mines and ERW, including cluster munition remnants, in addition to an unknown number of war veterans injured by mines during the conflict.[6] There is no specific victim assistance coordination body, plan, or focal point. Mine/ERW survivors received the same services as other persons with disabilities.[7] The ministry of social welfare is responsible for coordinating and providing prosthetic, psychosocial, and employment services for persons with disabilities, including mine/ERW survivors.[8]

In 2013, the ICRC directly supported income-generating projects for 124 mine/ERW victims.[9] Grants enabled 42 households (about 200 people) to boost their livelihoods and self-sufficiency. Five families improved their living conditions through home repairs. Some 290 elderly or disabled people and their families (815 people in total) benefited from three distributions of food parcels and hygiene kits.[10]

In 2012, the Armenia office of the United States Aid for International Development (USAID) provided US$940,000 to HALO Trust for mine clearance in Nagorno-Karabakh.[1]

Despite HALO’s report that there were 143 confirmed mined areas covering 7km² and 241 cluster strike locations covering 88km² remaining to be cleared as of 31 December 2012, funding has declined 65% since 2008 and 38% from 2011.[2]

Summary of contributions: 2008–2012[3]