South Sudan
Mine Action
Contamination and Impact
On 9 January 2011, 99% of those polled in South Sudan voted in favor of independence.[1] As a result of this referendum, South Sudan formally declared its independence on 9 July 2011 becoming the world’s 196th State. Based on data from December 2010, the 11 states that comprise South Sudan contain 830 hazardous areas (HAs), of which 567 are dangerous areas (DAs),[2] 68 are confirmed mined areas, and 195 are suspected hazardous areas (SHAs).
Contamination in the 10 states that comprise South Sudan as of December 2010[3]
|
State |
No. of HAs |
No. of DAs |
No. of mined areas |
No. of SHAs |
|
Central Equatoria |
380 |
255 |
10 |
115 |
|
East Equatoria |
120 |
85 |
28 |
7 |
|
Upper Nile |
106 |
56 |
23 |
27 |
|
Jonglei |
89 |
62 |
6 |
21 |
|
West Equatoria |
63 |
46 |
0 |
17 |
|
West Bahr El Ghazal |
31 |
27 |
0 |
4 |
|
Northern Bahr El Ghazal |
14 |
12 |
1 |
1 |
|
Warrab |
11 |
11 |
0 |
0 |
|
Lakes |
11 |
10 |
0 |
1 |
|
Unity |
5 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
|
Total |
830 |
567 |
68 |
195 |
|
Percentage of total |
|
68 |
8 |
24 |
Mines
Contamination across mined areas in South Sudan includes both antipersonnel and antivehicle mines. Since the referendum, armed violence has increased in South Sudan and new use of mines has been reported, including 16 incidents of explosions of antipersonnel and antivehicle mines from mid-November 2010 to mid-May 2011 in Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile states. According to Tim Horner, the director of the UN Mine Action Office (UNMAO) in South Sudan, the evidence indicates that rebel militia groups are laying mines.[4]
Sudan’s Mine Action Sector Multi Year Plan 2010–2014, based on data in 2010, assumes that 750 new DAs will be identified over the five-year period and that from these new DAs approximately 106 will be confirmed as mined areas. During the Landmine Impact Survey, large parts of Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile states were inaccessible because of security, marshlands, or inclement weather.[5]
Cluster munition remnants
Since 2006, 519 sites containing cluster munition remnants have been identified in six states in South Sudan. As of June 2011, 34 sites were still open, of which 28 (more than 80%) are in Central and Eastern Equatoria states.[6]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.[7]
No. of cluster munition contaminated areas in South Sudan as of June 2011[8]
|
State |
Open |
Closed |
Total |
|
Central Equatoria |
16 |
82 |
98 |
|
East Equatoria |
12 |
278 |
290 |
|
West Equatoria |
2 |
27 |
29 |
|
Warrab |
2 |
1 |
3 |
|
Jonglei |
2 |
1 |
3 |
|
Lakes |
0 |
12 |
12 |
|
Blue Nile |
0 |
9 |
9 |
|
West Bahr El Ghazal |
0 |
4 |
4 |
|
North Bahr El Ghazal |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Totals |
34 |
415 |
449 |
Mine Action Program
Key institutions and operators
|
Body |
Situation on 1 January 2011 |
|
National Mine Action Authority |
None |
|
Mine action center |
Southern Sudan Demining Authority |
|
International demining operators |
Four NGOs: DanChurchAid (DCA), Danish Demining Group (DDG), Mines Advisory Group (MAG), and Norwegian People’s Aid Six commercial companies: ArmorGroup, MECHEM, MineTech International, Minewolf, RONCO Consulting Corporation, and The Development Initiative |
|
National demining operators |
Sudan Integrated Mine Action Service (SIMAS) |
|
International risk education (RE) operators |
Association for Aid and Relief (Japan), The Association of Volunteers in International Service, DCA, DDG, Handicap International, and MAG |
|
National RE operators |
SIMAS, Nasir Community Development Agency, Malakal Mobile Theatre Team, Christian Recovery and Development Agency, Child Hope Restoration Mission, JASMAR Human Security Organization, Friends of Peace and Development Organization, Sibro Organization for Development, and Operation Save Innocent Lives |
The mine action structure in Sudan was to undergo major changes on 9 July 2011, especially in the north. The Government of South Sudan has requested that the UN Mine Action Service continue providing support after independence.[9]
[1] BBC, “South Sudan referendum: 99% vote for independence,” 30 January 2011, www.bbc.co.uk.
[2] A DA is defined by the mine action program as a SHA that has not yet been verified by UNMAO as a mined or battle area or an unexploded ordnance spot clearance task, including of cluster munition remnants.
[3] Sudan, Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form C, April 2011.
[4] Josh Kron, “Instability Is Worsening in Southern Sudan,” New York Times, 25 April 2011, www.nytimes.com; and Maggie Fick, “Landmines Return to Southern Sudan,” 6 June 2011, MediaWorks NZ, www.3news.co.nz.
[5] UNMAO, “Sudan Mine Action Sector, Multi Year Plan 2010–2014,” February 2011, pp. 40–41.
[6] Email from Mohamed Kabir, Chief Information Officer, UNMAO, 2 February 2011.
[7] The locations are based on a review of cluster munition sites in the UNMAO database by the Monitor.
[8] Email from Mohamed Kabir, UNMAO, 27 June 2011.
[9] Xinhua news agency, “UN ‘stands ready’ for technical rollover of UNMIS for south Sudan: peacekeeping chief,” People’s Daily Online, 1 June 2011, english.peopledaily.com.cn; and email from Tim Horner, UNMAO, Juba, 8 July 2011.