Contamination and Impact

Overall Mine Action Performance: VERY POOR[1]

The Republic of Niger is affected by both antivehicle and antipersonnel mines. Mine contamination is known to exist especially in the Agadez region in the north of the country, where the army has been fighting the non-state armed group Niger Justice Movement (Mouvement des Nigériens pour la Justice, MNJ) and some splinter factions.

Between 2002 and 2006, Niger consistently reported the existence of known and suspected mined areas in the country as a result of the armed rebellion in 1990–2000.[2] However, at the Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee meetings in 2008, Niger declared that no areas on its territory were suspected to contain antipersonnel mines, adding it had evidence only of the presence of antivehicle mines.[3]

In May 2012, more than two years after the expiry of its Article 5 clearance deadline, Niger reported to States Parties that it was contaminated with antipersonnel mines in at least one area.[4] The minefield, located in Madama military post in the Agadez region, was identified during an “assessment mission” conducted in June 2011 and covers some 2,400m².[5] The minefield is in a remote desert area, 450km from the rural community of Dirhou, and as of April 2014 no mine incident involving humans had been reported in this area.[6]

Niger has also reported a further five suspected mined areas in the Agadez region, in the localities of Achouloulouma, Blaka, Enneri, Orida, and Zouzoudinga.[7] In April 2014 at the Standing Committee meetings, Niger informed States Parties that a non-technical survey (NTS) had been conducted of all five areas.[8] The results concluded that the areas did not contain antipersonnel mines, though antivehicle mines are suspected to be present.[9] Niger noted that the areas contain wells and water sources.[10]

In its Article 5 deadline extension request, Niger also indicated that the National Commission for the Collection and Control of Illicit Weapons (Commission Nationale Pour la Collecte et le Contrôle des Armes Illicites, CNCCAI) had identified other suspected areas consisting of “roads and paths.”[11] In April 2014, Niger informed the Monitor that these areas were only contaminated with antivehicle mines.[12]

Between 1999 and the end of 2012, the Monitor identified a total of 383 mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW) casualties, of whom 103 were killed and a further 280 injured. The CNCAAI reported a total of 400 casualties as of April 2014.[13]

Mine Action Program

Mine action is under the authority of the CNCCAI, which reports directly to the president. In 2008, a working group on mine action was established. All demining activities are carried out by the Nigerien army.

In April 2014, Niger declared that the Danish Demining Group was interested in establishing a partnership to improve Niger’s information management capacity and ensure quality control.[14]

Strategic planning

Niger’s extension request included a work plan for 2014–15 requiring clearance of Madama mined area, the conduct of a technical survey in the northern Kawar region, and the verification of other suspected mined areas. It foresaw expenditure of US$800,000, including $295,000 on demining operations, $200,000 on purchase of equipment, and $137,000 on capacity building.[15] The work plan expected that technical survey and the preparation for demining operations would be carried out in 2014, whereas actual demining would only start in 2015.[16] Technical survey started in Madama in April 2014.[17]

Transparency

Niger submitted its initial Article 7 transparency report in 2002, but has since failed to provide updated information systematically on an annual basis. Niger’s most recent Article 7 report is from 2012, covering January 2009 to December 2011.

Land Release

In May 2013, the CNCCAI reported having conducted survey and clearance on “several hundred kilometers” of road but gave no details.[18]

In April 2014, at the Standing Committee meeting on mine clearance, Niger reported that the five areas where the presence of antipersonnel mines was previously suspected are only contaminated by antivehicle mines.[19]

Article 5 Compliance

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty (and in accordance with the two-year extension granted by States Parties in 2013), Niger is required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible but not later than 1 January 2016.

In granting the two-year extension, States Parties expressed regret at the delay between the discovery of contamination and the beginning of demining. States Parties requested that Niger provide information on the source of the contamination, and details of methods used to identify the areas known and suspected to contain antipersonnel mines.

In 2011, after the expiry of its original deadline to implement Article 5, Niger identified one previously unknown mined area and five suspected mined areas. In July 2013, Niger noted that desert environment, insecurity, and lack of funding may challenge the implementation of its work plan.[20]

In April 2014, Niger called on technical and financial partners to provide support so it may meet its obligations under the Mine Ban Treaty.[21] However, with only one small mined area to clear, Niger should be able to fulfil its Article 5 obligations in a very short period of time without the need for outside assistance.

Support for Mine Action

The government of Niger funded all mine action activities carried out in 2013.[22] The amount of this support has not been disclosed.

In its extension request, Niger indicated it would contribute to funding its two-year work plan with a financial contribution of $250,000, meaning that more than $500,000 remained to be acquired for its desired budget. As of April 2014, Niger was still lacking the funds to implement its work plan.[23]

Recommendations

·         As soon as technical survey is completed in Madama, Niger should complete clearance of its sole, small mined area without further delay.