Contamination and Impact

Eritrea is affected by mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) dating back to World War II, but largely as the result of the country’s struggle for independence in 1962–1991 and its armed conflict with Ethiopia in 1998–2000.[1]

Mines

The remaining extent of mine contamination is not known with precision; although as described below it is estimated that 99km² of land remained contaminated as of March 2011. A Landmine Impact Survey (LIS), conducted in 2002–2004, concluded that 481 of 4,176 communities in Eritrea (11.5%) were seriously affected by mines and/or ERW. Contamination in 914 suspected hazardous areas (SHAs) was estimated to cover a total of 129km² of land, including the surveyed areas in the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) between Eritrea and Ethiopia.[2]

Eritrea uses the LIS results as the baseline for its mine problem.[3]The LIS survey teams did not have access to some 30 communities in the TSZ, as well as access to a further 140 communities across Eritrea.[4] In its last report on its operations in Eritrea, issued in January 2008, the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea Mine Action Coordination Center (UNMEE MACC) stated that while the LIS data and mine/ERW risk education (RE) teams contributed to the knowledge of the mine problem, the full extent of contamination in the TSZ cannot be known without a thorough survey.[5] UNMEE MACC estimated that mined areas cover 78km² in the TSZ and that SHAs cover a further 21.8km². Some, but not all, of these areas were identified as potentially contaminated during the LIS.[6]

On 31 March 2011, Eritrea requested an extension to its Article 5 deadline of three years to complete technical and non-technical surveys on the SHAs identified by the LIS before submitting an operational plan to meet its Article 5 obligations.[7] In its extension request, Eritrea reported complications with the mine action database, including global positioning system (GPS) coordinates that do not match the actual location of the SHAs; duplications of SHAs in the database; and, in some cases, overestimates of the problem by some international demining operators. These issues were being addressed as of March 2011, particularly with respect to the data provided by UNMEE MACC before their departure in 2008.[8]

In June 2011, Eritrea clarified the contaminated area in the TSZ in response to questions from the Analysing Group of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, claiming that all of the SHAs reported by UNMEE in the TSZ had been released.[9] The Eritrean Demining Authority (EDA) estimated in March 2011 that 673 SHAs remained from the 914 identified by the LIS, covering approximately 99km².[10]

No. of SHAs remaining by region, as of 31 March 2011

Key humanitarian challenges for the mine action program include freeing land for agricultural use to support food security, building social support systems for the most vulnerable population groups, and creating links to recovery, reconstruction, and the development of social and economic infrastructure.[11]

Cluster munition remnants

It is not known to what extent Eritrea has cluster munition remnants on its territory. Ethiopia and Eritrea both used cluster munitions in the 1998–2000 conflict between the two states[12] and Eritrean forces were heavily bombed in 1988–1990 during the struggle for independence, including with cluster munitions.[13] UNMEE MACC reported that in 2007, PTAB 2.5 and BL755 unexploded submunitions were found in Eritrea.[14]No further information is available.

Other explosive remnants of war

Eritrea remains contaminated with other ERW. In addition to SHAs, some of which contain ERW, the LIS found 113 unexploded ordnance (UXO)-contaminated sites requiring spot clearance.[15]The majority of UXO contamination is in the TSZ, where UNMEE MACC found ordnance primarily along the trench lines.[16] UNMEE MACC reported that in 2007, ERW were found in ammunition storage areas used in the 1998–2000 war. ERW have been located at Tio and Idi, in Sub-Sector East, and more recently, outside Massawa.[17] ERW in Eritrea may also include items dating back to the Italian invasion prior to World War II.[18]

Mine Action Program

Key institutions and operators

The EDA, established in July 2002, reports directly to the Office of the President and is responsible for policy development, regulation of mine action, implementation of mine clearance operations, and RE.[19]

In June 2008, Eritrea declared that, “to enable our objectives and achieve our vision by completing landmine clearance within the initially planned time frame our demand for financial and logistical support is crucial.”[20] Since its expulsion of international demining NGOs and its impounding of mine action program vehicles in 2005, Eritrea has largely been managing the mine action program on its own.[21] There has been no UNDP technical advisor since 2006, although other support to the program has been provided by UNDP.[22]

EDA priorities for 2011–2015 include:[23]

·         reduce the contaminated area through technical and non-technical survey by at least 50%;

·         clear the remaining high and medium-impact SHAs;

·         continue clearance of low-impact SHAs; and

·         continue mine/ERW RE activities.

Land Release

Eritrea begins its land release process by first contacting authorities in army engineer corps, the MRE [mine risk education] unit and the regional administrators in the Ministry of Defense. Community representatives are also contacted about past conflict in their area and questions are asked about the current impact of mines. Based on the information collected, EDA decides whether SHAs should be reduced in size, canceled altogether, or confirmed as a mined area.[24]

No. of SHAs and area released from the LIS, by region[25]

Lack of funding has limited the EDA to deploying only two of its 10 demining and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams, with support from UNDP.[26]

Five-year summary of land release[27]

Survey in 2010

EDA has discontinued technical survey due to lack of funding, but continues to conduct non-technical surveys on SHAs identified during the LIS. EDA assumes in its planning, based on non-technical survey results to date, that half of the remaining 673 SHAs and 99km² from the LIS will be reduced or cancelled by the end of 2012.[28]

Based on a pilot study with regional administrative bodies, community representatives, and UNICEF, non-technical survey is seen as an effective way of canceling some of the remaining SHAs. Survey teams recommend canceling a SHA after observing that the SHA was being used, people were walking in them, and there was no record of an incident since the LIS.[29]

Mine clearance in 2010

In 2010, the EDA cleared 111,000m² of contaminated land (see Table below), a similar figure to that achieved in 2009. The last significant clearance in Eritrea took place in 2006.

Mine clearance in 2010[30]

 As of the end of 2010, EDA mine clearance capacity consisted of 17 clearance teams with a total of 1,020 deminers but funding constraints has allowed for just two teams and 120 deminers to be operational.[31] EDA had originally planned to have five demining teams with 64 persons on each team and to add one team per year starting in 2011 to have eight teams by 2014. EDA also planned to have three five-strong survey teams, three EOD teams, and two quality assurance (QA) teams.[32]These plans have been postponed until 2012 due to the unavailability of additional funding.[33] International funding, which has consisted solely of approximately $110,000 annually from UNDP[34] each year since 2006, is critical to achieving the planned capacity.

Compliance with Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Eritrea is required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 February 2012. At the Second Review Conference, Eritrea said in the absence of significant international funding, it would take much longer than initially planned to clear all mined areas and that it would need to request an extension of its deadline to meet its treaty obligations.[35]

On 31 March 2011, Eritrea submitted a request for a three-year extension to its Article 5 deadline to complete non-technical and technical survey to cancel or confirm SHAs identified in the LIS. EDA planned to complete non-technical survey by the end of 2012 and the technical surveys, pending funding, by the end of 2014. After the EDA completes the surveys it will submit a second extension request that will include an operational plan to clear the remaining mined areas.[36] It cited the lack of funding, the amount of mine contamination to clear, a shortage of medical kits, and old metal detectors as the major reasons for not being able to meet its 1 February 2012 deadline.[37]

During the three-year proposed extension period, the EDA also plans to clear contamination from an unspecified number of high- and medium-impacted communities in zoba (region/province) Anseba, and sub-zobas (districts) Halhal and Gheleb.[38]Eritrea’s ability to access international funding will determine whether it can increase the number of demining teams and clear much more than the very small clearance it has achieved since 2007.

Eritrea’s extension request relies heavily on a level of international funding it has not seen since UNMEE departed the country in 2006 and the NGOs in 2004. Unless Eritrea allows international operators who can access donor funds to work in the country, it is difficult to see how Eritrea can meet its targets outlined in the extension request. Eritrea asserts that the EDA has sufficient capacity and that international operators are not needed.[39]

Battle area clearance in 2010

All EDA deminers are trained in EOD/battle area clearance (BAC) capacity. As of end 2010, EOD and BAC capacity consisted of 10 trained teams and 600 deminers, but funds were available to deploy only two teams.[40] In 2010, BAC totaled 350,000m² with the destruction of 1,917 items of UXO.[41]

Quality management

Clearance teams are tasked with quality assurance and quality control based on EDA standing operating procedures.[42]

Other Risk Reduction Measures

With UNICEF technical and financial support, 10 RE teams and 100 community volunteers target schools and IDPs through presentations in communities, school-based RE, training of trainers (including school teachers and community volunteers), radio broadcasts, distribution of materials, and displaying of billboards.[43]

UNICEF priorities for RE include support to the EDA to serve schools and vulnerable communities and gather data on mines, UXO, and victims. UNICEF also supports the Ministry of Education in integrating RE into primary schools.[44]