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]