Contamination and Impact

Overall Mine Action Performance: POOR[1]

The State of Eritrea is affected by mines and explosive remnants of war dating back to World War II, but largely as the result of the struggle for independence in 1962–91 and its armed conflict with Ethiopia in 1998–2000.

Mines

Despite finding 49 previously unrecorded suspected hazardous areas (SHAs) in 2013 in five regions across an estimated area of 9km², Eritrea’s ongoing non-technical survey (NTS) has identified only 33.5km² of remaining mine contamination over 434 mined areas[2]—a two-thirds reduction on the last estimate of 99km² from June 2011[3] and significantly lower than the 129km² identified by the Landmine Impact Survey of 2004.[4]

SHAs by region (end 2013)[5]

Cluster munition remnants

It is not known to what extent Eritrea still has cluster munition remnants on its territory. Ethiopia and Eritrea both used cluster munitions in the 1998–2000 conflict between the two states,[6] and Eritrean forces were heavily bombed in 1988–90 during the struggle for independence, including with cluster munitions.[7] In the past, unexploded submunitions were found around Asmara airport, Badme, the ports of Assab and Massawa on the Red Sea coast, the Korokon internally displaced person (IDP) camp in Gash-Barka administrative sector, and the Adi Bare IDP camp in Shambiko.[8]

Other explosive remnants of war

Eritrea remains contaminated with other explosive remnants of war (ERW). The majority of unexploded ordnance (UXO) contamination is in the former Temporary Security Zone (TSZ), where the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) Mine Action Coordination Center (MACC) found ordnance primarily along the trench lines.[9] ERW in Eritrea may also include items dating back to the Italian invasion prior to World War II.[10] Eritrea has continued to find UXO during clearance operations, finding 283 in 2012.[11] There is currently no information for 2013.

Mine Action Program

The Eritrea mine action program is entirely nationally managed. The Eritrean Demining Authority (EDA), established in July 2002, is responsible for policy development, regulation of mine action, and implementation of mine clearance operations. The EDA reports directly to the Office of the President.

Demining is primarily conducted by the engineering units of the Eritrean defense forces under the supervision of EDA, which also carries out quality assurance and quality control in accordance with Eritrea’s National Mine Action Standards.[12] According to its second Article 5 deadline extension request, submitted in January 2014, Eritrea planned to deploy “at least” five demining teams during its second extension period, the same number as then deployed, but might increase the number if adequate financial and logistical support were found.[13] However, Eritrea’s demining units may be re-tasked toward infrastructure building such as construction of roads and dams “at any point.”[14] Following expulsion of international NGOs in 2005, Eritrea does not allow any international humanitarian demining operators to conduct survey or clearance in Eritrea.

Land Release

In its 2014 Article 5 deadline extension request, Eritrea reported that 67.3km² of contaminated area had been cancelled through NTS and 5.7km² was cleared in 38 mined areas in 2011–2013. If its request is granted, Eritrea has projected that up to 15.4km² of mined area could be cleared within five years.

Survey in 2013

In 2013, Eritrea reported that it had released 157 SHAs totaling 33.5km², leaving 385 mined areas of 25km² to be surveyed.[15] Forty-nine new mined areas were discovered in five of the country’s six regions during NTS in 2013 (the regions of Anseba, Debub, Gash Barka, Maakel, and Semienawi Keih Bahri).

Mine clearance in 2013

In 2013, Eritrea seemingly cleared approximately 2.26km² of mined area, almost twice the amount cleared in 2012 (1.2km²).[16] The number of antipersonnel and antivehicle mines destroyed in 2013 has not been reported.

Mine clearance in 2009–13[17]

Note: N/R = Not reported

Article 5 Compliance

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty (and in accordance with the three-year extension granted by States Parties in 2011), 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 2015. In January 2014, Eritrea submitted a second Article 5 deadline extension request seeking a further five years to continue clearance and complete resurvey of SHAs, but not to fulfill its clearance obligations under the treaty.

Resurvey during the second extension period is planned to involve both technical survey and NTS in all remaining impacted areas across six regions. Resurvey is planned to run concurrently with clearance efforts in priority areas located in the Anseba, Maakel, and Semienawi Keih Bahri regions.[18]

Based on a predicted clearance rate of 384,000m² (0.38km²) per team per year and 1.92km² per five teams per year, Eritrea has estimated that five teams operating at this optimum pace could clear almost 15.4km² in the five-year period.[19] However, this clearance rate was acknowledged by Eritrea as “ambitious” due to the “inevitable collaboration…of the demining teams with the survey teams.” In addition, while Eritrea seems to have set reasonable estimates for its clearance rates that approximately match its progress in previous years with similar capacity, this accounts for only less than half of the total area Eritrea has estimated as requiring either clearance or resurvey (33.5km²), leaving approximately 18.1km² unaccounted for in the work plan.[20]

Eritrea projects that costs for the extension period will amount to more than US$7 million, all to be raised nationally.[21] For the last two years, Eritrea has managed to raise only $257,000 annually. As of December 2013, Eritrea had not received international funding for mine clearance and in its statement at the Thirteenth Meeting of States Parties, Eritrea said that progress in clearing mines would be slow because it “had limited resources and capacity of one small poor nation.”[22] It is therefore unclear how Eritrea intends to raise the finances necessary for its survey and clearance activities, particularly in light of its policy not to accept international technical assistance.

In April 2014, at the Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee meetings Eritrea stated that the extension period was designed to gain greater clarity about its mine contamination problem, at which point Eritrea “could plan and think about the financial resources to be allocated for mine action.”[23] It was further stated that Eritrea “won’t complete clearance in the next five years,” and will likely require a third extension.[24]

Support for Mine Action

Since 2008, Eritrea has contributed approximately US$257,000 per year towards its mine action program. UNDP provided operational support for the demining teams until 2011 while Eritrea covered the salaries.[25] Eritrea has not reported receiving international support since 2011. Despite Eritrea’s acknowledgement that it lacks adequate funding,[26] the government of Eritrea has persistently refused to accept the return of international demining NGOs, which would bring in extra capacity and financial resources, since their expulsion in 2005.

Summary of contributions in 2009–13 (US$)

Note: N/R = Not reported

Recommendations

·         Eritrea should ensure that its demining units are not reoriented to other tasks but focus on survey and clearance operations.

·         Eritrea should reconsider its policy of excluding international technical assistance from the country, which would support more efficient land release and re-open international funding paths.