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Country:
Angola
Date Received: 12 Sep 2000
MISSION PERMANENTE DE LA REPUBLIQUE D’ANGOLA AUPRES DE L’OFFICE DES NATIONS UNIES A GENEVE
DECLARATION DE LA DELEGATION ANGOLAISE A LA DEUXIEME CONFERENCE DES ETATS PARTIES A LA CONVENTION D’OTTAWA SUR L’INTERDICTION DES MINES ANTI-PERSONNEL
GENEVE, LE 12 SEPTEMBER 2000
Mr. Le President,
Illustres delegues,
Permettez-nous avant tout, d’exprimer au nom du Gouvernement angolais et en celui de la delegation angolaise notre satisfaction pur notre participation a cette reunion et de vous souhaiter beaucoup de succes a la presidence de nos travaux.
Mr. Le President,
Estant donne la problematique des mines en Angola, notre Gouvernement a cree le 26 mai 1995 I’Instituto Nacional de Remocao de Obstaculos e Engenhos Explosivos – INAROEE comme une institution specialisee de l’Etat chargee de la coordination et execution de l’Action sure les Mines en Angola.
Mr. Le President,
L’Angola a connu des moments difficiles dans la lutte contre les mines et sans doutes c’est un des pays les plus gravement affectes avec environ 6 a 7 millions de mines et possede egalement le nombre le plus eleve des mutiles au monde, c’est a dire 80 mil handicapes.
Nous avons constate que 30% des victimes perdent leur vie; 70% sont devenus handicapes, la moyenne des accidents de mines par mois estant de 60 cas enregistres.
Implante dans sept Provinces, l’INAROEE a en son sein le personnel provenant de l’ancienne armee reguliere Angolaise – les ex – FAPLA et de l’ancienne armee rebelle de l’UNITA, les ex- FALA. Ce personnel a demontre qu’il etait bien instruit et capable et a su realiser les taches suivantes avec l’aide de la communaute internationale:
- L’establissement d’une banque de donnees comme point focal d’enregistrements de rapports de localisation des champs de mines et des surfaces minees;
- L’elaboration des programmes d’education et prevention sur le danger des mines;
- La creation d’une ecole technique d’action sure les mines et base logistique, qui a permis la formation de 400 sapeurs et specialistes nationaux de diverses branches d’Action sure les mines;
- Reconnaissance des mines de niveaux I, II et III;
- Enregistrement et collecte d’accidents de mines et d’autres engins explosifs;
- Campagnes d’information publique a travers les organes de la communication sociale.
Mr. Le President,
De 1996 au premier trimestre de l’an 2000, l’INAROEE a enregistre les resultats suivants:
- 5500 Kms de routes ont ete deminees;
- 8000 m2 de terrain ont ete demines;
- 15.000 mines Anti-tanque ont ete detruites;
- Environ 360.000 engins non detonnes ont ete detruits;
- 735 actionnements de mines;
- 1.117 victimes depuis 1995 ont ete enregistrees au premier trimestre de l’an 2000 et ont trouves parmi eux des femmes, des enfants et des vieillards.
Soucieux de chercher des solutions pur diminuer le risque d’accidents de mines, le Gouvernement d’Angola realise un programme de sensibilisation sur le danger des mines et a forme des educateurs, des journalistes, des autorites traditionnelles et des professeurs et a introduit au curriculum scolaire national la discipline de “sensibilisation sure le danger des mines aux enfants”, avec la participation active du Ministere de l’Education, l’UNICEF, Handicap International et le CICR. Ce programme a ete realise dans 14 des 18 Provinces de l’Angola et les resultats sont satisfaisants, une fois que le message est bien recu par la plupart de la population.
Mr. Le President,
Au debut de l’an 2000 l’INAROEE est devenu seulement un organe coordinateur de tout le processus de deminage en Angola. L’execution des activites des champs de mines incombe maintenant aux ONG’s internationales qui operent en Angola au titre du deminage. En conformite avec une decision prise recemment par le Gouvernement, les ONG’s absorbent le personnel sapeur de l’INAROEE dans leurs rangs et pour n’en citer que quelques unes nous avons:
- L’INTERSOS Italienne;
- L’APN Norvegienne et
- HALO TRUST Britannique.
Nous attendons que les autres ONG’s internationales operant en Angola recoivent des fonds des donateurs potentiels pour absorber le reste du personnel se trouvant encore sous la responsabilite de l’INAROEE.
Mr. Le President,
Les defis de notre Programme National d’Urgence pour l’Assistance Humanitaire determinent le role que le Gouvernement d’Angola au titre de l’Action sur les Mines doit jouer en tant coordinateur et promoteur de son developpement.
Ainsi, sur la base de sa strategie nationale globale, le Gouvernement d’Angola a entame les taches suivantes:
La revitalisation et le renforcement du role de l’INAROEE en tant qu’organisme de l’Etat responsible pour la coordination de l’Action sur les mines au Pays;
L’analyse des besoins en termes des ressources financieres qui permettent la planification des activites de l’INAROEE. Voila pourquoi le Programme d’Action sur les mines – 2000 vient d’etre soumis au Conseil de Ministres pour approbation.
Finalement Mr. Le President, nous voudrions avec votre permission, faire une petite mise au point, en guise du droit de reponse aux differentes accusations faites contre le Gouvernement d’Angola en ce qui concerne le reminage de certaines surfaces observees lors de cette derniere guerre qui lui a ete imposee par les troupes rebelles de l’UNITA.
Nous commencerons par remercier tres sincerement tous les gouvernements et toutes les Organisations Internationales publiques et privees qui se sont toujours preoccupe du sort des victimes angolaises des mines anti-personnel et d’autres, canalisant vers l’Angola des ressources financieres materielles et humaines, et nous leur lancons un nouvel appel pour qu’ils nous aident a poursuivre le travail de deminage deja en cours a travers de nouveaux financements.
Nous leur demandons leur comprehension pur les quelques mines anti-personnel que l’armee nationale, les FAA – Forcas Armadas Angolanas, ont plante autour des installations strategiques, lorsque les troupes de Mr. Jonas Savimbi voulaient s’emparer du pouvoir par la force des armes, ignorant les institutions democratiques et bombardant les villages, les Communes et certaines grandes villes du pays d’une forme indiscriminee et aveugle.
Qu’il nous soit permis, Mr. Le President d’affirmer ici que miner un terrain ou le reminer n’a jamais ete un droit pour nos Etats et encore moins pour l’Angola, mais plutot une strategie des laches et quelques fois l’unique maniere de survie pour ceux qui soufrent de l’injustice et de la folie assassine des rebelles.
Comme certaines personnalites presentes dans cette auguste assemblee le savent, la derniere guerre d’Angola aura ete une guerre de survie des populations rurales et citadines sans defense et affaiblies par les vicissitudes de la guerre et qui devaient etre protegees par tous le moyens a la portee des organes de souverainete de l’Etat.
Pour cela, certaines mines posees par l’armee angolaise sont enregistrees et bien localisees, ne representant aucun danger pour la population, ni aucune difficulte pur leur reconnaissance et leur destruction. Nous demandons donc a certains elements de la societe civile internationale qu’ils aient un peu de respect envers le Gouvernement angolais, car les infatigables et courageux volontaires du CICR ayant travaille sous le feu dans certaines Provinces de l’Angola comprennent et savent bien ce que nous voulons dire dans notre droit de reponse, eux-memes ayant vecu des moments les plus difficiles de leur vie dans notre Pays.
Il est vrai que beaucoup se demandent de quoi demain sera-t-il fait dans le domaine des mines anti-personnel en Angola. Les perspectives de la paix et l’evolution de la situation politico-militaire ont cree un environnement favorable a la ratification de la Convention d’Ottawa sur l’Interdiction des Mines Anti-personnel par le Parlement angolais, qui l’a fait le 25 juillet 2000 et nous esperons seulement sa promulgation par Son Excellence Monsieur le President de la Republique, des que possible.
Merci beaucoup Mr. Le President.
Country:
Australia
Date Received: 07 Sep 2000
FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE
International Security Division
7 September 2000
Ms Mary Wareham
Human Rights Watch
1630 Connecticut Ave NW #500
Washington D.C. 20009
Dear Ms Wareham
I am writing to you in relation to the Landmine Monitor Report for 2000.
It has come to my attention that the section on Australia contains an error of fact which I regret we did not identify in the process of reviewing the draft you kindly provided before the report went to print. The report states that Australia has never produced anti-personnel landmines. This is incorrect. The St Mary's ammunition factory, which is now closed, did produce live anti-personnel mines, most recently during the period of the Vietnam War. The factory also produced practice (ie inert) mines. This production ceased in the early 1980s.
Yours sincerely
Richard Maude
A/g Assistant Secretary
Arms Control and Disarmament Branch
Country:
Azerbaijan
Date Received: 04 Jun 2009
Download PDF of comments.
Download:
Azerbaijan_Response_Banning_Cluster_Munitions.pdf (35.26 kB)
Country:
Brazil
Date Received: 12 Sep 2000
With regard to the information contained in the 2000 Landmine Monitor Report, the Brazilian government draws the attention of the ICBl to our national report submitted last week to the UN secretariat. That report contains information, inter alia, on the exact number of anti-personnel mines stockpiled by Brazil and our plans to destroy such stockpiles, in accordance with the provisions of the mine-ban Convention. The Brazilian government also clarifies that the Convention was signed by Brazil on 3 December 1997, approved by the Brazilian National Congress on 29 April 1999, and promulgated by the President on 5 August 1999. (Decree 3128).
Country:
Brazil
Date Received: 04 May 1999
LM Discussion with Brazilian Delegation
Maputo, Mozambique
4 May 1999
LM: Celina (MAC) and Mary (HRW)
- To date, Brazil has not provided information to the OAS Landmines Register. Resolution approved in June 1998. Information till April every year. (We are still in time) Until now information were given only by USA, Canada, Mexico, Antigua and Barbuda, El Salvador and Peru.
- Allegations of landmine use by landholders in North to keep out the "landless" (Sin Terra) are currently under investigation by the Human Rights Commission of the Lower House of Deputies.
It was an accusation published in Brazilian press. The UDR denied and the matter has never been under consideration by the Congess (Senate or House of Representatives).
Country:
Burma / Myanmar
Date Received: 16 Jul 1999
Embassy of the Union of Myanmar
2300 S Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008-4089
Tel. (202) 332-9044
July 16, 1999
Ms. Mary Warehamn
Senior Advocate
Arms Division
Human Rights Watch
For the Landmine Monitor Core Group
1630 Connecticut Avenue, NW #500
Washington, DC 20009
Dear Ms. Warehamn,
I thank you for sending me a copy of the Landmine Monitor Report 1999: Toward a Mine-Free World and its Executive Summary. The report is impressive both in its scope and coverage. There is no doubt that considerable amount of time and effort was invested in the undertaking.
I have not yet had the opportunity to study each and every chapter of the report in depth. However, I have taken time to review the section on Myanmar. While the country report is replete with details and source information it does not stand up to scrutiny. Its principal shortcoming is that it is based largely on interviews with disaffected individuals or politically-motivated groups residing in neighboring Thailand.
The assertion of the researchers from the Landmine Monitor that Myanmar soldiers laid mines inside Thailand or that there are repeated examples of mine use by the Tatmadaw directed against the civilian, non-combatant population is groundless. It is a serious charge and should not be made unless it can be substantiated. Disinterested observers should be aware that the Tatmadaw is a highly disciplined organization dedicated to the defense of the nation. It is not a mercenary army. I am deeply disappointed that the researchers have ignored this and have given a sympathetic hearing to the outlandish tales gleaned from the "refugee camps" in Thailand or from the fodder fed into the electronic media by activist groups. Nothing is further from the truth than to say that civilians are being used in Myanmar as human mine sweepers.
With regard to the sub section on ethnic armed groups, it is factually incorrect to designate the "Rohingya" as an ethnic group. There are 135 nationalities in Myanmar. The "Rohingya" is certainly not one of them. It should also not be forgotten that today peace reigns in Myanmar like never before. Seventeen armed groups have returned to the fold. The KNU (Kayin National Union) remains the only hold out. It is therefore absolutely incorrect to state that the "Karen, Shan, Chin, Arakan, Karenni and Rohingya" are currently involved in military conflict with the central government.
The lack of objectivity and balance in the country report is all the more telling when one notes that the use of mines by the Tatmadaw is portrayed as indiscriminate whereas that of the insurgent groups as less so. In the sub-section on the use of landmines by ethnic armed groups, the researchers state,".The KNLA (Karen National Liberation Army) place them on paths known to be used by government troops. The government and the DKBA retaliate by mining destroyed villages, fields and around villages as well as to protect their camp.
I am encouraged to note that Landmine Monitor acknowledges that the report has its shortcomings and that it regards it as a continuing process to be improved upon.
I offer my criticism with the hope that it will be seen as constructive and that it would lead to a more accurate and reliable reporting system in the years ahead.
Yours Sincerely,
Tin Winn
See also Reply to Burmese Embassy in D.C. by the writers of the Burma country report.
____________________________________________________________
Reply to Burmese/Myanmar Embassy in D.C.
Ambassador Tin Winn
Embassy of the Union of Myanmar
2300 S Street NW
Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
8 August, 1999
Ambassador Tin Winn,
Thank you for your letter of 16 July directed to Mary Wareham at the Landmine Monitor office in Washington DC. I am the researcher who was responsible for the Landmine Monitor chapter on Myanmar. I am working on an update of the chapter for the Year 2000 Landmine Monitor, and welcome your comments and criticisms, and would particularly welcome your cooperation in making our information on Myanmar as complete as possible.
I will address your concerns and seek additional comments or concerns you may have on these responses.
I share your concern that the report relied too much on sources from outside Myanmar. Your letter is the first response I have received officially on the report. Although I have had contact with, and sent copies of our report on to, Counselor Pau and Lt Col Kyaw Han, respectively at the Union of Myanmar Embassy and Military Attache in Bangkok, I have, so far, received no comments from them. To be fair, Counselor Pau has nothing to do with Landmines and admited little knowledge about the issue. He forwarded a list of questions which I had prepared for the Government of the Union of Myanmar to Yangon.
Six months later, I have still received no responses from Yangon. I followed this up by asking Counselor Pau if he could provide me with a list of persons within Ministries to follow-up and make contact with in Yangon. He said he would send the list to me, but now, many months later, I am still waiting on it.
Similiarly, I contacted Lt. Col. Kyaw Han, the Military Attache in Bangkok. Like Counselor Pau, he was courteous, but gave me little real information. He claims that in current times, landmine victims are not to be found within your country, and international assistance for victims is therefore unnecessary. He seems to be out-of-touch with current realities in Myanmar, as his information is directly contradicted by the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is providing international assistance for the care of mine victims through the Ministry of Health. The ICRC joint-program has been providing prosthetics to civilian victims of mine warfare in Myanmar for over 10 years, and continues to do so today. Handicap International, a member of the Landmine Monitor core group, will be traveling to Myanmar this month to Yangon to assess the possibility of opening a programme to help in the rehabilitation of civilian victims of mine warfare.
Since I could not make contact with knowledgeable individuals within the Union of Myanmar Government from Bangkok, I traveled directly to Yangon earlier this year. Although I had faxed letters of my planned visit ahead, including my bonafides, and further copies of our questions related to the Landmine Monitor, I could find no one who had received these questions (either from my faxes or through the Embassy or Military Attache). The Ministry officials who did meet with me, did so out of courtesy since my visit was not official.
However it appears to have been impossible to have arranged to come officially, since I have been unable to receive responses through official sources. Your help in this situation would be most welcome.
In particular, I would seek for you to provide me with a list of individuals in Ministries who have direct knowledge and responsibility for dealing with Landmine Victim Assistance, and who will be in charge of de-mining operations in affected areas in Myanmar.
Now on to your specific concerns. As to the allegation we made of Anti-personnel mine laying by Tatmadaw troops outside the territory of the Union of Myanmar, as you stated, these are serious sovereignity violations, and we treat them as such.
Here our sources are the Governments of both Thailand and Bangladesh.
Cases of extra-territorial mining have been ongoing over the past few years by your soldiers. Officials of both governments have said they regularly raise this concern with the Union of Myanmar through official channels, so someone in Yangon should know the details and be able to brief you. Incursions and mine laying by Tatmadaw units has been reported several times through the news media as well in both countries. Sources for the articles are official, and from the domestic population (not disaffected persons from the Union) living in the border areas. The last incursion by Tatmadaw troops, during which they laid mines, in Thailand was around the 1st of May of this year. 16 mines of Myanmar manufacture were lifted by the Royal Thai Military, although a few were triggered by vehicles prior to that.
You wrote that you felt that I portrayed the Tatmadaw as a mercenary army. I am very aware that many of your top officers have graduated from some of the most prestigous military academies in the world, and that the Ministry of Defense is an expansive organization which is professionally run. However, when it comes to troops in the field, things are often different. Training for some of your frontline troops appears to be poor, and under the pressures of warfare, order and rule frequently break down- in any army. I have spoken with ordinary Burmese on the streets of Yangon and Mandalay who have had to do a stint of military service. They report, in relation to mines, that they were basically instructed to lay them and forget them. None of these (admitedly few people) reported to me any instuctions to mark them in any way, nor had they ever seen them marked. Now, my pool of interveiwees was rather small, and I could not draw any conclusions from these individuals alone that I could put in our report.
With regard to the Rohingya, I have endeavored to use what appears to me to be international usage. I use the following two sources, both United Nations, both with agreements to work within your country with the Rohingya.
Almost all of the refugees were Rohingyas' although accurate statistics are not available, the Rohingyas are thought to constitute just under half of Rakhines State population, which is estimated at 4.5 million
source U.N.H.C.R. The State of the Worlds Refugees also
In Myanmar, WFP provides assistance to Rohingya returnees following an agreement with the UNHCR, WFP, and the Governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Source Myanmar, Country Report by World Food Programme I do not consider this section to be factually incorrect but perhaps you can explain to me how I can refer to this more appropriately.
The following section of your letter refers to ceasefires and holdout armed groups. Your assertion that the KNU are the only hold out is surprising.
I enclose a chart which I will be including, in an updated form, in our next Landmine Monitor Report. It is a significant improvement on the incomplete one published in the 1999 Monitor. I assess there to be roughly 26 groups under arms, of which just under half have a ceasefire agreement. Again, I would be pleased to get your comments on this list. It is accurate to the best of my ability to research, but confirmation from the Government of the Union of Myanmar is crucial.
My assertion of ongoing warfare in the listed states is based on the following: Shan State-a Shan State Army(apparently made up of the remnants of the MTA and others) are currently involved in hit and run warfare with Tatmadaw units in central Shan State; Karenni State- you had a ceasefire with the KNPP, but it broke down due to alledged violations by Tatmadaw troops. Shelling was heard from Mae Hong Son, in Thailand last month in the fighting between this group and the Tatmawdaw; Karen State- the KNU and a few other tiny armed groups. In Chin State the so called Chin National Army is also making hit and run attacks on Tatmadaw positions. In Arakan State, there are about a half dozen armed groups, all of them rather small, but they do engage in some guerrilla activities.
While I know few of these problems are reported in the New Light of Myanmar, they do come to the notice of newspapers of the countries who border Myanmar. Here I am not talking about reports by disaffected individuals, I am speaking only of news reports in which the source is either official, or where there are interviews with citizens of the neighboring countries, usually farmers close tot he border who hear the fighting, or cross-border traders who hear or see events.
You wrote that you felt our report lacked objectivity. I am very concerned and somewhat surprised by this. We worked hard to assure our report was balanced, and factually correct. Actually we were fed a lot of propaganda by those you labeled disaffected individuals. I will give you a few examples. In one case, a Thai district level authority told us that the Burmese troops which came across the border were issued 200 landmines apiece to lay. I calculated the weight of the landmines and came to the easy conclusion that the soldier probably could not carry that many and that this was a myth.
In another case, we did visit a camp on Thai soil in which KNU personnel led us to interveiw several mine victims. They all gave an identical story, they were obviously primed to give us this. We disregarded this testimony. We look at each piece of information we receive and cross check it from as many sources as possible. We are very aware that some sources are biased, and take that into account when assessing the information we received. Having access to knowledgeable persons within the Union of Myanmar would help us enormously.
The section on Human minesweepers. Here you have picked on the one part of our report which is the weakest. We did not interview anyone directly who claimed this. However, we were provided with documentation from the International Labor Organizations exhaustive study of forced labor in Myanmar, and have read the interviews they did with people in the field at length. We consider this evidence by a globally respected body to be legitimate.
I have made a great effort to bring input of the Union of Myanmar government into the Landmine Monitor process. Your Embassy and Military Attache here, as I wrote, have been cordial, but not very forthcoming with the type of information we need. I hope that your letter will help bring about action, and that through further communication we can gather accurate information on the state of the landmine crisis. To the best of our ability to tell, no one knows how many mines or victims may be out there in Myanmar. Almost certainly the victims are in the thousands, the mines are in the tens, if not hundreds of thousands. This must be of great concern to you, and we wish to help put together a reliable picture of the problem so that eventually demining and quality care for mine victims can take place during the post-conflict development of these regions.
Respectfully,
Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan
Landmine Monitor Researcher Myanmar
Nonviolence International South East Asia 495/44 Soi Yu-Omsin, Jaransanitwong 40
Bangkok 10700 THAILAND
Tel: (66-2) 883-4946
Fax: (66-2) 433-7169
ahimsa@ksc.th.com
www.igc.org/nonviolence/niseasia/
Country:
Burundi
Date Received: 30 Aug 2000
Embassy of the Republic of Burundi
2233 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Suite 212
Washington, DC 20007
Tel. (202) 342-2574
Fax. (202) 342-2578 August 30, 2000
Stephen D. Goose
Program Director
Arms Division
1630 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Suite 500, WDC 20009
Fax. (202) 612-4333
Dear Mr. Goose,
Following August 28th meeting, it is my great pleasure to thank you for the fruitful exchanges on the Landmine Monitor Report 2000.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your fight against use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines all over the world.
I take this opportunity to forward the annexed Government statement concerning Landmine Monitor Report 2000: Toward a Mine-Free World.
I hope this statement will be taken into account on the final version of the report.
Once again, thank you very much for your visit and may the collaboration between Burundi and Human Rights Watch be maintained. I look forward to seeing you and meeting with you.
Signed: Thomas Ndikumana
Ambassador
DECLARATIQN DU GOUVERNEMENT
Le Gouvernement du Burundi refute energiquement les allegations selon lesquelles des mines anti-personnelles auraient ete utilisees sur la frontiere avec la Tanzanie et avance les arguments suivants :
- Le BURUNDI reste et restera profondement attache aux Traites ratifies;
- Le BURUNDI ne possede pas las moyens de miner une frontiere de plus de quatre cents kilometres, si telle etait sa volonte, car il faudrait la miner sur toute sa largeur pour que cela soit efficace;
- Le BURUNDI n'a aucun interet a mettre des obstacles sur une frontiere si permeable qui permet aux populations frontalleres d'avoir des relations socio-economiques quotidiennes don't elles tirent des avantages reciproques;
- Le Gouvernement du BURUNDI a maintes fois informe la Communaute Internationale de l'usage massif des mines par la rebellion burundaise. Il saisit cette occasion pour denoncer encore une fols l'utilisation des mines anti-personnelles et antichars par les terrosites genocidaires non seulement sur la frontiere avec la Tanzanie mais aussi a l'interieur du pays. Le nombre eleve de civils et de milltaires amputes, victimes de ces actes de barbarie, constitue un temoignage on ne peut plus eloquent;
- Par ailleurs, des mines anti-personnelles sont encore disseminees dans les anciens sanctuaires des rebelles et sur la frontiere, sans schemas ni croquis, devenant ainsi un danger permanent pour la population des environs, pour les patrouilles militaires et pour les rebelles eux-memes;
- Le Gouvernement du BURUNDI reitere son engagement ferme au respect du <<1997 mine ban treaty>> et se tient a cooperer sans reserve avec la Communaute Internationale pour l'elimination systematique des mines disseminees sur son territoire.
Country:
Burundi
Date Received: 12 Sep 2000
MISSION PERMANENTE DE LA REPUBLIQUE DU BURUNDI AUPRES DE L’ONU ET DES AUTRES ORGANISATIONSINTERNATIONALES A GENEVE
Declaration de la delegation du BURUNDI a la Deuxieme conference des Etats Parties a la Convention sur la prohibition de l’utilisation du stockage, de la production et du transfert des mines antipersonnel et sur leur destruction.Geneve, le 12 septembre 2000
La delegation du BURUNDI voudrait d’abord feliciter Son Excellence Monsieur l’Ambassadeur Steffen KONGSTARD, chef de la delegation de Norvege pour son election a la presidence de la 2eme conference des Etats parties a la convention sur la prohibition de l’utilisation, du stockage, de la production et du transfert des mines anti-personnel et sur leur destruction ainsi que les autres membres du bureau.
Elle saisit egalement cette occasion pour remercier les autorites de la confederation helvetique de la Republique et Canton de Geneve ainsi que de la commune de Geneve pour la qualite de l’accueil reservee aux delegations et de l’organisation des travaux.
Monsieur le President,
Excellences Mesdames, Messieurs,
La delegation du Burundi a ecoute avec attention les interventions qui se sont succedees depuis le debut des travaux don’t certaines ont fait allusion a l’usage des mines antipersonnel par le BURUNDI, ce qui expliquerait selon ces memes delegations, le retard de la ratification du traite d’OTTAWA.
De l’avis de la delegation burundais, de telles allegations relevent soit de la desinformation gratuite, soit de la mauvaise foi ou de l’ignorance des realities quotidiennes au BURUNDI.
En effet, le BURUNDI est caracterise par un habitat disperse sur les collines avec des densites de 150 a 400 habitants au Km2 selon les regions. Tous les jours, ces populations se deplacent de leurs habitations vers les champs, les paturages, les marches, les lieux de culte, les chefs lieux des communes, les ecoles, les centres de sante, a pieds et sur des sentiers formels, informels, dissemines sur ces collines.
Ce mode de vie explique a lui seul combien il y aurait d’hecatombes si des mines antipesonnel etaient posees dans les campagnes burundaises.
En tous cas, il est impensable que l’armee gouvernementale puisse faire de telles operations. D’autant plus qu’elle meme arpente souvent ces memes collines lorsqu’elle est entrain de poursuivre des rebelles qui n’hesitent pas a se cacher parmi les populations civiles. Par contre, ces rebelles ont dissemine des mines antipersonnel dans certaines forets, parcs et buissons dont ils font temporairement des sanctuaires, avant d’en etre deloges par les forces de l’ordre.
En ce qui concerne la frontiere entre la Tanzanie et le Burundi, mentionnee dans certains rapports, la situation est identique. Permettez-nous d’abord de rappeler a ceux qui ne le savent pas que la frontiere entre la Tanzanie et le Burundi constitue un passage permanent pour les citoyens Burundais et Tanzaniens qui effectuent chaque semaine des echanges de produits agricoles, artisanaux, de la petite et moyenne industrie. Dans ces conditions, il est inconcebable que le Gouvernement laisse son armee miner un terrain quotidiennement frequente par ses populations!
Les autorites frontalieres tanzaniennes et les organisations humanitaires travaillant dans la region sont au courant de cette realite. Malheureusement, encore une fois, comme les rebelles se replient frequemment dans les camps de refugies en Tanzanie, ils laissent des mines antipersonnel dans les positions qu’ils occupaient sur la frontiere du BURUNDI.
Des fois, ils posent meme des mines antichars sur des voies empruntees par des pietons ou tout simplement carrossables. Le nombre de militaires et de civils helas, amputes, victimes de ces actes barbares constitue un temoignage eloquent. Dans le rapport de “Landmine Monitor 2000”, l’observatoire des mines admet n’avoir pas de preuve sur l’utilisation des mines terrestres par l’armee burundaise. Ce meme rapport indique que 70% des accidents ont ete provoques par des mines anti-chars. Il est des lors clair que ces mines proviennent des rebelles puisque l’armee ne saurait pieger ses propres equipements de guerre.
La delegation burundaise profite plutot de ce forum pour demander a la communaute Internationale d’aider le BURUNDI dans les futures operations de deminage et dans l’assistance aux victimes des mines antipersonnel. Elle propose en meme temps l’envoi d’une mission d’observation sur la frontiere entre la Tanzanie et le Burundi d’ou elle se rendra compte des actes des rebelles a partir des camps de refugies de Rukole et de KILELEMA, respectivement dans les regions de NGARA et de KIGOMA.
Encore une fois, le Burundi reaffirme son attachement aux traites internationaux et vous assure que la ratification du traite d’OTTAWA sure les mines antipersonnel interviendra dans un proche avenir. Comme vous le savez, un pas considerable vers la paix a ete franchi le 28 aout a ARUSHA en Tanzanie par la signature d’un accord. C’est ici le lieu d’en appeler encore une fois a la Communaute Internationale pour qu’ellesoutienne la mise en applications de cet accord ce qui facilitera d’ailleurs, le suivi de la convention d’OTTAWA sur le territoire burundais.
Dans l’immediat, la Communaute Internationale devrait faire pression sur les rebelles F.F.D, F.N.L et FROLINA comme elle l’a promis le 28 aout a accepter le 20 septembre prochain a NAIROBI, le cessez le feu et a le respecter.
La delegation burundaise voudrait enfin soutenir la proposition de tenir une reunion conference intermediaire sure les mines antipersonnel sur le continent Africain pour sensibiliser les differents partenaires sur les consequences de ce fleau.
Je vous remercie.
Country:
Canada
Date Received: 17 Jun 2010
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Country:
Central African Republic
Date Received: 22 Sep 2003
Letterhead of Head of State, Central African Republic
Dated 1 August 2003
Madame,
It is with great interest that we received your 28 July 2003 message related to antitank and antipersonnel mines.
The military devices/ordnance mentioned above have never been acquired and used by the Central African Armed forces (FACA) or by the patriotic forces who put an end to the dictatorial and blood-thirsty regime of Mr. Ange Flix Patasse on 15 March 2003.
In any case, no accident caused by antitank mines or antipersonnel mines, were reported or registered at Bangui or in the rural zones of the Central African Republic.
Therefore, we also have the pleasure to reaffirm the Central African Republic adhesion to the Mine Ban Treaty.
Major General Franois Bozize President and Head of State
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