Key developments since May 2003: Results of the Landmine Impact
Survey, completed in March 2003, were released in mid-2004. In the four regions
surveyed, 357 communities were affected by landmines; 45 were rated high impact
and 102 medium impact. In addition, 772 suspected hazard areas were
conclusively identified. In February 2004, Somaliland’s Vice-President
took over responsibility for coordination of mine action, and in March a
National Mine Action Policy was approved. In July 2004, Somaliland officials
indicated they were prepared to sign the Geneva Call “Deed of
Commitment” on a comprehensive ban on antipersonnel landmines. According
to the information provided the three mine clearance operators, in 2003 they
cleared a total of 267,780 square meters of mined land and about 52 million
square meters of battle area, destroying 1,575 antipersonnel mines, 683
antivehicle mines, and 40,171 UXO.
Key developments since 1999: The House of Representatives passed a
resolution calling for a unilateral ban on landmines in 1999 and the President
endorsed the resolution. A comprehensive Landmine Impact Survey began in
Somaliland in May 2002 and was completed in March 2003. It identified 357
mine-affected communities and another 772 suspected hazard areas. Mine
clearance and mine survey activities expanded significantly in Somaliland in
1999 and 2000. Three NGOs have been clearing mines since 1999 and 2000.
According to their information, from 1999 through 2003, they cleared a total of
2.9 million square meters of mined land and about 92 million square meters of
battle area, destroying 47,613 antipersonnel mines, 1,213 antivehicle mines, and
59,168 UXO. Mine action coordination in Somaliland was seriously disrupted in
2002. As of November 2002, some 7,517 stockpiled mines had been destroyed.
Officials indicated in early 2003 that there were plans for the destruction of
all stockpiles, but no further destruction has been reported. Since 2001, there
have been at least 349 new mine/UXO casualties in Somaliland.
Mine Ban Policy
Somaliland proclaimed independence in 1991, with the fall of the government
of Siyad Barre. Although it is not recognized by the international community as
an independent state, and therefore cannot accede to the Mine Ban Treaty, as
early as 1997, Somaliland authorities expressed their commitment to the ban
treaty. On 1 March 1999, its House of Representatives passed a resolution in
favor of a total ban of landmines. The President endorsed the
resolution.[1] Official
statements in support of the Mine Ban Treaty were also made in public events in
2000 and 2002.[2] However, no
legally binding measures to prohibit use, production, trade or stockpiling of
antipersonnel mines have been taken.
Because Somaliland considers itself to be a state, authorities have been
reluctant to sign the Geneva Call “Deed of Commitment” for non-state
actors, pledging commitment to a total prohibition on antipersonnel landmines.
However, in 14 June 2004 meetings between Somaliland officials and Geneva Call,
Somaliland agreed, in principle, to sign the
deed.[3] In July 2004,
Somaliland officials wrote that “our government is ready to sign the
document in the presence of the Geneva Call and indeed the world,” and
indicated a delegation would travel to Geneva for that purpose in
August.[4]
Production and Stockpiling
Somaliland does not produce landmines and there have been no indications that
it has exported or acquired new landmines since proclaiming independence.
Officials have acknowledged the existence of stockpiles of antipersonnel mines,
but have not provided information on numbers or types.
On 14 November 2002, the Ministry of Defense handed over 2,382 antipersonnel
landmines and 16 antivehicle mines from central military stores to the Danish
Demining Group (DDG), which publicly destroyed the mines on 17 November
2002.[5] DDG had already
reported earlier in 2002 the destruction of 5,135 landmines received from the
Ministry of Defense and the
army.[6] In 2000, DDG told a
mine ban advocacy workshop that it had been destroying antipersonnel mines
confiscated by local police from individuals or
militias.[7]
HALO Trust also entered into an agreement with the Ministry of Defense to
help destroy stockpiled mines across the country. In 2002, HALO told Landmine
Monitor that mines held by villages and individuals were less in number than
mines held in the military camps, but posed a far greater
risk.[8]
Somaliland officials told Landmine Monitor in early 2003 that there were
plans for the destruction of all existing
stockpiles.[9] However, no
stockpile destruction has been reported since November 2002, and no timetable
has been announced.
Transfer and Use
In December 2003, Puntland forces seized the town of Las Anod in the Sool
region, which is claimed by both Somaliland and
Puntland.[10] As of mid-2004,
armed forces continued to face-off around Las Anod. Members of international
agencies have expressed concern to Landmine Monitor about possible use of
landmines by both sides.[11]
Both Somaliland and Puntland authorities deny that their forces have deployed
any antipersonnel mines.[12]
On 21 January 2004, Boqor Osman Mohamoud, a traditional leader from Eastern
Somaliland, was arrested and charged with spreading false information through
newspaper reports. This information allegedly included a report that
neighboring Djibouti had provided arms, including landmines, to a faction
opposed to Puntland’s leader and that these arms had transited through
Somaliland.[13]
Landmine Problem, Survey and Assessment
Somaliland is heavily mined, following a long history of border conflict with
neighboring Ethiopia, including a 1977-78 border war, and the persistent feuding
of internal warlords. Between 1981 and 1991, the Somali National Movement waged
an armed insurrection against the Siyad Barre regime. From 1988-91 alone, the
UN Development Programme (UNDP) estimated that between 400,000 and 800,000
landmines were deployed in Somaliland. Landmines were also used in 1994-95,
when militias opposed to the regime of the Somaliland president and loyalist
forces fought fierce battles in and around Hargeisa. At least 24 types of
antipersonnel mines from ten countries have been identified in
Somaliland.[14]
A number of landmine surveys were carried out between 1999 and 2001 by HALO
Trust, DDG and CARE. In March 2001, the Somaliland Mine Action Center (SMAC)
reported the existence of 402 mined
areas.[15] However, the
location and extent of mined areas in Somaliland remained inconclusive.
Following a Survey Action Center (SAC) advance Survey Mission to Somaliland in
2001, SAC contracted DDG to undertake a comprehensive Landmine Impact Survey
(LIS).
Work began in March 2002, and the LIS was completed in March 2003, with the
exception of Sanag and Sool regions, and the Boohoodle District of Togdheer
region, which were excluded for security reasons. UNDP hopes to survey the
remaining areas, if security conditions permit, following the LIS in Puntland;
(see Somalia report for further information). In an update given at the Mine
Ban Treaty Standing Committee meetings in Geneva in February 2004, UNDP said:
“A land dispute has prevented any survey of Puntland and the Sool and
Sanag regions.”[16]
Preliminary results from the LIS, reported in Landmine Monitor Report
2003, indicated that in the four regions surveyed (Awdal, Galbeed, Sahil,
and Togdheer), 357 communities were affected by landmines, with 45 rated high
impact, 102 medium impact, and 210 low impact. The LIS also showed an acute
need for clearance around water
reservoirs.[17] The full
report, released in mid-2004, indicated that in addition to those communities,
772 suspected hazard areas (SHA) had been conclusively identified. It stated
that only 231 of the 588 communities in the surveyed areas were not affected by
landmines.[18] Further the
report stated, “The land contaminated by mines and/or unexploded ordnance
(UXO) directly impact the safety and livelihoods of an estimated 1.34 million
people, and has led to the death or injury of 276 people in the last two
years.”[19]
The LIS indicated that suspected hazard areas could be divided into road
(574) and non-road (198) types, and that non-road SHAs include former military
camps, UXO stockpiles and minefields that “deliberately impact the
livelihood of certain groups such as nomads.” It stated that while the
“most prevalent resource blockages” are of roads and pastureland,
the “most serious blockages in terms of safety and socioeconomic security
are of drinking water sources and irrigated cropland.” The LIS also
reported that 126 communities engaged in locally initiated mine
action.[20]
According to SMAC, a number of technical surveys have been planned as a
follow- up to the LIS, as a high priority for 2004. As of August 2004, DDG had
carried out technical surveys in 26 impacted communities in Galbeed, Sahil and
Togdheer, identifying 61
minefields.[21] By August 2004,
the HALO Trust had carried out technical survey in 90 communities in the regions
of Awdal, Saahil, Togdheer, Galbeed and Sool regions, of which 68 have been
classified as high impact
communities.[22]
Coordination and Planning
In February 2004, the Vice-President of Somaliland, Ahmed Yassin, took over
coordination of mine action from the Ministry of Resettlement, Rehabilitation
and Reconnstruction (MRR&R). Two main bodies have been responsible for mine
action activities in Somaliland since 1997: the National Demining Agency (NDA),
established under MRR&R, and the Somaliland Mine Action Center, an
autonomous organization established and supported by the UNDP. Both SMAC and
NDA are now required to report directly to the Vice-President, who by
presidential decree of 11 March 2004 has been given oversight responsibility for
all mine action.[23]
This change in overall coordination evolved out of a period of disagreement
and discussion. The relationship between SMAC and NDA was never clearly
defined, and claims of overlapping responsibilities became a major source of
friction. Following extensive discussions between UNDP, MRR&R and other
agencies in 2002 and 2003, SMAC became a unit within MRR&R responsible for
mine action coordination, and NDA became the mine clearance unit. As reported
by Landmine Monitor in 2003, this process has caused SMAC some financial
insecurity. In an update at the intersessional meetings in February 2004,
however, UNDP stated: “UNDP continues to support Somalia Mine Action
Centre in Somaliland through institutional support and capacity building. A
National Policy for Humanitarian Mine Action has been drafted and UNDP is
assisting further development of this
paper.”[24]
Following the completion of the LIS, SMAC held a workshop from 14-18 November
2003 to reformulate its strategic plan of action, which it first developed in
February 2002, in consultation with other mine action
organizations.[25] A draft
National Mine Action Policy was then presented to the President’s Cabinet
of Ministers on 23 February 2004, and was accepted on 27 March 2004. The policy
clarifies lines of responsibilities between SMAC and the National Demining
Agency, and also endorses the 1 March 1999 House of Representatives resolution
supporting a comprehensive ban on antipersonnel
mines.[26]
Mine Clearance
Three international humanitarian NGOs remained active in mine clearance
activities in Somaliland since 1999: HALO Trust, Danish Demining Group and the
Santa Barbara Foundation
(SBF).[27] In 2003, according
to SMAC, the three organizations cleared a combined total of 52,230,837 square
meters of mined land and battle area, destroying 1,568 antipersonnel mines and
683 antivehicle mines, as well as 371,695
UXO.[28] SMAC’s data
states:
HALO cleared 50,449,663 square meters of land (including mined areas and
battle areas), destroying 460 antipersonnel mines, 120 antivehicle mines and
331,937 UXO (this includes items such as
bullets).[29] It also carried
out a technical survey of 3,308,895 square meters of land. Of the area cleared,
150,807 square meters were verified by SMAC (two minefields in Hariirad and
Gorya Awal of the Awdal Region).
DDG cleared 72,000 square meters of mined land, as well as 1,682,327 square
meters of battle area clearance, destroying 1,104 antipersonnel mines, 540
antivehicle mines and 39,741 UXO. SMAC verified this clearance. DDG surveyed
three additional sites.
SBF, under contract to the Somaliland Road Authority, cleared 26,847 square
meters of land, destroying four antipersonnel mines, 23 antivehicle mines and 17
UXO.
The data from SMAC differs from that provided by the individual
organizations.[30] According to
the information provided by the three operators, in 2003 they cleared a total of
267,780 square meters of mined land and 51,982,602 square meters of battle area,
destroying 1,575 antipersonnel mines, 683 antivehicle mines, and 40,171 UXO.
From 1999 through 2003, they cleared a total of 2,946,759 square meters of mined
land and 91,639,528 square meters of battle area, destroying 47,613
antipersonnel mines, 1,213 antivehicle mines, and 59,168 UXO.
This includes: 53,576 square meters of mined land in 1999; 1,810,740 square
meters in 2000; 384,303 square meters in 2001; 1,923,868 square meters in 2002;
and 267,780 square meters in 2003.
SBF reported that in 2003 it cleared 32,000 square meters of land, destroying
11 antipersonnel mines, 23 antivehicle mines and 49 UXO. From 1999 to 2003, it
reported clearing 1,432,000 square meters of land, destroying 472 antipersonnel
mines, 37 antivehicle mines, and 1,890
UXO.[31]
Saint Barbara Foundation Clearance in
Somaliland[32]
Year
Sqm
AP
AT
UXO
1999
30,000
4
2
3
2000
240,000
133
9
29
2001
130,000
112
2
1,200
2002
1,000,000
212
1
609
2003
32,000
11
23
49
Total
1,432,000
472
37
1,890
According to DDG, it cleared 71,800 square meters of land in 2003, as well as
1,682,327 square meters of battle area, destroying 1,104 antipersonnel mines,
540 antivehicle mines, and 39,741
UXO.[33] It was involved in
clearance of Dubato Village, two minefields around Hargeisa airport, the
Hargeisa military workshop site, and Gassium, a former Somali National Army
military camp. DDG’s operations include assessment, mine and UXO
clearance, capacity building and providing technical advice to local NGOs. In
addition, DDG initiated a quick response EOD program that has visited 459
communities and assessed 1,100 individual
sites.[34]
HALO Trust reported that in 2003, it cleared 163,980 square meters of mined
land and 50,300,275 square meters of battle area. It destroyed 460
antipersonnel mines, 120 antivehicle mines, and 381
UXO.[36] It also did a
technical survey of 3,308,895 square meters of land. For 2004, through 30
April, HALO reports technical survey of 79,103,760 square meters, clearance of
84,560 square meters, and battle area clearance of 10,424,030 square meters,
destroying 118 antipersonnel mines, 20 antivehicle mines, and 2,215
UXO.[37]
In addition to the mine action NGOs, a police Explosive Ordnance Disposal
(EOD) team, trained for rapid response work, destroyed 10,456 UXO in
2003.[39] In September 2003,
UNDP, which contracted Mines Advisory Group in 2001 to begin the EOD training
program, stated, “the establishment of EOD teams in Somaliland has been
very cost effective and highly successful from a national ownership
perspective.”[40]
In 2002, DDG, HALO and SBF cleared a total of 1.92 million square meters of
mined land (including a reported 1 million by SBF) and more than 20 million
square meters of battle area clearance. HALO and SBF destroyed 255
antipersonnel mines, 184 antivehicle mines, and 783 UXO.
In 2001, information provided by HALO, DDG and SBF indicated a total of
384,303 square meters of demined land, plus an additional 19,116,000 square
meters of battle area cleared, and that 334 antipersonnel mines, 253 antivehicle
mines, and 1,614 UXO had been destroyed. According to SMAC, 1.5 million square
meters of land in 35 areas had been demined and turned over to local
communities.[41]
In 2000, DDG completed clearance around Hargeisa International Airport,
destroying 40 antipersonnel mines, 895 UXO and 48 S-24 bombs, as well as
clearance around six destroyed bridges on the main road to the port Berbera.
HALO conducted an extensive mine detection dog trial, while SBF cleared 240,000
square meters of land.[42]
According to the UN, between 1999 and 2002, demining organizations in
Somaliland destroyed 14,596 landmines and 220,874 UXO and cleared 92,735,677
square meters of land.[43]
Mine Risk Education
The mine risk education (MRE) projects that have been implemented in
Somaliland (and Somalia) have been rather ad hoc and limited. UNICEF and
Handicap International (HI) have been the main players, in collaboration with
SMAC, with demining groups like DDG and SBF undertaking some risk education as
part of their overall mine action
work.[44]
Following a national workshop in October 2001, an MRE policy document was
formulated and presented by UNICEF, NDA and SMAC to the MRR&R for adoption
by the government. This policy still had not been adopted by mid-2003, when
UNICEF told Landmine Monitor that efforts were being made to link the suggested
MRE policy framework to the draft national mine action policy for Somaliland
under discussion.[45]
In October 2003, UNICEF and HI held another workshop in Hargeisa to present
their MRE strategy and a joint project for its
implementation.[46] It was
attended by about 30 participants representing key local and international
stakeholders working in the field of mine action in the region. In July 2004, HI
reported that it had secured funding from UNICEF and Ireland for an MRE program
in Somaliland that should begin in
October.[47]
In September 2002, UNICEF and HI conducted a KAP (Knowledge, Attitudes and
Practices) survey in three regions of Somaliland: Awdal, Galbeed and Togdheer.
The KAP survey established that 29 percent of the population was not able to
identify potential risk.[48]
UNICEF also noted: “An overwhelming percentage of people expressed the
desire to receive information on landmines/UXO, in particular on how communities
live safely in their mine-contaminated area and how, and to whom, landmines/UXO
should be
reported.”[49]
The Somali Environmental Review (SOMER), a local NGO, conducted some self
funded MRE in the Goldogob Region of Puntland, in particular in Goldogob town.
This has included some gathering of UXO that was then picked up and destroyed by
police EOD Teams. UNDP indicates that a few thousand people benefited from this
program.[50]
In 2002, Landmine Monitor reported that SMAC and HI had completed MRE
projects in refugee camps in Djibouti and Ethiopia, for Somaliland refugees
planning to return home under a UNHCR voluntary repatriation program.
From 2000 to 2002, SBF delivered MRE to approximately 2,250 adults and
children in and around Burao in the Toghdeer region. Sessions were given in
local schools, parallel to other mine action activity being undertaken in an
area. SBF used local demining personnel to deliver the MRE
lessons.[51] SBF stated that
following the training programs, reporting of hidden landmines and UXO increased
significantly.[52]
In 2000, Landmine Monitor reported on MRE activities being undertaken by
international, national and local organizations, including CARE, DDG, MineTech,
SMAC, Somaliland Relief and Rehabilitation Association, and a volunteer youth
group that used circus performances to promote mine
awareness.[53]
Mine Action Funding
Donors generally report funding to “Somalia,” but to date nearly
all mine action activities have taken place in Somaliland.
According to information provided to Landmine Monitor, it appears that at
least seven donors provided at least US$2.1 million for mine action in
Somaliland in 2003.[54] Norway
gave NOK4.9 million (US$690,500), including NOK2.9 million to HALO Trust and
NOK2 million to DDG for mine action in Somaliland. The Netherlands provided
US$457,445 for mine clearance in Somaliland. The United States provided
$450,000 for
“Somalia.”[55]
Denmark contributed DKK2 million (US$304,000) to DDG for Somaliland. Canada
gave US$47,320 for the Somaliland Landmine Impact
Survey.[56] Finland provided
€137,726 (US$158,509) to HALO Trust for mine clearance in Somaliland and
Puntland. HALO also received an unknown amount from Ireland for demining in
“Somalia.”[57]
Switzerland reports that it had mine action personnel involved in Somaliland in
2003-2004.[58] For 2003, DDG
reported allocating US$1 million for mine action activities in Somaliland; funds
came from the Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish
governments.[59]
The $2.1 million total is a sharp decrease from 2002, when eight donors
reported providing about US$5.55 million for mine action in Somaliland —
Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, European Community, United
States, Sweden and Denmark. In 2001, US$4.4 million was reported from seven
donor countries (including all of the above, except France). According to the
UN, the annual budget for mine clearance in Somalia — including Somaliland
— for 2000 was US$4.5 million, coming from the United States, European
Community, Denmark and
Germany.[60] As reported in
Landmine Monitor Report 2000, funding for mine action totaled only some
US$546,000 in 1998, but increased dramatically to about US$6.65 million in 1999
and early 2000.
Landmine/ UXO Casualties
In 2003, the SMAC recorded 50 mine/UXO casualties between July and December,
including 13 people killed and 37 injured; 23 were children. Of the total
casualties, 12 were female. Antipersonnel mines caused 14 casualties,
antivehicle mines caused six, and UXO caused
30.[61] One new mine survivor
was identified by the Landmine Impact Survey in January
2003.[62] Comprehensive data on
new mine/UXO casualties was not available. Although the SMAC had been
collecting and recording casualty data using the Information Management System
for Mine Action (IMSMA), this activity was severely limited after 2001 due to
the loss of UNDP funding. Systematic collection of data was abandoned and did
not resume until July 2003. There is no requirement or procedure for reporting
incidents to the police or to mine action officers.
The Landmine Impact Survey recorded 129 new mine/UXO casualties (51 killed
and 78 injured) in 2002 and 142 new mine/UXO casualties (40 killed and 102
injured) in 2001.[63] In 2001,
the SMAC recorded 107 mine/UXO casualties, including 60
children.[64]
Casualties continue to be reported in 2004 with 31 new mine/UXO casualties
recorded by the SMAC as of the end of June, including eight people killed and 23
injured; eleven were children. Of the total casualties, ten were
female.[65] However, data
collection between April and June was again restricted due to the loss of
funding.[66]
The most comprehensive information on mine casualties in Somaliland is the
Landmine Impact Survey. The LIS identified 276 mine/UXO casualties (92 killed
and 184 injured) in the two years preceding the end of the survey, including 151
children under the age of 14 years (55 percent). Of the total
“recent” casualties, 213 were male (77 percent), and only two were
military personnel. The majority of casualties occurred while engaged in daily
activities, including herding (178 casualties or 64 percent), traveling (28
casualties or 10 percent) and playing (26 casualties or 9
percent).[67] The Somaliland
Mine Action Center database contains an additional 2,651 less recent mine/UXO
casualties (1,114 killed and 1,537 injured) identified by the Landmine Impact
Survey.[68] The Survey covered
four of the six Administrative Regions of Somaliland. The highly mine-affected
region of Sool has not been surveyed and the number of mine casualties is not
known.[69]
Survivor Assistance
Public health facilities with the capacity to assist landmine casualties in
Somaliland are reportedly minimal. Hospitals are poorly equipped and poorly
staffed. Mine casualties are often treated at the Hargeisa General Hospital or
at the surgical hospital in Berbera equipped by the International Committee of
the Red Cross. Berbera hospital, however, is located on the northern coast of
Somaliland and is far from regions where landmines are most prevalent.
Generally, first aid is available and there is transport to take casualties to
the nearest medical facility. However, the average travel time to a suitably
equipped hospital is over six
hours.[70] The Hargeisa General
Hospital, the largest hospital in Somaliland, treated seven landmine and ten UXO
casualties between March and November 2003; two were female and nine were
children.[71]
Mine clearance organizations (HALO, DDG and SBF) train paramedics to work
with their mine clearance teams and have medical equipment and ambulances for
use in emergencies.[72]
The majority of people in Somaliland are nomads, since mobility is essential
for their livelihood, but no training or reintegration programs for landmine
survivors have been identified.
The Landmine Impact Survey reported that of 179 “recent”
survivors, 141 (79 percent) received some form of emergency medical care but
only four (2 percent) had received rehabilitation; 24 survivors (13 percent)
received no care. No survivors reported receiving vocational training. Of the
total survivors, 47 required an amputation, 18 were fully or partially blind,
and the remaining 119 suffered other
injuries.[73]
The Somaliland Red Crescent Society (SRCS) runs a lower limb prosthetic and
component manufacturing center in Hargeisa, funded primarily by the Norwegian
Red Cross. Since 1999, the center has also operated a mobile clinic that makes
periodic visits to regions outside of Hargeisa. In 2003, the center produced
183 prostheses and 58 orthoses, and repaired 210 orthopedic devices; 80 mine
survivors benefited, including 22 women, and two
children.[74] In 2002, the
SRCS center assisted 291 people (93 mine survivors) with mobility devices, and
produced 165 prostheses and 50 orthoses, and repaired 109 prostheses. Between
1994 and July 2002, the center provided 1,246 mobility devices; 448 were for
landmine survivors.[75]
Handicap International supports the Disability Action Network (formerly
Action NordSud) rehabilitation center in Hargeisa. The center provides
physiotherapy treatments and produces low-cost prostheses, crutches and
wheelchairs. Since 2001, the center has assisted at least seven mine survivors
and eight UXO survivors. HI provides training for physiotherapy assistance and
orthopedic assistants. HI also supports local associations providing
socio-economic reintegration activities for persons with disabilities and raises
awareness on disability
issues.[76]
[1] See Landmine Monitor Report 1999, pp.
208-209, and Landmine Monitor report 2001, p. 264, for further details about
Somaliland’s commitment to the ban treaty internationally and
regionally. [2] Landmine Monitor
Report 2000, p. 212; Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p. 264; Landmine Monitor
Report 2003, p. 761. [3] The Landmine
Monitor researcher participated in the meetings.
[4] Email to Geneva Call from Edna
Adan Ismail, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Somaliland, 6 July 2004. The
delegation was to include the Minister herself, the Vice-President and
SMAC’s manager. [5] UNDP/UNOPS,
“Annual Report: Mine Action Program in Somaliland,” December
2002. [6] Email from Bo Bischoff, Head
of Mine Action Unit, DDG, 27 July
2002. [7] Remarks by Mohamed Ali
Ismail, DDG Manager, at mine ban advocacy workshop in Hargeisa, Somaliland,
27-28 October 2000. [8] Landmine
Monitor Report 2002, p. 852. [9]
Interviews with military officers and Ministry of Defense officials, Hargeisa,
January and February 2003. [10]
“Puntland Takes Full Control of Sool,” IRIN (Nairobi), 30 December
2003. Northeastern Somalia established the state of Puntland as an autonomous
region in 1998, and in 2000, the President issued a decree banning the use of
antipersonnel mines. [11] Landmine
Monitor has heard allegations of mine use from members of international agencies
who have contacts in the conflict area, but who have not personally traveled to
the region in recent months. [12]
Email from Edna Adan Ismail, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Somaliland, 22 June
2004; email from Saleeban Haji of Puntland Mine Action Center, 23 June
2004. [13] Various local journals (in
Somali), 22 January 2004. [14] See
Landmine Monitor Report 1999, pp. 210-212, and Landmine Monitor Report 2000, pp.
213-214 for further details on the extent of the landmine problem. Mines have
been found from Belgium, China, former Czechoslovakia, former East Germany,
Egypt, Italy, Pakistan, former Soviet Union, United Kingdom and United
States [15] Landmine Monitor Report
2002, p. 853. [16] UNDP Update,
intersessional Standing Committee meetings, Geneva, 9-13 February 2004. The
survey was rescheduled to start in August 2004. Email from John Dingley, Chief
Technical Advisor, UNDP Somalia, 8 July 2004.
[17] Memo from Mike Kendellen,
Director for Surveys, Survey Action Center, 27 May
2003. [18] The results of the LIS were
presented in two separate activities, one in Nairobi on 28 May 2004 with UNDP
and donor governments present, and a second in Somaliland on 6 June 2004,
officiated by the Vice-President, in his capacity as Chair of the
Inter-Ministerial Mine Action Committee, with other officials present; email
from Mohamed Osman Ahmed, Manager, SMAC, 22 August
2004. [19] “Landmine Impact
Survey: Phase 1: Awdal, Galbeed, Sahil, and Togdheer Regions, Executive
Summary,” Implemented by the Survey Action Center and the Danish Demining
Group, p. 3, available at: http://www.sac-na.org/pdf_text/somalia_ph1/ExecSummary.pdf
. [20]
Ibid. [21] Email from Mohamed Osman
Ahmed, SMAC, 22 August 2004. [22]
Email from Neil Ferrao, Horn of Africa Desk Officer, the HALO Trust, 22
September 2004. [23] Letter to
agencies involved in mine action from the Vice-President (ref
RSL/VP/NDA/13-01341/0304), 27 March 2004, referring to Presidential decree (ref
016/2004) of 11 March 2004. [24] UNDP
Update, intersessional Standing Committees, 9-13 February
2004. [25] Landmine Monitor
participated in the workshop in November 2003.
[26] Letter re Presidential decree
(ref 016/2004) from the Vice-President, 27 March
2004. [27] HALO and DDG have been
active in Somaliland since 1999, and SBF since 2000. DDG’s mandate
expires in 2006; response to LM Questionnaire by Erik Willadsen, Program
Coordinator, DDG, Copenhagen, 16 April 2004. SBF is not working in Somaliland
in 2004, but may return in 2005; email from Norbert Rossa, Executive Director,
SBF, Bonn, Germany, 7 July 2004.
[28] Email from Mohamed Osman Ahmed,
SMAC, 15 August 2004. [29] Email from
Neil Ferrao, HALO, 22 September
2004. [30] The following totals are
not complete, in that Landmine Monitor has not received information from DDG for
the year 2000, and has not received battle area clearance data from Santa
Barbara for any year. [31] Response to
LM Questionnaire by Norbert Rossa, SBF, 28 July
2004. [32]
Ibid. [33] Response to LM
Questionnaire by DDG, 16 April 2004. In 2003, at the request of the Ministry of
Defense, DDG also destroyed more than 18,000 dangerous and degraded ammunition
stocks, held by the military in Burao (Togdheer region). DDG, “Somaliland
Annual Report 2003,” 26 February
2004. [34] DDG, “Somaliland
Annual Report 2003,” 26 February
2004. [35] Response to LM
Questionnaire by DDG, 16 April 2004; DDG, “Somaliland Annual Report
2003,” 26 February 2004; previous editions of Landmine Monitor
Report. [36] Email to Landmine Monitor
(HRW) from Matthew Hovel, Caucasus and Balkans Desk Officer, HALO Trust, 3
September
2004. [37]Ibid. [38]Ibid. [39]
Information provided by SMAC. [40]
UNDP Update, Fifth Meeting of States Parties, Bangkok, Thailand, September
2003. [41] Landmine Monitor Report
2002, pp. 853-855. [42] Landmine
Monitor Report 2001, pp. 266-267. SBF originally reported 50,000 square meters,
not 240,000. [43] “UNDP/UNOPS,
“Annual Report,” December 2002. The data reported here does not
include clearance activities by Rimfire (before 1999), Greenfield Associates
(1999) and MineTech (1998-99). See Landmine Monitor Report 1999, p. 213 and
Landmine Monitor Report 2000, pp. 215-216, for further information about these
groups’ activities. [44] UNICEF
created the Mine Risk Education Advisory Group to advise the National Demining
Agency and SMAC on the development of effective MRE strategies and to improve
the collection and dissemination of relevant data on mine incidents. See
Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p.
855. [45] Email from Silvia Danailov,
Child Protection Officer, UNICEF Somalia Support Center, Nairobi, Kenya, 16 June
2003. [46] Ibid, 10 August
2004. [47] Email from Sophie Bonichon,
MRE Coordinator, HI, Lyon, France, 6 July
2004. [48] UNICEF/HI,
“Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Related to Landmines and UXO,”
November 2002. [49] UNICEF Somalia
Support Center, “Mines Awareness, Funding Proposal June 2003-December
2004,” undated, p. 4. [50] Email
to Landmine Monitor (HI) from John Dingley, UNDP, 21 September
2004. [51] Email from Norbert Rossa,
SBF, 7 July 2004. [52] Interview
with Burkhard Von Buttlar, Program Manager, SBF, 10 February
2003. [53] See Landmine Monitor Report
2000, p. 216, for more details. [54]
Unless otherwise noted, information comes from the individual country reports in
this edition of Landmine Monitor Report. In some cases, the funding was for the
country’s fiscal year, not calendar year 2003. Landmine Monitor has
converted the currencies and rounded off
numbers. [55] US Department of State,
“Congressional Budget Justifications: Foreign Operations, Fiscal Year
2005, Nonproliferation, Antiterrorism, Demining, and Related Programs (NADR)
Appropriation,” 10 February 2004, pp.
154-158. [56] Email from Paul Hannon,
Mines Action Canada, 22 July 2004. Information taken from the Mine Action
Investment database and confirmed with the Mine Action Unit,
DFAIT. [57] Ireland gave HALO €1
million ($1.15 million) for demining in Somalia, Afghanistan, Angola and
Eritrea. [58] Federal Department of
Defense, Civil Protection and Sports, www.vbs-ddps.ch, accessed on 5 April
2004. [59] Response to LM
Questionnaire by DDG, 16 April 2004. Sweden did not report funding for
Somaliland or Somalia in 2003. [60]
UNDP/UNOPS, “UNDP Somalia Mine Action Progress Report, January to June
2001,” p. 4. [61] Email from
Mohamed Osman Ahmed, SMAC, 5 September
2004. [62] Landmine Monitor analysis
of “recent” casualty data email from Mike Kendellen, Survey Action
Center, 20 August
2004. [63]Ibid. [64]
Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp.
267-269. [65] Email from Mohamed Osman
Ahmed, SMAC, 5 September 2004. [66]
Ibid, and 7 September 2004. [67]
“Landmine Impact Survey, Phase 1,” pp. 20-21. One casualty was
recorded in 2003 and four in
2000. [68] Email from Mohamed Osman
Ahmed, SMAC, 1 July 2003; “Landmine Impact Survey, Phase 1,” p.
22. [69] Email from Mohamed Osman
Ahmed, SMAC, 1 July
2003. [70]Ibid. [71]
Data from the Hargeisa Hospital compiled by Dr Suleiman Gulaid, Chief Surgeon,
and provided to Landmine Monitor, 29 February
2004. [72] Interview with Burkhard Von
Buttlar, SBF, 10 February 2003. [73]
“Landmine Impact Survey, Phase 1,” pp.
21-22. [74] Data provided by the
Somaliland Red Crescent Society Rehabilitation Workshop, Hargeisa. It should be
noted that these statistics are included in the information provided by the
Norwegian Red Cross in the Somalia
report. [75] Landmine Monitor Report
2003, p. 765; Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p.
856. [76] HI, “Program Summary:
Somaliland 2004,” 3 December 2003; Landmine Monitor Report 2003, p. 765;
Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p. 856.
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