Latvia has not signed
the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. Latvia attended the all the Ottawa Process diplomatic
meetings, but did not endorse the pro-treaty Brussels Declaration in June 1997,
and took part in the Oslo negotiations only as an observer. Latvia voted yes on
the pro-ban UN General Assembly resolutions in 1996, 1997, and 1998. It signed
the Convention on Conventional Weapons and its Protocol II on mines on 4 January
1993, but has not ratified.
At the Budapest Regional Conference on Antipersonnel Landmines, 26-28 March
1998, a Latvian Foreign Ministry official said that Latvia “welcomes the
efforts of the international community to put an end to the use of this weapon
and to eliminate eventually all emplaced and stockpiled antipersonnel
mines.” He also said that Latvia “does not have practical problems
to comply with [the treaty’s] requirements. Antipersonnel mines are not
produced or manufactured in Latvia. Latvia maintains no active minefields at her
borders or elsewhere. The limited number of antipersonnel mines retained in the
National Armed Forces stockpiles is estimated to be sufficient for training
purposes for no longer than the next 7 to 8 years. The export of all types of
antipersonnel mines has already been prohibited...since September of
1995.”[1]
He concluded, “Latvia looks forward to joining the Ottawa Convention in
the nearest possible future. However, due to the very limited resources of
military equipment and materiel forces available to the Latvian military, we
must first seek suitable and cost-effective alternatives.... the problem of
alternatives...is, in fact, the sole obstacle on our way to join the Ottawa
process.”[2]
In 1998 while in Canada, Latvian Defense Minister Talavs Jundzis stated that
Latvia intends to sign the Treaty in the future, but his statement has not been
repeated by the new Minister of Defense. The Latvian military still holds that
there is legitimate use of APMs, such as to protect strategic objects. Due to
the weakness of the Latvian defense system, it considers that the use of
antitank mines together with APMs can be an efficient tool in case of a massive
land invasion.[3] The
reluctance on the part of Latvia (and other Baltic states) to fully join the
Ottawa process stems in large part from its occupation by the former Soviet
Union, and continued concern about Russian aggression. The military has argued
that antipersonnel mines can be an inexpensive and reliable means to slow down
an attack, and that no affordable alternatives
exist.[4]
Production, Transfer, Stockpiling, Use
The Latvian government states that it has never
produced or exported antipersonnel
mines.[5] In September 1995
the Latvian government instituted a formal, indefinite moratorium on export of
all APMs. It was reaffirmed in
1997.[6] The government has
acknowledged that it has a stockpile of antipersonnel mines. According to a
military official, the number of APMs is about
20,000.[7]
There is no evidence of recent use of antipersonnel mines by Latvian Armed
Forces.[8] However, in Latvia,
as well as other Baltic countries, explosives and homemade mines are used by
criminal elements. According to the Riga City Police department, the number of
explosions in Riga, the biggest city in the Baltics, in 1997 was 37, and in 1998
was 23. Most of them caused death, injuries and serious damage to vehicles or
buildings. Most of explosions were targeted to other criminal elements or people
involved in “business
disputes.”[9]
Landmine Problem and Mine Action
The biggest problem for Latvia is mines and other
explosives left during WWI, WWII and Soviet occupation. Every year Latvian Armed
forces neutralize or dispose more than 3,000 ammunition items. Destruction is
carried out by explosion and incineration. EOD personnel were trained in the
U.S. and Germany. Equipment assistance has come from Denmark.
Following are statistics on explosives detected and destroyed in Latvia in
the period of 1993-1997:
- mines (APMs, antitank mines, mines of special use) 24,251
- artillery and gun projectiles 4,082
- navy ammunition (mines, torpedoes) 53
- aviation bombs (weight, not exceeding 500 kg) 1,298
About 10.3 tons of plastic and other explosives were also
destroyed.[11]
Comparing the three Baltic countries, the mine situation is the worst in
Latvia where large areas of agricultural land still are closed for civil use.
Unique is the situation in Cekule in the suburbs of the Latvian capital Riga,
where in the area of 240 ha. the contamination of the soil is about 10-15 pieces
of ammunition per cubic meter. Contamination is up to 3 meters deep. After
several cases in 1995 and in 1997 when explosives were found and schoolchildren
were wounded, the area is now partially protected and corresponding warning
signs are displayed. According to U.S. experts, clearing Cekule would cost up to
US$100 million, and it would be less expensive to cover the whole area with a
layer of concrete.[12] Since
1994, engineering units of NAF of Latvia have been clearing the area, not deeper
than 15 cm.
Another area of concern is Zvarde (24 000 ha), which as the former Soviet
aviation test ground was closed to the civilian population after the WWII. Due
to military operations during the war the area is mined, and the effort to
reclaim the land for peasants often is useless, since the property can not be
used for agricultural purposes because of the contamination.
According to the National Armed Forces representatives, Latvian Armed Forces
are training EOD personnel from the Latvian Homeguard Units (voluntary defense
organizations under the National Armed Forces), the Latvian Navy, and the
Ministry of Interior. There are two levels of qualification of EOD personnel and
about 200 Homeguards and 10 professional deminers are able to participate in
demining operations (except sea operations). There are immense problems with the
demining equipment, and specialized vehicles existing in the Latvian
army.[13]
Since 1995 no state funds have been used for demining
operations.[14] Local
government funding for demining equipment has decreased from approximately
US$4,000 to US$3,000.
There has been some Western assistance for demining operations by Denmark and
the U.S.[15]
Not very much is done in the area of mine awareness. Areas seriously
contaminated by explosives are marked by signs and partially
guarded.[16] One Latvian NGO,
the Baltic International Center of Human Education, is now carrying out a mine
awareness project financed by Open Society Institute and local
organizations.
[1] Statement of Mr. Ingemars
Biseneiks, Security Policy Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, to
the Budapest Regional Conference on Antipersonnel Landmines, 26-28 March
1998.
[3]Interview with Guntis
Aizporietis, National Armed Forces, Riga, 15 December 1998.
[4] Interview with Mr.
Krivas, Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, Vilnius, 22 January 1999; telephone
interview with Mr. Mannik, Estonian Ministry of Defense, 27 January 1999;
interview with Mr. Aizporietis, Latvian National Armed Forces, Riga, 15 December
1998.
[5]Interview with Ingmars
Bisenieks, Latvian Foreign Ministry, Riga, 23 November 1998.