Mali’s Minister of
Foreign Affairs signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997 in Ottawa. In
accordance with Law 98-019 (9 March 1998) and Ordinance 98-009/P-RM (3 April
1998), President Konaré ratified on 10 April 1998. Mali deposited the
instruments of ratification on 2 June 1998, the fourteenth country to do so and
the first from West Africa. But the government has yet to adopt national
implementation measures, as required by Article 9 of the ban treaty. Nor has it
begun to draft its report as required by Article 7. According to a government
spokesperson, Mali intends to take these measures within the time stipulated by
the Treaty.[1] Mali is not a party
to the Convention on Conventional Weapons nor its amended Protocol on
landmines.
Mali supported the Ottawa Process by endorsing the Brussels Declaration,
participating in the Vienna and Bonn preparatory meeting, the Oslo negotiations
(as a full participant) and supporting key 1996, 1997 and 1998 UN General
Assembly resolutions. Mali has taken exemplary measures to destroy its
stockpiles. This is part of a wider approach to disarmament issues by the
government and, especially, President Alpha Oumar Konaré.
Malian non-governmental organizations have played an important role in
developing public awareness on the landmine issue. The Association Malienne des
droits de l'Homme (AMDH), in particular, led efforts by creating a National
Commission against antipersonnel mines on 13 November 1998, consisting of nine
NGOs from diverse
backgrounds.[2]
Use
On 25 May 1998, President Konaré declared
that "the Malian Army has never used antipersonnel mines in any of the conflicts
it has been involved in."[3] A
press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issued the same day,
confirmed this statement. In spite of the armed border dispute with Burkina
Faso in 1974 and 1985, and in spite of the Tuareg insurgency which lasted
several years, no mine incident has yet been recorded in Mali, although there
were rumors in 1994 of mine-laying in the Malian Sahara, by both government and
rebel forces. Mali has no problem with uncleared mines.
Stockpiling, Production, Transfer
Mali does not produce or export mines. Mali
declared that it has possessed stockpiles of antipersonnel mines since 1974, the
majority of supplied by the former Soviet
Union.[4] Before the destruction
program began, Mali held some 3,000 blast antipersonnel mines, 5,000 antitank
mines and 1,900 traction mines.[5]
On 25 May 1998, the 35th anniversary of the OAU, Mali destroyed its first
batch of stockpiled antipersonnel mines. In the presence of President
Konaré and the government, the diplomatic corps and many foreign
dignitaries, including former UN Secretary-General Boutros-Boutros Ghali, some
400 antitank mines, 500 antipersonnel mines and 160 traction mines were
destroyed.
The government had planned to destroy all its stockpile in twenty-five other
destruction sessions between 25 May and 22 September 1998, but due to logistical
problems and a lack of sufficient funds this goal has not yet been
achieved.[6] The total value of the
mines which will be destroyed is estimated at the equivalent of
$385,000.[7] The Armed Forces will
retain a certain number of mines for training purposes, in accordance with the
article 3 of the Treaty.[8]
[1]Interview, Mohamed
Touré, Directeur des affaires juridiques at the Ministère des
affaires étrangères, 15 January 1999.
[2]Association pour le
progrès et la défense des femmes au Mali (APDF), Comité
d’action de défense des droits et l’enfant et de la femme
(CADEF), Convention pour la vulgarisation du droit au Mali (CVDM),
Fédération de l’éducation nationale (FEN), Syndicat
autonome des greffiers (SAG), Syndicat national de la police (SNP),
Réseau des journalistes pour la promotion des droits de l’homme
(RJPRODH), Association malienne des droits de l’homme (AMDH).
[3]“ATout sera detruit
d’ici septembre”, L’Essor, Bamako, 27 May 1998.
[4]Anonymous Malian sources. From
independence in 1960, Mali maintained close links with the former Soviet Union
and other Eastern Bloc military powers.
[5]Numbers suppled by Colonel
Béguéle Sioro, head of Direction du matériel, des
hydrocarbures et du transport des armées (DHMTA) du Mali. This agency
was in charge of the destruction of the first part of the Malian stockpiles.
[6]Information provided by the
AMDH, a member of the National Commission to Ban Landmines. The funding and
logistics problems are the result of the need to move the destruction site. At
present, the site is too close to the city (only 10km away from residential
areas) and thus poses a security problem.
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