LM Report 2000

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TOGO

Key developments since March 1999: Togo ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on 9 March 2000. Togo has stated that it has a small stockpile of antipersonnel mines for training purposes.

Togo signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 4 December 1997. On 29 March 1999 the National Assembly unanimously passed Law N° 99-005 authorizing ratification of the treaty. The instrument of ratification was deposited on 9 March 2000. The treaty enters into force for Togo on 1 September 2000. Its Article 7 transparency measures report will be due by 28 February 2001. While the ratification legislation did not impose any domestic implementation measures, officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense told Landmine Monitor that they are aware of the need to take measures to properly apply the Mine Ban Treaty.^[1]

Togo attended the First Meeting of States Parties in Maputo in May 1999. It did not participate in any of the intersessional meetings of the treaty in Geneva in 1999 or 2000. Togo voted for UN General Assembly Resolution 54/54B in support of the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1999.

Togo is a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons and its original Protocol II on landmines, but not Amended Protocol II. It is not a member of the Conference on Disarmament.

In a response to a request for updated information, Togo’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that Togo does not produce or transfer antipersonnel mines, but does possess a small quantity of AP mines for training.^[2] The National Army told Landmine Monitor that it has never used AP mines.^[3]

On 20 April 1999 an explosion of two devices reported to be antipersonnel mines near the private residence of the Head of State killed one person.^[4] The National Army said that the explosion was caused by grenades abandoned by terrorists.^[5]

Togo is not mine-affected. According to the Ministry of Defense, the Army has mine clearance ability.^[6] Ninety-nine engineers have been trained in mine clearance in France and in Togo, sponsored by the Togolese government.^[7] In 1998 and 1999 the Army helped to mark out mined areas in Guinea-Bissau as part of the African peacekeeping force of ECOMOG.

[1] Interview with Elom Akpalou, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lomé, 25 April 2000.
[2] Letter to Landmine Monitor from Assani Tidjani, General de Brigade, Ministry of National Defense, N° 314/MDN/CAB/00, 6 April 2000.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Tata Hounkanli, “Lomé: Un homme tué par deux fortes explosions aux abords de Lomé II,” CROCODILE, (Lome), 22 April 1999.
[5] Letter to Landmine Monitor from Assani Tidjani, Ministry of National Defense, 6 April 2000.
[6] Interview with General Assani Tidjani, Ministry of National Defense, Lomé, 20 March 2000.
[7] Interview with Colonel Bitenewe, Advisor, Ministry of National Defense, Lomé, 14 June 2000.