Of
the 48 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, 35 are States Parties to the Mine Ban
Treaty. This is an increase of eight countries since publication of the
Landmine Monitor Report 2000. The countries that ratified or acceded to
the treaty in this reporting period are, in chronological order: Gabon,
Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Congo-Brazzaville (accession), Cape
Verde, and Guinea-Bissau.
Another seven countries have signed but not yet
ratified the Mine Ban Treaty: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gambia,
São Tomé e Príncipe, and Sudan. Three of those report that
domestic steps are completed, or nearly completed, for ratification: Angola,
Cameroon, and São Tomé e Príncipe.
Six countries in
the region remain outside the Mine Ban Treaty: Central African Republic,
Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Nigeria, and Somalia. The DR
Congo reports that domestic procedures for accession have been
completed.
Three States Parties have passed domestic legislation implementing
the Mine Ban Treaty, all in this reporting period: Mali, Mauritius, and
Zimbabwe. Eleven other countries indicate that implementation legislation in
the process of being enacted. Landmine Monitor is unaware of any steps underway
to enact domestic implementation legislation in: Benin, Cape Verde, Chad,
Congo-Brazzaville, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Niger, Sierra Leone, and
Tanzania.
Compliance with the requirement to submit Article 7 transparency
measures reports has improved in the last year. Benin, Burkina Faso, Lesotho,
Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Senegal, South Africa, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe
have submitted their initial Article 7 reports, and in some cases the required
annual updates. Botswana, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial
Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger,
Rwanda, Seychelles, Togo, and Uganda have not yet submitted their initial
reports, some of which were due in August 1999.
No country from the Africa
region voted against or abstained in voting for UN General Assembly Resolution
55/33V in support of the Mine Ban Treaty in November 2000. Three
non-signatories voted in favor of the resolution: Comoros, Eritrea and Nigeria.
Twenty-one of the 108 governments participating in the Second Meeting of States
Parties in Geneva were from Africa. Since the Second Meeting, Zimbabwe has
served as co-chair of the Intersessional Standing Committee on the General
Status and Operation of the Convention. Participation in the intersessional
meetings by African states increased recently due to increased sponsorship
efforts. African governments that attended at least one Standing Committee
meeting were Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central
African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon,
Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Senegal, South
Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, and Zambia.
In November 2000, Djibouti hosted a
conference on landmines for the Horn of Africa and Gulf of Aden states. In
February 2001, Mali hosted the Bamako Seminar on the Universalization and
Implementation of the Ottawa Convention in Africa, attended by 45 African
governments.
Use
In
this Landmine Monitor reporting period, since May 2000, there were confirmed new
uses of antipersonnel mines, or credible allegations of new use, in at least
eight conflicts: (1) in Angola by both government forces and UNITA rebels (with
use by both in Namibia as well); (2) in Burundi by rebel and/or government
forces; (3) in the Democratic Republic of Congo by government and rebel forces;
(4) in the Ethiopia-Eritrea border conflict by both sides; (5) in Senegal by
MFDC rebels; (6) in Somalia by various factions; (7) in Sudan by government and
SPLA/M rebels; and (8) in Uganda by LRA rebels.
Landmine Monitor received
reports that indicate a strong possibility of use of antipersonnel mines by
Ugandan forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo in June 2000. Uganda became
a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty in August 1999. The Ugandan government has
denied that it used antipersonnel mines in the DRC. There have also been
serious allegations of use of antipersonnel mines by Rwandan forces in the DRC
in June 2000. Rwanda was a Mine Ban Treaty signatory at the time; it became a
State Party on 1 December 2000. Rwanda denies any use of antipersonnel
mines.
Mine Ban Treaty signatory Angola has acknowledged continued use of
antipersonnel mines. There are strong indications that two other signatories
used antipersonnel mines: Ethiopia (until the end of its border conflict with
Eritrea in June 2000), and Sudan (ongoing use against SPLA/M and other rebel
forces). Both governments deny any use of antipersonnel mines. Eritrea for the
first time admitted to use of antipersonnel mines during its border conflict
with Ethiopia from May 1998 to June 2000.
In Burundi, which is a treaty
signatory, antipersonnel mines have continued to be used, and there have been
allegations of use by both government and rebel forces, but Landmine Monitor has
not been able to establish responsibility for the mine use. In August 2000, the
government of Burundi, for the first time known to Landmine Monitor, accused
rebel forces of using antipersonnel mines. This came in response to Landmine
Monitor’s report of serious allegations of use by the Burundi army. The
government has subsequently frequently accused rebels of planting mines.
In
February 2001 the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo for the first
time known to Landmine Monitor denied current or past use of antipersonnel
mines.
Production and Transfer
Landmine
Monitor received new allegations regarding production of antipersonnel mines in
Uganda, but is not in a position to confirm or deny these allegations. Uganda
denies any new production.
The use of antipersonnel mines in the region has
raised concerns about illicit cross-border transfers of antipersonnel mines, but
Landmine Monitor has not been able to document specific cases.
Stockpiling and Destruction
Botswana,
Gabon, Mauritius, Togo, and Zambia have stated to Landmine Monitor that they
have only small stockpiles of antipersonnel mines for training, but have not
provided the exact number of mines in stock. Burkina Faso, Comoros, Equatorial
Guinea, Ghana, Lesotho, Madagascar, and Senegal have confirmed that they do not
possess antipersonnel mines. Burundi revealed that its stockpile numbers less
than 15,000 antipersonnel mines. Cameroon declared a stockpile of 500
antipersonnel mines for training purposes. Congo-Brazzaville indicates that its
stockpile may number as much as 700,000-900,000 antipersonnel mines. Mauritania
has decided to retain 5,918 antipersonnel mines for training purposes.
Mozambique’s initial Article 7 report revealed the size of its stockpile
for the first time: 37,818. Sierra Leone acknowledged a stockpile of
approximately 900 antipersonnel mines. Tanzania is the only State Party yet to
reveal whether or not it maintains any stockpile of antipersonnel mines, but it
is assumed to do so. In addition to those States Parties, those believed to
have stockpiles of antipersonnel mines include Mine Ban Treaty non-signatories
Central African Republic, DR Congo, Eritrea, Nigeria and Somalia; and treaty
signatories Angola, Ethiopia, and Sudan.
Zimbabwe completed the destruction
of its stockpile in November 2000. Mauritania reports that it destroyed its
stockpile of approximately 5,000 antipersonnel mines over the course of the past
three years. Mali, Namibia, and South Africa previously destroyed their
stockpiles. The eight States Parties in Africa that have not begun the
destruction process include: Chad, Djibouti, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda,
Tanzania, and Zambia. Three of these have only been States Parties a short time
including Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Mine Action Funding
In
2000, it is estimated that mine action funding for Mozambique totaled about $17
million, an increase from 1999. Funding for Angola in 2000 is estimated at $13
million, a decrease from 1999. Others receiving mine action funding included
Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Namibia, Rwanda,
Somalia/Somaliland, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
Mine action in
the region is primarily funded by the European Commission, Australia, Austria,
Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New
Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United
States.
Landmine Problem
In
the region, twenty-six countries, plus Somaliland, are mine-affected. These
countries include: Angola, Burundi, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Djibouti, DR Congo,
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania,
Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan,
Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Landmine Impact Surveys
were completed in Chad and Mozambique. In Somalia, an advance survey mission
was conducted. The UK-based Mines Advisory Group has conducted an assessment
mission to Uganda. The initial findings of the Mozambique Landmine Impact
Survey were released in June 2001. It found that all ten provinces and 123 out
of 128 districts in Mozambique are mine-affected. The survey identified 1,374
suspected mined areas, covering an estimated 562 square kilometers.
In
2000/2001 UNMAS carried out assessment or fact-finding missions to Chad,
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and Zambia.
Mine Clearance
Mine
clearance is taking place in sixteen countries or areas, including Angola, Chad,
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda,
Somaliland, Sudan, and Zimbabwe, with smaller-scale activities in Djibouti,
Mauritania, Uganda, and Zambia.
During 2000 and early 2001, mine clearance
operations were carried out in the following countries and regions in Africa:
Angola, Chad, DR Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya,
Liberia, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Somaliland, Sudan,
Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
In 2000, the area of land cleared in Mozambique
was 5 million square meters, including over 317 kilometers of road. A total of
6,679 mines and 993 UXO were cleared and destroyed. In 2000, 1,335
antipersonnel mines, 51 antitank mines, and 75,017 UXO were cleared and
destroyed in Angola. The NGO HUMAID in Guinea-Bissau began demining operations
in January 2000, and by early 2001, 1.4 million square meters and 202 kilometers
of roads had been cleared. In Mauritania, 27 minefields had been identified,
and some 3,200 antipersonnel mines and 2,300 unexploded shells destroyed. Mine
clearance operations resumed in Rwanda in June 2000 and by January 2001, 2,966
mines and UXO were removed and 11,337 square meters of land were cleared for
resettlement. In Southern Sudan, between September 1997 and March 2001
clearance teams have removed 2,816 antipersonnel mines, 411 antitank mines, and
88,019 UXO, recovering 2,972,024 square meters of land, along with 676 miles of
road.
With French support, Benin is establishing a regional demining training
center open to other African countries, which should become operational in
mid-2002. In February 2001, a National Mine Action Center was inaugurated in
Djibouti.
Mine Awareness
Mine
awareness programs have been conducted in Angola, Burundi, DR Congo, Djibouti,
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda,
Senegal, Somaliland, Sudan (including in the south), and Uganda. In March 2001,
in the DRC, HI Belgium launched a six-month mine action program to prepare,
coordinate and implement a clearance and mine awareness program in the Kisangani
area.
Mine Casualties
Twenty
countries, and Somaliland, in Africa reported mine or UXO victims in this
reporting period. Malawi is the only one to have reported casualties that had
not done so in 1999. Several countries were dropped from Landmine
Monitor’s previous casualty list, due to lack of tangible evidence to
indicate new victims, although these countries remain mine-affected: Niger,
Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Zambia. It should be noted that although Tanzania
has recorded no new casualties in 2000-2001, the country does provide assistance
to mine survivors coming over the border from Burundi. Specific, but admittedly
incomplete, totals include:
In Angola, 840 casualties were recorded for 2000;
In Chad, approximately 300 casualties were reported over the past 24
months;
In Eritrea, 49 casualties were reported in May and June 2000;
In Ethiopia, there were 170 new casualties in just the Tigray region in
2000.
In Namibia, 139 casualties were reported in 2000;
In Senegal, the number of new casualties decreased slightly to 57 in
2000.
In Somalia, 147 casualties were reported in just two central regions in
2000;
In Somaliland, 107 casualties were recorded in 2000;
In Sudan, more than 321 casualties were reported between September 1999 and
March 2001.
Survivor Assistance
In
Angola, national authorities have adopted a new five-year plan for physical
rehabilitation. In Mozambique, the recently created Council for Action on
Disability will work closely with NGOs and international agencies to build
capacity internally and move toward long-term sustainability of programs for the
disabled. In Uganda, a new disability policy has been put in place.
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