LM Report 2001

Full Report   Executive Summary   Translations   Major Findings   Key Developments   Print   Maps

	Select a chapter ... About LM 2001 Introduction Africa Americas Asia-Pacific Europe/Central Asia Middle East/North Africa ICBL Appendices Exec. Summary Maps
	Select a country ... -STATES PARTIES- Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Cape Verde Chad Congo (Brazzaville) Côte D'ivoire Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Gabon Ghana Guinea Guinea Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Niger Rwanda Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone South Africa Swaziland Tanzania Togo Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe -SIGNATORIES- Angola Burundi Cameroon Ethiopia Gambia São Tomé e Principe Sudan -NON SIGNATORIES- Central African Republic Comoros Dem. Rep. of Congo Eritrea Nigeria Somalia -OTHER- Somaliland

MALI

Key developments since May 2000: Mali has adopted legislation to implement the Mine Ban Treaty at the national level. In February 2001, Mali hosted the Bamako Seminar on the Universalization and Implementation of the Ottawa Convention in Africa, attended by 45 African governments. Mali’s initial transparency report required by Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 was finally submitted on 17 May 2001.

Mine Ban Policy

Mali signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997, ratified it on 2 June 1998 and became a State Party on 1 March 1999. Responsibility for the implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty is shared between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Malians of the Exterior, the Ministry of Army Forces and War Veterans, the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection, and the Ministry of Justice.^[1]

In accordance with Mine Ban Treaty Article 9, implementation legislation was adopted on 27 September 2000 and 15 November 2000.^[2] The two legal texts prohibit the development, manufacturing, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention, offer, import, export, transfer, and use of antipersonnel mines. Breach of the legislation is punishable with a maximum of life imprisonment and a fine of between CFA500,000 and CFA3 million (approximately US$680 to $4,000).^[3] A five to ten year prohibition on entering the country can be added to the initial sentence. Unsuccessful attempts to breach the law are subject to similar punishments.^[4]

Mali attended the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in September 2000 and the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in May 2001. It did not participate in the Standing Committee meetings in December 2000. In November 2000, at the UN General Assembly, Mali voted in favor of Resolution 55/33V, which calls for universalization and full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty.

Mali’s initial transparency report required by Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 was submitted on 17 May 2001; it was originally due by 28 August 1999. The report covers the period from 30 October 1998 to 17 January 2001.

On 15-16 February 2001, Mali hosted the Bamako Seminar on the Universalization and Implementation of the Ottawa Convention in Africa, organized with France and Canada. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Malians of the Exterior, Modibo Sidibe, chaired the opening ceremony and plenary as well as the closing ceremony, at which he presented the seminar’s conclusions. It was notable for the widespread attendance, as 45 African governments participated, including several who had never before attended international landmine meetings, such the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, and Congo-Brazzaville. The OAU, ICBL, ICRC, and UN agencies also participated.

The former President of Mali, General Amadou Toumani Toure, has been chosen as a special envoy by the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) to deliver a “mine ban” message from the OIF Secretary General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, to selected French-speaking countries around the world.^[5]

Mali is not a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Production, Transfer, Use, and Stockpiling

Mali does not produce or export antipersonnel mines.^[6] Mali states that it has never used antipersonnel mines.^[7] There are no reports that either the government or the rebels used antipersonnel mines during the Touareg rebellion. Mali is not mine-affected^[8] and there are no reports of any mine victims on its territory.

Previously, Mali had announced that it completed stockpile destruction in October 1998, destroying 5,127 antipersonnel mines and 4,131 antitank mines without antihandling devices at a cost of CFA 49.9 million.^[9] Mali also stated that it would retain 2,000 antipersonnel mines for training purposes and 6,400 antitank mines equipped with antihandling devices.^[10]

Mali’s May 2001 Article 7 report provides different information. It indicates that stockpile destruction began on 25 May 1998 and was completed on 22 September 1998. A total of 7,127 antipersonnel mines were destroyed (4,225 PMNs and 2,902 POZ-2.5s), as well as 5,131 antitank mines without antihandling devices.^[11] This constitutes destruction of 1,000 more mines of each type than previously reported. The mines were destroyed at Kambila, by “l’explosion par le procede electrique.”^[12] Destruction costs totaled CFA14,193,514 (approx. US$26,600).^[13]

The Article 7 report also indicates that Mali will, as previously reported, retain 2,000 antipersonnel mines for training (1,000 each of PMN and POZ-2.5), as well as 1,000 SDAM antitank mines “sans dispositif anti manipulation” [without antihandling devices].^[14] In its technical description of the SDAM in the Article 7 report, it would appear to be the mine commonly known as the TM-57 (ex-Soviet). It would also appear the mine utilizes a tilt rod fuze. Several other Mine Ban Treaty States Parties have destroyed tilt rods because they cause the antitank mine to function as an antipersonnel mine.

Ordinance 049/P-RM, dated 27 September 2000, allows the State to acquire, retain or transfer antipersonnel mines for destruction, development of technologies for demining and training purposes. The ordinance repeats verbatim Mine Ban Treaty Article 3, mentioning that it “shall not exceed the minimum number absolutely necessary for the above mentioned purposes.”^[15]

^[1] “Atelier sur la Législation Nationale,” Legal Affairs Department, Koulouba, Mali, 13 February 2001, p. 1.
^[2] Ordinance No. 049/P-RM on the Implementation of the Convention, adopted on 27 September 2000, and Decree No. 569/P-RM on the Application of the Ordinance, adopted on 15 November 2000.
^[3] CFA100 = US$7.32422, exchange rate of 27 March 2001.
^[4] “Atelier sur la Législation Nationale,” Legal Affairs Department, Koulouba, Mali, 13 February 2001, pp. 1-2.
^[5] OIF press release, Paris, 8 January 2001.
^[6] Article 7 report, Form E, submitted 17 May 2001. See also, Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 62.
^[7] Statement of the Ministry of Defense to the closing ceremony of the Intergovernmental Seminar on the Universalization and Implementation of the Ottawa Convention in Africa, Bamako, 16 February 2001.
^[8] Article 7 report, Form C.
^[9] Statement by the Mali Delegation to the First Meeting of States Parties, Maputo, 3 May 1999, p. 5. The AP mines were identified as 3,225 “pression” (apparently PMN) and 1,902 “traction” (apparently POMZ-2).
^[10] Ibid. The retained mines include 1,000 “pression” and 1,000 “traction” antipersonnel mines.
^[11] Article 7 report, Form B, submitted 17 May 2001. Based on the technical description, the “POZ-2,5” is the mine commonly known as the POMZ-2M.
^[12] Article 7 report, Form F.
^[13] “Atelier sur la Législation Nationale,” Legal Affairs Department, Koulouba, Mali, 13 February 2001, pp. 2-3.
^[14] Article 7 Report, Form D.
^[15] “Atelier sur la Législation Nationale,” Legal Affairs Department, Koulouba, Mali, 13 February 2001, pp. 2-3.

<Previous | Next>