Key
developments since May 2000: In March 2001, the Survey Action Center
carried out an Advance Survey Mission in Somaliland and several regions of
Somalia to plan for a comprehensive Landmine Impact Survey. The HALO Trust,
the Danish Demining Group and others continued mine clearance activities.
Following a mine ban advocacy workshop held 27-28 October 2000, the Somaliland
authorities reportedly created a ministerial level commission to plan the
destruction of landmine stocks. There were 107 landmine/UXO casualties recorded
in Somaliland in 2000.
The self-declared Republic of Somaliland cannot
become a signatory of the Mine Ban Treaty until it receives international
recognition as an independent state. However, over the past several years it has
pronounced its willingness to abide by all the Mine Ban Treaty
requirements.[160] The
Minister of Rehabilitation and Reintegration and Reconstruction of Somaliland,
Mr. Abdillahi Hussein Iman, reaffirmed Somaliland’s willingness to abide
by the Mine Ban Treaty during a two-day mine ban advocacy workshop organized in
Hargeisa by the UN Development Program’s Somalia Civil Protection Program
on 27-28 October 2000. Somaliland also participated, as an observer, in the
Horn of Africa/Gulf of Aden States conference on landmines held in Djibouti
16-18 November 2000.
Production, Transfer, and Stockpiling
Somaliland does not produce or export antipersonnel
mines, nor does it appear to be a transit point for landmines. However, there
are reports of small-scale arm deals, including landmines, by private traders to
southern Somalia factions.[161]
In March 2001, several police officers in the central town of Burao were
arrested after allegedly selling antitank mines earlier confiscated by customs
officials from private
dealers.[162]
Officials
acknowledge that there are large stocks of mines inherited from the disbanded
army of the Somali Democratic
Republic.[163] The Danish
Demining Group (DDG) informed the mine ban workshop in October 2000 that DDG has
destroyed antipersonnel mine stocks confiscated by local police from individuals
or militias.[164] Following
the workshop, the Somaliland government created a ministerial level commission
to plan the destruction of landmine stocks.
Landmine Problem, Survey and Assessment
In March 2001, the Somali Mine Action Center (SMAC)
in Somaliland reported the existence of 402 mined areas (184 suspected
minefields and 218 suspected mined
roads).[165]
According to
the UN, “A major problem is that the location and extent of mined areas is
largely unknown, and therefore the magnitude of the problem to be contained has
not been determined.”[166]
While limited surveys have been conducted in the past and some mine clearance is
underway, it views the results of actions as “inadequate for use as a base
for future mine action
planning.”[167]
In
March 2001, a team from the Survey Action Center carried out an Advance Survey
Mission in Somaliland and several regions of Somalia to plan for a comprehensive
Landmine Impact Survey for Somaliland and other regions of
Somalia.[168] A project
proposal has been developed, and SAC plans to begin the survey in late 2001,
depending on funding.[169]
In 2000, the DDG invited the Assistance to Mine Affected Communities”
(AMAC) project at the Peace Research Institute of Oslo (PRIO) to conduct a
community study in the village of
Adadley.[170]
Mine Action Coordination and Funding
In Somaliland, the Ministry of Rehabilitation,
Reconstruction and Resettlement (MRRR) is responsible for overseeing mine action
and it has established a National Demining Agency, which is charged with
responsibility for policy on mine
action.[171] The Somali Mine
Action Center (SMAC) was established by UNDP and its mission is “To
establish and maintain a sustainable National Mine Action capacity in Somalia by
September 2003.”[172]
SMAC has six Regional Mines Offices in Somaliland, including an Information
Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) and an external quality control
system.[173] According to UNDP
Somalia, a support cell responsible for personnel, logistics and finance
functions of SMAC will be established by September
2001.[174]
In late 1999, the
UN Development Program reorganized SMAC and appointed a new program manager.
According to an international mine clearance organization active in Somaliland,
the reorganized SMAC is now more effective in coordinating mine
action.[175] Various agencies
are involved in mine action in Somaliland. Monthly progress reports are
submitted to
SMAC.[176]
According to the
UN, the current annual budget for mine clearance in Somalia, including
Somaliland (which would account for nearly all the funds), is approximately $4.5
million, coming from the US, EU, Denmark and
Germany.[177]
The Somali
Mine Action Program’s budget as put forward by the requesting agency,
UNDP, seeks $9.83 million for 2001 (year one of the program) and $5.86 million
had been received as of April
2001.[178] For 2002, (year two)
$11.24 million is sought while the budget for 2003 is $10.86 million.
UNICEF sought $300,000 for mine awareness activities in affected areas of
Somalia in 2001, including an impact assessment and support of community-based
rehabilitation programs.[179]
In 2001, the World Health Organization (WHO) sought $303,970 in funds for
activities from June 2001 to June 2002, including assistance and support to mine
victims.[180] As of April 2001
neither proposal had received any funding.
Mine Clearance
The Danish Demining Group (DDG) will receive in
2000 and 2001 about US$1.6 million from DANIDA (Denmark), SIDA (Sweden) and the
European Union. In 2000, DDG completed mine clearance activities at Haregisa
International Airport, destroying 40 landmines, 895 UXO and 48 S-24 air
bombs.[181] DDG also completed
mine clearance activity around six destroyed bridges along the Dila-Berbera
road. This is the main road from the port of Berbera. The EU is funding the
reconstruction of the destroyed bridges and culverts along this economically
important highway.
HALO Trust, with support from the United States
Department of State, began mine clearance in July 1999. HALO deploys five mine
clearance teams -- four funded by the United States, and a new team in 2001
funded by the Dutch government. HALO’s operations target removal of mines
and unexploded ordnance (UXO) that are perceived to constrain the return of
refugees from Ethiopia and Djibouti. The US provided $3.8 million from July
1999 to February 2002. Additionally the US provided a $150,000 grant
administered through HALO for regional office construction and office equipment
for the national demining agency (NDA). Dutch funding through the end of 2001
is US$159,766. During 2000, HALO conducted an extensive five-month mine
detection dog trial in Somaliland. In October 2001, HALO will again deploy mine
dogs. HALO Trust workers and SMAC now believe that Somaliland may be declared
mine-free in less than seven years if the current funding and clearance activity
is maintained.[182]
The
Santa Barbara Foundation is engaged in mine clearance in Gabiley district, west
of Hargeisa, with funding from Germany and private foundations. More than
50,000 square meters of ground had been cleared as of 1 June
2000.[183]
Between August
and September 2000, CARE International received 1,040,757 Euro (approximately US
$916,000) in funds from the European Commission for mine action activities in
Somaliland.[184] It also
received $343,817 from the U.S. between September 1998 and March 2000. CARE
International’s mine action activities have included surveys and clearance
contracted to Mine Tech, training of medical personnel, and a mine awareness
project with a voluntary youth group.
There are three quality management
teams in SMAC under UNDP supervision, which conducted external quality
management on 32 areas cleared by international demining
organizations.[185] Almost 1.3
million square meters of cleared land was handed back to communities in
Somaliland.[186]
Mine Awareness
UNDP Somalia completed a mine awareness program in
Somali refugee camps in Djibouti, in cooperation with UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP and
Handicap International.[187] It
now intends to extend the project to Somali refugee camps in Ethiopia and to
communities inside Somalia, in cooperation with the abovementioned partners.
Landmine Casualties and Survivor Assistance
Landmine Monitor learned that in 2000 regional mine
officers were instructed to compile more systematically incident reports.
According to statistics received from SMAC in July 2001, in calendar year 2000
there were 107 landmine/UXO casualties in Somaliland, including 73 males and 34
females, of whom 60 were children and 47 adults. Forty-eight casualties
resulted from antipersonnel mines, 48 from antitank mines, and 32 from
UXO.[188]
Two decades of conflict and instability devastated Somaliland’s
health care and social services
infrastructure.[31] Two NGOs
based in Hargeisa provide some assistance to landmine survivors: the Somaliland
Red Crescent Society and Handicap International France. Between 1993 and
December 1999, the Somaliland Red Crescent Society rehabilitation center
provided prostheses to 1,082 patients, of which 382 were mine victims.
Total Number of Patients who obtained Prostheses from Hargeisa
Rehabilitation Centre of Somaliland Red Crescent Society: 1994 to December
1999[32]
Mine
UXO/Gunshot Injury
Accident
Others
Total
Male
300
400
90
110
900
Female
58
32
8
38
136
Children
24
6
2
14
46
Total
382
438
100
162
1082
Handicap International provides prostheses, crutches, and wheelchairs,
and runs a physiotherapy clinic for amputees and other disabled people. HI is
also involved in projects assisting the social reintegration of the disabled,
including mine
survivors.[33]
[160] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2000, p.
212.
[161] A number of such
arms deals were reported to Landmine Monitor. These trades occur mostly in
Eastern regions of Somaliland.
[162]Jumhuriya
(newspaper in Somali), 25 March
2001.
[163]Landmine
Monitor Report 2000, pp.
212-213.
[164] Remarks by
Mohamed Ali Ismail, DDG Manager, at mine ban advocacy workshop in Hargeisa,
27-28 October.
[165] Report
received from the Somaliland Mine Action Center. Additionally, Landmine Monitor
obtained mine survey data pooled from regional mine officers reporting to SMAC,
from SMAC/Hargeisa, 10 February 2001. [166] UN Portfolio of
Mine-related Projects, April 2001, p.
210.
[167]
Ibid.
[168] SAC, Global
Landmine Survey, submission to Landmine Monitor, July
2001.
[169] Survey Action
Center, Global Landmine Survey, submission to Landmine Monitor, July 2001; also,
UNDP Country and Global Programmes, “Mine Action Update,” 1 March
2001.
[170] Email to Landmine
Monitor (NPA) from Ananda S. Millard, “Assistance to Mine Affected
Communities” (AMAC), PRIO, 12 July
2001.
[171] UN Portfolio of
Mine-related Projects, April 2001, p.
210.
[172] UNDP/UNOPS,
“UNDP Somalia Mine Action Progress Report, January to June 2001,” p.
1.
[173] Ibid, p.
2.
[174]
Ibid.
[175] Danish Demining
Group, “DDG Progress Report for the Year 2000: Phase II, January-December
2000.”
[176] Email
from Alan Macdonald, Africa Desk officer, The HALO Trust, to Mary Wareham, Human
Rights Watch, Coordinator/Landmine Monitor, 19 July
2001.
[177] UNDP/UNOPS,
“UNDP Somalia Mine Action Progress Report, January to June 2001,” p.
4.
[178] UN Portfolio of
Mine-related Projects, April 2001, p.
210.
[179] Ibid, p.
213.
[180] Ibid, p.
215.
[181] Danish Demining
Group, “DDG Progress Report for the Year 2000: Phase II, January-December
2000;” “Demining in Hargeisa,” UN IRIN/ All Africa Global
Media, 13 March 2001;
[182]
Email from Alan Macdonald, Africa Desk officer, The HALO Trust, to Mary Wareham,
Human Rights Watch, Coordinator/Landmine Monitor, 19 July
2001.
[183]
http://www.stiftung-sankt-barbara.de/projekte_eng.htm.
[184]
CARE, “CARE Humanitarian Demining Initiatives 1999-2000,’ booklet,
p. 17.
[185] UNDP/UNOPS,
“UNDP Somalia Mine Action Progress Report, January to June 2001,” p.
3.
[186]
Ibid.
[187] Ibid, p.
4.
[188] SMAC, “Mine
Victim Statistics/Jan-Dec 2000,” undated, received by fax 26 July
2001.
[30] UNDP/UNOPS,
“UNDP Somalia Mine Action Progress Report, January to June 2001,” p.
5.
[31] See Landmine
Monitor Report 2000, pp.
217-218.
[32] UNDP/UNOPS,
“UNDP Somalia Mine Action Progress Report, January to June 2001,” p.
5.
[33] See
www.handicap-international.org.