Key developments since May 2002: Angola
ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on 5 July 2002. Mine action funding for Angola in
2002 totaled approximately $21.2 million, a very significant increase from 2001.
The National Inter-Sectoral Commission on Demining and Humanitarian Assistance
is taking over coordination of mine action activities. INAROEE is being
restructured as the National Institute for Demining. During 2002 and the first
quarter of 2003, mine action NGOs reported clearing more than 2.8 million square
meters of land, surveying more than 7.8 million square meters of land, and
destroying more than 5,000 mines and 13,000 UXO. INAROEE reported that 543,713
people received mine risk education in 2002 and 287 new landmine/UXO casualties
were recorded in 2002, compared to 673 casualties in 2001. However,
non-governmental and UN sources insisted that the number of landmine incidents
increased dramatically during 2002 and early 2003.
Mine Ban Policy
Angola signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 4 December
1997. It was not until after the end of hostilities in early 2002 that speedy
ratification of the Mine Ban Treaty was set in motion. In April 2002, the
Angolan Parliament formed a special commission to address the issue of treaty
ratification.[1] On 5 July 2002,
Angola officially deposited its instrument of ratification with the United
Nations. The treaty formally entered into force for Angola on 1 January 2003.
Angola’s initial transparency report, as required under Article 7 of the
Mine Ban Treaty, was due on 29 June 2003. There have apparently been no steps
toward developing domestic legislation or other measures to implement the
treaty, such as penal sanctions for
violators.[2]
Angola attended the Fourth Meeting of States Parties in September 2002. In
its statement to the meeting, the delegation said that the delay in ratifying
the Mine Ban Treaty was “in most linked to the war situation that our
country was living. Once the war ended, our Government judged that there were
no more reasons impeding the ratification of the
Convention.”[3] Angola sent
representatives to intersessional Standing Committee meetings in February and
May 2003.
The seventh meeting of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC)
Acting Committee on Landmines was held on 27-28 June 2002 in Luanda, Angola. The
meeting was held simultaneously with the first SADC Conference of Demining
Operators.[4]
On 22 November 2002, Angola voted in favor of the UN General Assembly
Resolution 54/74, promoting universalization and implementation of the Mine Ban
Treaty.
Production, Transfer, and Stockpiling
Angola is not a known producer or exporter of
landmines. Seventy-six different types of antipersonnel mines from 22 countries
have been found or reported in Angola. In October 2002, in Côte d'Ivoire,
rebels accused Army forces of having laid antipersonnel mines, imported from
Angola.[5] Officials from both
Côte d'Ivoire and Angola denied the
charges.[6] Landmine Monitor is
unaware of any evidence to corroborate the allegation.
Little is known about the size or composition of Angola’s current
landmine stockpile, or that held by former UNITA military forces. The
treaty-mandated deadline for destruction of all Angola’s stockpiled
antipersonnel mines is 1 January 2007.
During the SADC conference in Luanda in June 2002, 100 antipersonnel mines
and ten antivehicle mines were destroyed in a
ceremony.[7] A government
representative said, “To prove the deep engagement of the Government of
Angola in the fight against landmines, on the 28th of June 2002, we
organized a ceremony of destruction of existing antipersonnel landmines and
other tons of unexploded ordnance. Several Ambassadors, the UN Angola
representative, national and international NGOs and other entities took part in
this ceremony.”[8]
Use
There have been unconfirmed reports of sporadic and
isolated incidents of use of antipersonnel and antivehicle mines in Angola in
this reporting period (since May 2002). One UN staff member cited five
incidents that appear to have been the result of newly laid antivehicle
mines.[9] In October 2002, three
NGOs traveled the road from Chipindo to Galangue, Huíla province; on the
return trip they found an antivehicle mine lying in the middle of the road.
Clearance was requested, and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to some
30,000 beneficiaries in the area was temporarily suspended. It appears that a
dispute over local administration and the contracting of truckers to deliver aid
led to the incident.[10]
In another case, the only access road to Cucumbi commune, Lunda Sul province,
was cut due to the presence of antivehicle mines that were apparently newly
laid.[11] Some believe that the
mines were laid by government soldiers in retribution for recent accusations by
traditional leaders in the commune that the armed forces had been abusing the
population. General Santana André PitraPetroff, Director of the
National Inter-Sectoral Commission on Demining (CNIDAH), said the mines were
more likely to have been planted by bandits attempting to keep State security
forces out of the diamond mines in the area, in order to continue exploiting
them illegally.[12]
One observer noted, “Some are also speculating that new landmines are
being laid, either by disgruntled ex-UNITA angry at government’s lack of
[support] to the quartering areas or by Angolan military who don’t want
aid agencies cutting into their monopoly of commercial transport to quartering
areas.”[13]
Landmine Problem
Angola is considered to be one of the countries
most affected by mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). In 2001, the national
institute for demining, INAROEE, reported that a total of 2,232 known minefields
and UXO locations had been registered in the national database, and that some
660 minefields and sites had been cleared since
1995.[14] In 2002, INAROEE
reported that 72 new suspected areas were surveyed and recorded by various mine
action organizations.[15]
Virtually every non-governmental source interviewed for this report indicated
that the number of mine accidents and incidents increased dramatically during
2002 and early 2003, particularly accidents involving antivehicle
mines.[16] However, in its 2002
report, INAROEE stated, “Today, there are fewer accidents registered,
greater opening for the flow of information from areas that were previously
inaccessible, as well as greater attention paid to mine
victims.”[17]
A representative of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Angola cited a
number of reasons for the increase in mine incidents: the dramatic increase in
the number of people moving by road, given the consolidation of peace in the
country; the trucks being used now are wider and heavier than those used during
wartime; there are many new, inexperienced drivers circulating in rural areas;
due to the road conditions, new shortcuts are being created and utilized; the
rainy season and the consequent shifting of mines has an even greater impact on
new roads and new shortcuts; when roads are cleared, the exact width of
clearance is not marked, leading to accidents on road shoulders; and road repair
work, particularly when associated with water drainage, has not been
sufficiently linked to mine
clearance.[18]
There is concern that the situation could worsen, as more people try to
return to their homes in the post-conflict period. According to the UN Office
for Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (UNOCHA), “Between June and
September 2002, hundreds of thousands of displaced persons returned to areas of
origin. Of the approximately 750,000 internally displaced persons (IDP) who had
returned by the end of September, only 15 percent had moved under an organized
plan.”[19]
Survey and Assessment
In mid-2002, joint UN/NGO/government
assessment teams conducted the first phase of a Rapid Assessment of Critical
Needs (RACN) process, visiting 28 locations where IDPs had returned to
previously inaccessible areas. Of the 28 locations, 26 had serious mine
infestation, and ten had recently experienced mine
accidents.[20]
During Phase II of the RACN process in late 2002, 31 newly accessible
locations were visited. According to the report, “Mine contamination has
been reported in most locations. Mines or unexploded ordnance have been
reported near population centers, social infrastructure, water points and
agricultural land and along access roads in at least 20
locations.”[21]
MINARS, the ministry responsible for the return of refugees and IDPs, in
mid-2002 started maintaining a database on living conditions in all return and
resettlement locations. Of the approximately 220 locations entered into the
database as of May 2003, 55 were contaminated with
landmines.[22]
The conclusion of the war has made possible the first systematic national
assessment of the landmine problem. The initial set up for a Landmine Impact
Survey (LIS) began in December 2002. According to the Survey Action Center
(SAC), “Under the auspices and support of CNIDAH, HALO Trust, InterSOS,
Santa Barbara Foundation, Norwegian People’s Aid and Mines Advisory Group
will conduct the survey with oversight and monitoring from a SAC coordination
team, based in Angola. Cranfield University and Geospatial will conduct the
strategic planning exercise and Development Workshop will conduct Task
Assessment and Planning (TAP) for the
survey.”[23] SAC indicates
that funding is being provided by Germany, Canada, and the United States, and
that the European Commission (EC) has pledged to support the survey. The
project has a proposed budget of close to US$6 million. Data gathering is
expected to be underway in all 18 provinces by April
2004.[24]
CNIDAH is installing the Information Management System for Mine Action
(IMSMA), with the support of the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian
Demining (GICHD) and in cooperation with SAC. All information from the existing
database, the new data collected in the survey, and all other sources of new
information are to be consolidated into the IMSMA
format.[25]
Mine Action Funding
In 2002, fourteen countries and the European
Commission (EC) reported contributions to mine action in Angola totaling
approximately US$21.2 million.[26]
That total is a very significant increase over the estimated $9.6 to $13.5
million in mine action funding in
2001.[27] It is likely that some
mine action funding information is missing for each year. The increase in
funding for 2002 is probably the result of the end of the decades-long civil
war, as well as Angola’s ratification of the Mine Ban Treaty.
The EC provided €7 million (US$6.65 million) for institutional support
and mine action. The total included €1 million for a UNDP institutional
capacity building project for CNIDAH, and €6 million for the HALO Trust,
Mines Advisory Group (MAG), Intersos and Menschen gegen Minen (MgM) for
emergency mine action.[28]
The United States reported $2.8 million in assistance for clearance
operations in its fiscal year 2002, including funding to HALO ($980,000),
Norwegian People’s Aid ($980,000), MgM ($560,000), and MAG ($280,000). In
addition, the US provided $1.5 million to Angola through the Leahy War Victims
Fund. Since 1995, the US has contributed $25.8 million to mine action in
Angola.[29]
Italy gave $2.66 million, including $950,000 to the UNDP for structural
support for the mine action plan and $1.71 million to UNICEF for mine risk
education. Norway contributed $2.5 million for mine action by Norwegian
People’s Aid (NPA). Germany donated $2.37 million, including funding for
Handicap International (HI), MgM, the Santa Barbara Foundation, SAC, and Medico
International.
Sweden provided $823,000 to NPA for mine clearance, mine risk education and
capacity building. Finland contributed $791,587 including funding for Finnish
Church Aid, MAG, Finnish Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC). Ireland donated $605,150, including $364,800 to HALO for mine
clearance and $240,350 to HI for victim assistance.
The Netherlands gave $500,000 to HALO for demining. Switzerland provided
$440,000 for mine clearance by HALO. Canada contributed $401,592, including
$318,464 to SAC for the LIS and $67,500 to UNDP. France provided $239,400 to HI
for mine clearance. Luxembourg contributed $226,100 for a victim assistance
project run by HI. Austria contributed $158,180 to UNDP activities. South
Africa provided $50,000 to the ICRC for mine action activities.
Additionally, the government of Angola allocates funds for mine action from
its national budget. In addressing the Fourth Meeting of States Parties, the
Angolan delegation said, “Angola has worked together with the UN to
elaborate the National Demining Plan. To carry on with this work, the
government of Angola has made available the amount of US$5.3 million to support
mine action activities.”[30]
CNIDAH received 7.5 million Kwanzas (approximately $2 million) in 2002, and
expects to receive a similar amount for the year
2003.[31]Immediately
after the April 2002 peace accord, the Angolan Armed Forces received $7 million
from the Angolan government for emergency mine action, but utilized much of it
on the overall demobilization process, including some mine action in and around
the quartering areas.[32]
Apparently, each provincial governor received $500,000 for emergency mine
action activities. These funds, totaling $9 million, were reportedly provided
by MINARS, the ministry responsible for the social reintegration of displaced
persons.[33] Many mine action
NGOs have expressed concerns about the way in which these funds have been
utilized; not one international NGO reports receiving resources from the
fund.
Mine Action Coordination and Planning
The National Inter-Sectoral Commission on Demining
and Humanitarian Assistance was established on 28 June 2001, in a restructuring
of the national mine action sector. The activities and role of CNIDAH gradually
took shape during this reporting
period.[34] CNIDAH opened its
offices, and has created two sub-commissions that report to the
inter-ministerial council. One deals with issues pertaining to demining and mine
risk education, while the other deals with mine victim assistance. NGOs and
other relevant actors participate in monthly coordination meetings of the
sub-commissions.[35] According to
one key actor, through CNIDAH, the international humanitarian partners are now
in regular contact with the appropriate Angolan government focal points, and
dialogue on key issues has begun; thus CNIDAH is evolving into a meaningful
forum for mine action.[36]
CNIDAH plans to develop a detailed national mine action plan within two
years, with technical assistance provided by the SAC, and using the results of
the Landmine Impact Survey.[37]
Implementation of the LIS is a top priority for CNIDAH in 2003.
As CNIDAH gradually takes on full responsibility for the coordination of mine
action in Angola, the existing national institute for demining, INAROEE, is
undergoing a thorough restructuring. The institute will be renamed the National
Institute for Demining (INAD). It has a new director, who chairs the CNIDAH
sub-commission for mine
action.[38] INAD hopes to
establish offices in ten of the most heavily mined provinces, with three
demining groups, as well as mine risk education, explosive ordnance disposal and
survey groups, in each office. INAD is working closely with the Angolan Armed
Forces in an effort to get them to adopt humanitarian mine clearance standards
and practices.
Some of CNIDAH’s humanitarian partners expressed concern that it was
difficult to see the impact of considerable funding on mine action coordination.
Some said it was unclear how CNIDAH was managing the increased flow of mine
action information and utilizing it for planning purposes. Some said it was
also unclear how CNIDAH was represented at the provincial level, and how
provincial decisions related to central level
planning.[39]
During the reporting period, UNDP developed a mine action coordination
project.[40] The project calls
for a UNDP mine action coordination unit in Luanda to support four international
mine action coordination officers in the field. Each of the field officers will
be responsible for providing technical assistance to the provincial governors in
the areas of coordination and priority setting. UNDP envisions administrative,
logistic, and database support for each of the four field offices. The Angolan
government will contribute information officers, mine action technicians and
victim assistance delegates in all 18 provinces to work alongside the UNDP
officers. Through this project UNDP hopes to assist CNIDAH in addressing the
linkage between provincial planning and national level coordination as well as
instilling consistency in information management. The $1.3 million project is
fully funded through contributions from Japan, Canada, UNDP, and the UK.
Mine Clearance
During 2002 and the first quarter of 2003, mine
action NGOs reported clearing more than 2.8 million square meters of land,
surveying more than 7.8 million square meters of land, and destroying more than
5,000 mines and 13,000 UXO.
BTS – Brigadas Técnicas de Sapadores (Technical Demining
Brigades): BTS is the acronym utilized by the mine action brigades of
INAROEE. In 2002, the brigades operated in the provinces of Uíge,
Moxico, Kuando Kubango, Bíe, Lunda Sul, Malange, and Huambo. According
to the INAROEE 2002 annual report, the brigades were not highly productive in
mine clearance and survey activities due to financial limitations and the
deteriorated condition of much of their
equipment.[41] Working in support
of the provincial governors at the local level, BTS units performed many spot
tasks such as EOD, minefield marking, and emergency mine risk education. In
Uíge province, an area of 17,340 square meters was cleared around a dam
in Luquixi, 25 kilometers from the capital city. In Kuando Kubango and Moxico
provinces, BTS worked with the governors’ offices identifying priority
tasks for mine action. In Malange province, which saw particularly deadly
antivehicle accidents in September and December 2002, BTS participated in the
accident investigations and in mine marking along other roadways. These
brigades are expected to undergo significant restructuring as the transition
from INAROEE to INAD advances.
HALO Trust:This British-registered mine action NGO has been
in Angola since 1994, and now has operational bases in Bíe, Huambo,
Benguela, and in Kuando Kubango
province.[42] HALO expanded its
Angola operations significantly during the year 2002, increasing national staff
numbers from 385 to 620 and increasing the number of manual demining teams from
26 to 40. HALO has five international staff members in country, managing the 40
manual teams, five mechanical teams and six combined teams (consisting of EOD,
survey and minefield marking, and mine risk education). In addition, HALO has
responded to the increase in antivehicle mine accidents during this reporting
period by bringing in a Chubby road verification system. The system has been
operational in Huambo province, where it has been used to open access to seven
aid distribution points, including the main Huambo-Bíe access road and
the Huambo-Sambo road south of Huambo city. From February to May 2003, 123
kilometers of road have been verified and 1.6 kilometers cleared.
During 2002, HALO cleared 324,238 square meters of land (18 tasks),
destroying 2,411 antipersonnel mines, 165 antivehicle mines, and 1,087 UXO. In
addition, area reduction took place on 6,290 square meters immediately adjacent
to minefields that were cleared. Seven battle area clearance tasks were also
completed, with over 218,000 rounds of ammunition destroyed and an additional
87,379 square meters of land cleared.
During the same year, HALO’s combined teams marked 67 minefields and
surveyed 4,955,560 square meters of land, and were called out on 156 EOD spot
tasks. The teams provided mine risk education briefings to 41,564 individuals
on the ground (52 percent children, 26 percent women).
Between January and April 2003, HALO completed 14 tasks covering 168,669
square meters of land and destroying 1,268 antipersonnel mines, 115 antivehicle
mines, 269 UXO and 1,232 rounds of ammunition. The combined teams were called
out on 41 EOD tasks, surveyed 2,864,837 square meters of land and marked 16
minefields. Over 2,000 individuals received MRE briefings from the teams during
this time period.
The HALO receives financial support from the US (Department of State), the
Netherlands, Ireland, Switzerland, France (linked to work with MSF France),
Belgium, the EC, Japan, and Finland.
Intersos: In 2002 and the first quarter of 2003, Intersos continued
its activities in the provinces of Huíla and Kuando Kubango, where it
carried out mine surveys, and EOD and battle area clearance, particularly in
support of IDP and refugee return and resettlement. In one battle area
clearance task near Menongue, Kuando Kubango province, Intersos cleared 140,000
square meters of land and destroyed some 100,000 UXO and rounds of ammunition.
This project received $227,650 in funding from UNOCHA and Intersos. Intersos
has received an additional €1.97 million (US$1.87 million) for clearance
tasks from the EC, Italy, and UNDP; the tasks include survey and mine marking,
EOD, and road clearance from Matala to Cutenda and from Chipindo to Bambi in
Huíla province.[43]
Mines Advisory Group (MAG): During 2002 and the first quarter of
2003, MAG cleared 148,529 square meters of land, destroying 337 mines and 8,331
UXO in two provinces.[44] In
addition, over 18,000 individuals received MRE briefings from MAG, 400 spot
tasks were addressed, and several hundred kilometers of road in Moxico province
were surveyed, making access possible for the first time in many years.
MAG maintains an operations center in Moxico and one in Cunene. Each has
three mine action teams consisting of 15 individuals who conduct survey,
demarcation, EOD, and mine clearance activities. The teams focus on small,
community-oriented tasks, but can be brought together to address larger tasks
when required. Each provincial base also has one community liaison team, and
there is a small specialist survey and demarcation team operating in Moxico.
The community liaison teams conduct mine risk education activities as well as
gathering data for the prioritization of tasks and the identification of
follow-up development activities in cleared areas.
In Moxico, MAG cleared the water capitation plant in Luena, allowing for the
rehabilitation of the plant and the provision of water to portions of the city.
MAG clearance operations also opened a piece of agricultural land in Cassongo
that is now being used by Save the Children (US) for agricultural development.
During the reporting period, MAG responded to 250 spot tasks in the province,
gathering data from seven of the municipalities and receiving information on 25
previously unrecorded minefields and numerous UXO. MAG’s survey team also
assisted UN and NGO operators in reaching many of the newly opened areas in the
province, as well as assisting UNHCR in establishing transit centers for the
expected arrival of refugees from Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In Cunene, MAG continued its work around the town of Cuvelai, which had been
suspended in 2001 because of security concerns, and in Ondjiva. These are areas
of large IDP concentrations and include several quartering areas. MAG also
cleared several sites for the resettlement of former soldiers and enlarged safe
road access across the north and east of the province. One example of
MAG’s focus on water supply in this drought-affected area was the
clearance of a water source, enabling safe access for 7,000 people. Over 150
spots tasks were addressed based on information gathered by the community
liaison teams, and twelve communities received mine risk education training.
Menschen gegen Minen
(MgM):[45] Operating from its
base in Ondjiva, Cunene province, MgM used armored vehicles and armored
earth-moving equipment to facilitate the movement of World Food Program and
Angolan government food and other convoys to the quartering areas in the
southern region of the country during 2002. MgM also expanded its demining base
and workshop in Ondjiva to include a demining school in order to increase its
workforce from some 80 national staff to over 150 during 2003. MgM’s test
beds for experimental technology are located at the same site near Ondjiva, and
are being utilized for testing of a Mine Clearance Cultivator (MCC), a
remote-controlled bulldozer that incorporates a sifter and earth auger for
safely removing live mines.
During 2002 MgM expanded its operations into Huíla province as well,
from a base in Caconda. MgM is working to open up land for the resettlement of
IDPs and demobilized ex-combatants of UNITA; by the end of 2002 some 10,000
individuals had reclaimed land in this area. In 2002 and early 2003, MgM
estimates that a total of some 20,000 individuals in two provinces have returned
to their areas of origin with the assistance of MgM mine action
activities.[46]
Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA): In 2002 and 2003, NPA continued
its operations in Angola, working from three regional bases with a staff of 464
Angolans and 10 expatriates.[47]
In 2002, NPA cleared 1,593,659 square meters of land, removing 686 antipersonnel
mines, 139 antivehicle mines, and 3,445 UXO. NPA’s mine survey teams
identified and documented 21 mined sites during the year and passed this
information on to the national landmine database maintained by INAROEE. Between
January and March 2003, NPA cleared a total of 233,601 square meters of land,
removed 18 antipersonnel mines, 16 antivehicle mines and 1,849 UXO.
NPA states that the decrease in clearance statistics for 2002, compared to
2001, was the result of a temporary suspension of NPA’s dog programs
during most of the year. In keeping with new International Mine Action
Standards,all NPA dog teams have undergone lengthy testing and
accreditation procedures.[48]
This has had a dramatic impact on the dog teams used in road clearance
procedures, as well as the free running dog teams, which form an integral part
of the mechanical and manual demining teams. NPA is working closely with the
GICHD on both testing and accreditation of its dog teams, as well as
establishing standards for its REST vapor testing system.
In 2002, NPA entirely restructured its Angola mine action unit. As a result,
each of its three regional bases now functions as a fully integrated mine action
unit with a manual team, a survey team, a mechanical team, a dog team, an EOD
team, and one REST/dog sampling team. This was done in response to the new,
post-conflict environment in which each regional office is expected to cover a
much greater area (including newly accessible, former UNITA areas). By
decentralizing operations and moving more resources to the provinces, NPA hopes
to achieve a more cost efficient and flexible
organization.[49]
NPA received a total of US$5.25 million in 2002 for its Angola activities.
The funds came from Norway’s NORAD, $900,000; Norwegian MFA, $1.25
million; Sweden’s SIDA, $700,000; Dutch MFA, $500,000; and the US State
Department, $1.9 million. By the end of June 2003, funding committed for 2003
included NORAD, $2.8 million; SIDA, $1 million; Dutch MFA, $500,000; US State
Department, $1 million; and Statoil (private),
$240,000.[50]
Santa Barbara Foundation (SBF): During the first half of 2002, the
German government provided €25,000 ($23,750) for repairs and maintenance
of the SBF main camp in Xangongo, Cunene province. Staff members living in the
camp continue to perform spot demining and EOD tasks in the surrounding
communities, based on local information. The German government also provided
€200,700 ($190,665) for SBF’s mine action activities in Cuvango,
Huíla province, where water points and bridge heads were cleared between
August and December 2002. Nine antipersonnel mines, 28 UXO, and 132 munitions
were cleared in an area of 213,274 square meters. In Vicungo, a town 80
kilometers north of Cuvango that is still inaccessible due to road conditions
and mines, SBF verified and cleaned the airstrip. Funding in the amount of
$28,980 was provided by UNOCHA. One UXO and a small quantity of munitions were
destroyed, thereby opening up an airfield of 132,300 square meters.
As of mid-2003, SBF had received €350,000 ($332,500) from the German
government to demine roads in Benguela province linking Chingongo to Chila,
Bocoio to Lumbo, and Monte Belo to Tola. The opening of these roads to
facilitate the return of displaced persons, as well as the movement of NGOs in
support of displaced populations, has been encouraged by
UNOCHA.[51]
Angolan Armed Forces (FAA): The FAA received a budget of $7 million
from the Angolan government for mine action in the period immediately following
the signing of April 2002 Memorandum of Understanding between FAA and
UNITA.[52] Given the heavy volume
of spontaneous movement that began almost immediately, however, FAA was unable
to develop a thorough plan of action and instead utilized a large portion of
these resources on the quartering process and the return of demobilized troops
to their areas of origin, to facilitate the return of refugees from the
Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, and to implement emergency MRE and mine
marking projects in known mined areas. FAA deminers were active in clearing
small areas in and around the quartering areas and facilitating overall
movements related to the demobilization
process.[53] While mine action
operators have in general been satisfied with the clearance of the FAA units,
they note a tendency to neglect to record and report what they have
cleared.[54]
In the long term, FAA plans to develop a more comprehensive plan of action
with three priority interventions: 1) demining along the Benguela railway, 2)
demining in areas of heavy IDP and refugee return, and 3) demining in
agricultural zones. Working in cooperation with the newly restructured INAD,
the FAA hopes to present this mine action plan to future donor conferences on
Angola. Those working with the FAA units have noted that they represent the
greatest governmental mine action capacity in Angola and that, with ex-UNITA
troops incorporated into the units, they have extensive knowledge about mined
areas and the mine-laying tactics that were used during the conflict. The
greatest challenge in working with the FAA units is in getting them to fully
understand and adopt humanitarian mine clearance
standards.[55]
Mine Risk Education
UNICEF continues to be the lead agency in the
coordination of mine risk education (MRE) in
Angola.[56] During 2002, 358
public school teachers from Huambo, Huíla, Uíge, Kwanza Sul,
Kuando Kubango and Malange were trained in UNICEF-sponsored programs. An
estimated 16,110 school children received MRE briefings during the year as a
result of this project.
In twelve provinces, UNICEF works with INAROEE and with Handicap
International (HI) to fund and coordinate MRE activities. During 2002, 616
radio programs were produced in Portuguese and local languages. In 2002, HI
initiated the creation of a three-party commission, including UNICEF, INAROEE
and HI, to assess and follow up on MRE activities in
Angola.[57] This three-party
commission and the Angolan School of Survey conducted monitoring visits in 14 of
Angola’s 18 provinces, resulting in a comprehensive report that assesses
the impact of MRE initiatives as well as ways in which MRE can best complement
other mine action activities.[58]
The report notes that the coordination of national NGOs involved in MRE with
other mine action organizations has been weak, and UNICEF is now increasing
support to national NGOs to improve that coordination. The visits and the
publication of the report represent ways in which UNICEF supports provincial
mine action coordination, through its Program for the Prevention of Mine
Accidents (PEPAM).
UNICEF supports six national NGOs in seven of the most mine-affected
provinces in Angola.[59] The
educational sessions they provide serve local residents, IDPs and refugees and
use drama, dance, puppetry, and other traditional means to communicate the
message of living safely with mines. In 2002, these activities reached a total
of 230,492 beneficiaries (56 percent children, 26 percent women, and 18 percent
men). This project incorporates a “mini-instructor” element,
whereby children active in the educational activities become paid staff members
of the local NGOs working in their areas upon turning 18 years of age. During
2002, 12 youth became local NGO staff members as a result of this
initiative.
Both of the top government officials interviewed for this report said
emergency MRE was of the highest priority, given the sudden consolidation of
peace in the country and the large-scale spontaneous population movements that
have taken place.[60] UNICEF and
its partners have developed a number of new initiatives that address this need
specifically. MRE training of truck and bus drivers and their passengers at
truck stops is the best example of
this.[61] But UNICEF’s
total budget for 2002 was just $635,000, not sufficient to address the
educational needs of hundreds of thousands of Angolans as they relocate to newly
accessible areas and face the challenge of living safely in a mined environment.
UNICEF has also noted that the lack of clarity over institutional responsibility
within the government has led to a lack of coordination in the past. For 2003,
however, UNICEF has received a pledge of US$1.8 million from the Italian
Government, which should allow for greater MRE activities in the year 2003.
Handicap International (HI) provided MRE directly to people from Bengo and
Kuando Kubango provinces until mid-2002. HI also supported INAROEE’s MRE
work in six provinces (Bie, Benguela, Cunene, Huambo, Kwanza Sul and Kwanza
Norte) until December 2002. Since late 2002, HI has reinforced its direct MRE
activities. As of February 2003, HI had trained 460 MRE facilitators in Bie,
Benguela, Bengo and Kuando Kubango, using theatre and radio, an MRE
facilitator’s guide, posters and comics. HI reports 1,950,000
“beneficiaries” of its MRE activities in Bengo, Kuando Kubango and
the Planalto region. Donors included UNOCHA, the US Embassy and
France.[62]
In late 2002, the ICRC initiated a community-based MRE capacity-building
project in four municipalities in Bíe province and three in Benguela
province. The project works entirely with volunteers from the Angolan Red
Cross, and seeks to disseminate MRE while at the same time gathering information
on mine victims, victim assistance, and other community needs related to the
local mine threat. The project is designed to dovetail with the traditional Red
Cross activities of family reunification and support to the health care system.
For 2003 the project is funded with 100,000 Swiss francs (US$64,103) provided
by the ICRC.[63]
As noted above, HALO maintains combined mine action teams and during this
reporting period provided MRE to over 43,500 individuals at the village level.
MAG also places a strong emphasis on the MRE component of its program, and in
2002 reached over 16,000 individuals in Moxico province with MRE activities,
including theater, poster campaigns, and community sessions. Special sessions
have been designed for drivers and travelers who use the main roads outside of
the capital, Luena.[64]
UNICEF reports a total of some 230,000 recipients of MRE in all
UNICEF-related projects in 2002. INAROEE reports 543,713 recipients in all MRE
projects in 2002.[65]
Landmine Casualties
According to the INAROEE annual report, 287 new
landmine/UXO casualties were recorded in 2002, from 167 mine and UXO
incidents.[66] Of the total
casualties, 69 people were killed and 218 injured. This represents a decline in
recorded new casualties of 57 percent from the 673 new casualties in
2001.[67] However,
non-governmental sources interviewed for this report indicated that the number
of incidents increased dramatically during 2002 and early 2003, particularly
incidents involving antivehicle
mines.[68] According to UNDP,
there are several reasons for the increase including an increase in movement of
the population following the cease-fire agreement, particularly of internally
displaced people returning to their former
homes.[69] According to UNICEF
there had been at least 200 mine incidents up to April
2002.[70] INAROEE acknowledges
that the real number of casualties is presumed to be higher than what has been
reported, as many incidents are not recorded due to inaccessibility to
casualties, and the lack of an organized system for
reporting.[71] The US State
Department estimates that there are 800 new mine casualties each year in
Angola.[72]
Of the recorded casualties in 2002, 68 percent were civilians, 28 percent
military personnel, and the status of four percent is unknown. Children under
the age of 18 accounted for 26 percent of recorded casualties, 39 percent were
aged between 19 and 35, 22 percent were over the age of 35, and the age of 13
percent is unknown. The majority of casualties--76 percent (218)--were male.
Antipersonnel mines caused 45 percent of the casualties, antivehicle mines 25
percent, and UXO 22 percent; the cause of the remaining 8 percent was not
determined.
In 2002, the provinces recording the highest number of casualties were
Malange (58 casualties, or 20 percent), Huambo (49 casualties, or 17 percent),
Benguela (43 casualties, or 15 percent), and Moxico (32 casualties, or 11
percent).[73]
Landmine incidents were also reported in the international media in 2002. In
August, four people were reported killed and five injured in four recent
incidents in Lunda Norte
province.[74] In another incident
in the same province in October, a bus detonated an antitank mine killing 12 of
the 20 passengers.[75] In
November, six members of an MSF vaccination team and one infant were killed and
six others injured when their vehicle detonated an antivehicle mine in the
southeastern province of Cuando
Cubango.[76] In Malange province,
in September and December, two antivehicle mine explosions killed 18 people and
injured 11 others.[77]
Casualties continue to be reported in 2003. In April, two children were
killed and another two injured after a UXO they were playing with
exploded.[78] In March 2003,
Refugees International reported that since November 2002, 50 civilians have been
killed and numerous others injured by landmines in
Angola.[79]
In the period from 1998 to 2001, a total of 2,055 mine and UXO casualties,
including 487 children, were
recorded.[80]
Survivor Assistance
Less than 30 percent of Angolans have access to
health care and the public health situation in the country remains
critical.[81] The provision of
any type of assistance, particularly outside major cities, has been
significantly affected by the conflict. Few facilities are available for mine
survivors and other persons with disabilities. In general, 30 to 50 percent of
mine casualties die before or after surgery for reasons including the distance
to the nearest medical facility, lack of transport, and incorrectly applied
first aid. The World Health Organization, together with the Norwegian NGO,
Trauma Care Foundation and Advanced Trauma Life Support provided emergency care
training to medical personnel in Luena province. In 2001 and 2002, a total of
twenty-eight people were trained. Ten of the participants have qualified as
instructors for training villagers as first responders to provide first aid to
mine casualties.[82]
The ICRC works in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, providing
assistance in government hospitals, including the surgical ward at the Central
Hospital in Huambo. In the provinces of Huambo, Bié and Uíge, the
ICRC also supports 11 Primary Health Care centers, in collaboration with the
national Red Cross Society and the Ministry of Health. The ICRC ended its
support of the surgical ward in Huambo at the end of 2002 but left sufficient
surgical materials to cover the period to the end of March
2003.[83]
The Ministry of Health operates ten centers providing rehabilitation services
for all persons with disabilities. In addition to the government-run Center for
Medical and Physical Rehabilitation (CMFR) in Luanda, three centers are
supported by the ICRC, three by HIB, one by German Technical Cooperation
(Viana), one by Intersos, and one by Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation
(VVAF).[84]
The ICRC continues to provide physical rehabilitation services, in
collaboration with the Ministry of Health, to three centers located in Luanda,
Huambo, and Kuito. The ICRC has increased its efforts to facilitate access to
its centers for patients from remote areas, and during 2002, 337 people were
transported on ICRC flights or on organized road transport. In addition, the
ICRC accommodated 1,461 during their period of treatment. Patients from Cabinda
were flown to the center in Luanda on an ICRC airplane, while those from
Menongue were flown to Huambo, free of charge. In 2002, the three centers
assisted 2,033 people, produced 2,091 prostheses and 75 orthoses, and
distributed 141 wheelchairs and 2,995 pairs of crutches; 1,670 prostheses and 18
orthoses were for mine survivors. In 2003, ICRC plans to implement a new
patient management system that includes an IMSMA-compatible database on mine
injuries.[85]
Handicap International Belgium (HIB) continued to support physical
rehabilitation workshops in Benguela, Lubango, and Negage (until June 2002) as
well as the prosthetic foot factory in Viana. In 2002, the centers assisted
2,364 people; produced 743 prostheses, of which almost all were for mine
survivors;produced 229 orthoses; and distributed 1,179 pairs of
crutches. The Viana foot factory produced 4,429 prosthetic feet, which were
distributed to the other orthopedic centers in the country. Training was
provided to 17 local orthopedic technicians and 9 physiotherapy assistants. A
drastic shortage of funding forced HIB to significantly decrease support to the
Viana foot factory in June 2002; however, support has returned to the required
level. HIB is providing technical assistance to the Ministry of Health on the
development of a national policy for physical rehabilitation. HIB’s main
donors include the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Irish Aid, DGCI,
Stichting Vluchteling, AUSTCARE, and the EU through the European Development
Fund.[86]
The Italian NGO, Intersos, in cooperation with the local NGO Mbembwa,
supports the Landmine Victims Orthopedic Center in Menongue, Kuando Kubango
province.[87] The center provides
physiotherapy and orthopedic devices. In 2002, the center provided 2,554
physiotherapy treatments, produced 147 below-knee prostheses, 23 above-knee
prostheses, 2 orthoses and 738 crutches, and repaired 32 prostheses, 20 crutches
and 7 wheelchairs. The center also provided accommodation for 347 people
receiving treatment, and 141 accompanying family members. The number of mine
survivors assisted is not
known.[88] The local NGO,
Mbembwa, in cooperation with other organizations, organizes psycho-social
support and vocational training to assist the reintegration of persons with
disabilities into their
communities.[89]
Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation continues its support of the
orthopedic center in Luena, Moxico province, providing physical rehabilitation,
physiotherapy, psycho-social support, and socio-economic reintegration to
war-affected Angolans. The center provides prostheses, orthoses, crutches and
wheelchairs to mine survivors and other people with disabilities. In 2002, 938
orthopedic devices were distributed. The year 2002 was the most productive at
the center since the inception of the program in 1997. VVAF has expanded its
operation by bringing beneficiaries to Luena from the neighboring provinces of
Lunda Sul and Lunda Norte by road and by air. By the end of 2002 over 140
people from Lunda Sul and 94 from Lunda Norte had received rehabilitation
services. Follow-up activities are planned for 2003. The Irish government also
provided approximately US$51,000 through the NGO Trocaire for the transport of
patients from Lunda Norte.[90]
The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) socio-economic program for landmine
survivors in Luena assisted 191 mine survivors in 2002 including 19 survivors
enrolled in carpentry courses, 22 supported by income generating projects, 25
assisted in securing farming land and provided with seed and tools, 25 attended
literacy classes, and 100 survivors and their families received material
support.[91]
Medico International (MI) shares the premises at the Regional Community
Rehabilitation Center in Luena with VVAF and JRS and continues its program of
community development with the aim of full reintegration of mine survivors into
the community. MI works with the local NGO Support Center for the Promotion and
Development of Communities (CAPDC), to provide psycho-social support to landmine
survivors, their families and other persons with
disabilities.[92]
The Jaipur Limb Campaign UK runs a program in Viana and Luanda with the
Angolan NGO League for the Reintegration of Disabled People (LARDEF), to promote
the economic reintegration of persons with disabilities. The program in Viana,
called Dignidade, commenced on 12 September 2002, and operates a small
cooperative with nine three-wheel vehicles that provide a taxi service for
people and goods within a 12-kilometer radius of Viana district. The project
employs 12 drivers, one mechanic and an administrator, who are mostly landmine
survivors or amputees from other war-related injuries. The members of the
cooperative received driving lessons and training in running a small business
from the National Institute for Vocational Training (INEFOP). The program is
self-sustaining with profits shared between the members, with a small percentage
set aside as a reserve
fund.[93]
Handicap International runs a small program for the socio-economic
reintegration of mine survivors and other persons with disabilities in
collaboration with the Professional Training Center in
Luanda.[94]
The ICRC and other rehabilitation NGOs continue to work with the Orthopedic
Coordination Group, established in 1995 by the Ministry of Health, and the new
Victim Assistance Subcommission of the CNIDAH. NGOs and other actors
participate in monthly coordination meetings of
CNIDAH.[95]
[1] “Angola: Ratificada
Convenção de Ottawa sobre minas anti-pessoal,” LUSA (press
agency), 8 July 2002. [2] Article 9 of the
treaty obligates States Parties to “take all appropriate legal,
administrative and other measures, including the imposition of penal sanctions,
to prevent and suppress any activity prohibited” by the
treaty. [3] Statement of General Petroff,
Special Counselor to the President and Director of CNIDAH, to the Fourth Meeting
of States Parties, 17 September 2002. [4]
“SADC experts defend enlargement of campaign against landmines,”
ANGOP (Luanda), 29 June 2002. [5]
“Les rebelles dénoncent la pose de mines antipersonnel
apportées d'Angola” (The rebels accuse antipersonnel mines from
Angola have been laid), Agence France Presse, 21 October
2002. [6] Ibid.; interview with
Théodore Koffi Fana, First Counselor of the Côte d'Ivoire Embassy,
Paris, 21 November 2002; letter from HE Kessie Raymond Koudou, Ambassador of
Côte d'Ivoire in France to Handicap International, 31 December
2002. [7] Landmine Monitor (South Africa)
interview with Neuma Grobbelaar, South African Institute of International
Affairs, 1 July 2002; “Angola formally adheres to Ottawa Convention on
landmines,” Xinhua (Luanda), 9 July
2002. [8] Statement of General Santana
André Pitra Petroff, Fourth Meeting of States Parties, 17 September
2002. [9] Interviews with UN Office for
Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (UNOCHA), Luanda, 3 March
2003. [10]
Ibid. [11] Ibid; “Traditional
Leaders Accuse FAA of Mistreating Populations in Lunda-Sul,” LUSO,
undated. [12] Interview with General
Petroff, Director, CNIDAH, Luanda, 26 February 2003. In Portuguese, CNIDAH is
Comissão Nacional Intersectorial de Desminagem e Assistência
Humanitária às
Vítimas. [13] John Prendergast,
International Crisis Group, speaking at the Angola Working Group Meeting,
Washington, DC, 13 January 2003. [14]
Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p. 66. INAROEE is the Portuguese acronym for
Instituto Nacional de Remoção de Obstáculos e Engenhos
Explosivos. [15] INAROEE
“Relatório de Acidentes e de Pesquisa de Minas Terrestres
2002,” (Survey and Mine Accident Report), p. 11. The report was provided
to Landmine Monitor on 28 March 2003. [16]
The increase in incidents was cited in interviews with seven mine action NGOs,
three UN agencies, and the ICRC, Luanda, 26 February-6 March 2003.
[17] INAROEE Survey and Mine Action
Report 2002, p. 4. [18] Interview with
Rogério Neves e Castro, UNDP, 3 March
2003. [19] UNOCHA, “Provincial
Emergency Plans of Action for Resettlement and Return, Phase II,” December
2002. [20] UNOCHA, “Report on the
Rapid Assessment of Critical Needs,” April-May
2002. [21] UNOCHA, “Rapid Assessment
of Critical Needs (RACN) Phase II,” December 2002. UNOCHA provides
technical assistance to the ministry for the
database. [22] “Presença de
Minas nas Áreas de Regresso,” provided by UNOCHA from UTCAH Return
and Resettlement Database, 5 March
2003. [23] See the SAC contribution to the
appendices in this Landmine Monitor Report
2003. [24] Email to Landmine Monitor (HRW)
from Mike Kendellen, Survey Action Center, 21 July
2003. [25] Interviews with Rogério
Neves e Castro, UNDP, 28 February and 3 March
2003. [26] Except where otherwise
indicated, the information for this section on funding comes from individual
country reports in this edition of the Landmine Monitor Report and the UN Mine
Action Investment Database at
www.mineaction.org. [27]
Landmine Monitor Report 2002, pp. 67-68, provides the total of $9.6 million.
Subsequent reporting from mine action NGOs indicates the total was more likely
$13.5 million, and even that figure is likely
incomplete. [28] Email from Robert
Steinlechner, Second Secretary of the EC Delegation, European Commission, 8 July
2003. [29] US Department of State,
“To Walk the Earth in Safety,” September 2002.
[30] Statement of General Petroff, Fourth
Meeting of States Parties, 17 September
2002. [31] Interview with General Petroff,
CNIDAH, 26 February 2003. [32]
Ibid. [33] These funds were referred to in
several Landmine Monitor interviews, specifically with UNDP on 3 March 2003 and
with UNICEF on 6 March 2003. [34] Landmine
Monitor 2002, pp. 68-69. [35] Interviews
with Rogério Neves e Castro, UNDP, 28 February and 3 March
2003. [36] Interview with Max Deneu, ICRC,
Luanda, Angola, 27 February 2003. [37]
Interviews with Rogério Neves e Castro, UNDP, 28 February and 3 March
2003. [38] In Portuguese: Instituto
Nacional de Desminagem. The new Director General is Eng. Leonardo Severino
Sapalo, who was interviewed by Landmine Monitor in Luanda on 26 February
2003. [39] Interviews with: UNOCHA, 3
March 2003; UNICEF, 6 March 2003; ICRC, 27 February
2003. [40] All UNDP information provided
in interviews with Rogério Neves e Castro, UNDP, 28 February and 3 March
2003. [41] INAROEE Survey and Mine
Accident Report 2002, pp. 12-13. [42] All
information in this section is taken from “HALO Angola Summary of
Activities – 2002/2003,” provided to Landmine Monitor by José
Pedro Agostinho, 10 June 2003. [43]
Intersos information provided by Gian Paolo Tongiorgi, Mine Action Program
Manager, Intersos Angola, 24 June
2003. [44] All MAG information taken from
“MAG Angola Report for the Landmine Monitor 2003,” provided to the
Landmine Monitor by Greg Crowther, Program Officer, MAG Angola, 17 June 2003;
email to Landmine Monitor (HRW) from Tim Carstairs, Director of Policy, MAG, 29
July 2003. [45] MgM translates to
“People against
Landmines.” [46] All MgM information
provided in an email from Ken O’Connell, MgM Angola, 18 June
2003. [47] Information provided by Aksel
Steen-Nilsen, Program Manager, NPA Angola, and Nelson Domingos, Mine Risk
Education Officer, NPA Angola, 11 April
2003. [48] In late 2001, the new IMAS
standard for dog teams was finalized and NPA immediately set about testing and
retraining its dog teams worldwide. [49]
Interview with Steinar Essen, Mine Action Advisor, NPA, Oslo (Norway), 16 June
2003. [50] Financial information provided
by Aksel Steen-Nilsen, NPA Angola, 20 June
2003. [51] All information provided by
Christfried Schoenherr, Santa Barbara Foundation representative for Angola, in
emails dated 10 May 2003, and 15 and 16 June
2003. [52] Interview with General Petroff,
CNIDAH, 26 February 2003. [53] For
example, after NPA cleared the road Luena – Chicalla II – Kangumbe
in Moxico Province, FAA deminers cleared the access roads and the areas adjacent
to the quartering area. Interview with Sharon Ball, UNICEF Angola, 6 March
2003. [54] Interview with Rogério
Neves e Castro, UNDP, 3 March 2003. [55]
Ibid. [56] Information in this section,
except where otherwise indicated, was provided by Sharon Ball, Project Officer
for Mine Awareness, UNICEF Angola, in an interview in Luanda on 6 March 2003,
and through a written input provided to Landmine Monitor on 20 June
2003. [57] Email from Sophie Bonichon, MRE
Coordination, Handicap International, Lyon, 9 July
2003. [58] This report was scheduled for
release on 6 July 2003, at a UNICEF MRE conference held in Lubango, Angola.
[59] These NGOs are working in the
provinces of Bíe, Huambo, Huíla, Kuando Kubango, Malange, Moxico,
and Uíge. [60] “Emergency
MRE” was mentioned as a top priority by both General Petroff, CNIDAH, and
by INAD General Director Leonardo Sapalo during in interviews in Luanda, 26
February 2003. [61] UNICEF written input
for Landmine Monitor, 20 June 2003. UNICEF estimates that thousands of
travelers have received information and training on how to travel safely on
rural routes, how to behave in questionable areas, and what to do in case of
accident. [62] Email from Sophie Bonichon,
Handicap International, Lyon, 16 July
2003. [63] Interview with Lena Eskeland,
ICRC Delegate for Awareness Raising and Landmines, Luanda, 27 February
2002. [64] MAG Angola Report for the
Landmine Monitor 2003, provided by Greg Crowther, Program Officer, MAG Angola,
17 June 2003. [65] INAROEE Survey and Mine
Accident Report 2002, p. 9. [66] All
casualty data is taken from the INAROEE Survey and Mine Accident Report
2002. [67] INAROEE Survey and Mine
Accident Report 2002, pp. 3 and 5. [68]
Landmine Monitor interviewed at least seven mine action NGOs, three UN agencies,
and the ICRC; all expressed concerns in the increase of mine incidents during
2002 and 2003. [69] Interview with
Rogério Neves e Castro, UNDP, 3 March
2003. [70] Interview with UNICEF, Luanda,
29 April 2002. [71] INAROEE Survey and
Mine Accident Report 2002, p. 5. [72] US
Department of State, “To Walk the Earth in Safety,” September 2002,
p. 12. [73] The provincial breakdown of
the casualties in INAROEE Survey and Mine Accident Report 2002 adds to 293 new
casualties, not the total of 287 reported. The reason for the discrepancy is
unknown. [74] “Four people killed,
five injured in landmine explosion in Angola,” Xinhua, 9 August
2002. [75] “Pockets of Extreme Need
Remain,” IRIN, 15 October 2002. [76]
“Angola landmine blast kills 7 in medical convoy,” Reuters, 30
November 2002; MSF, “Tragic mine accident leaves 7 dead and 6 wounded in
Angola,” information sheet published on MSF website, 30 November
2002. [77] “Six killed, four injured
in landmine blast in Angola,” Xinhua, 24 December
2002. [78] “Two children killed by a
landmine explosion in north,” Angolan Radio Ecclesia, 17 April
2003. [79] Refugees International press
release, “Urgent Mine Action Needed to Increase Humanitarian
Access,” 21 March 2003. [80] See
Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p. 74. [81]
UNOCHA, “Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for Angola 2003,” 19
November 2002, available at
www.reliefweb.int (accessed 1 July
2003). [82] See Landmine Monitor Report
2002, pp. 74-75. [83] ICRC, “Annual
Report 2002,” Geneva, June 2003, p.
55. [84] See also Landmine Monitor Report
2001, p. 194. [85] Interview with Lena
Eskeland and Max Deneu, ICRC Angola, 27 February 2003; Red Cross newsletter,
“CICV Boletim Informativo Nº 1-2003;” ICRC Physical
Rehabilitation Program, “Annual Report
2002.” [86] Information provided by
Gilles Delecourt, Angola Program Director, Handicap International Belgium,
Brussels, 9 July 2003. [87] For details
see Landmine Monitor Report 2002,
pp.75-76. [88] Intersos report on
activities dated 20 February 2003 provided to Landmine
Monitor. [89] Landmine Monitor Report
2002, p. 76. [90] Email from Tom Petozc,
Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, 4 May
2003. [91] Jesuit Refugee Service,
“Annual Report 2002,” p.
25. [92] See Landmine Monitor Report 2002,
p. 76. [93] Paolo Varandas, Dignidale
Coordinator, LARDEF, “Dignity for disabled people in Angola,” Jaipur
Limb Campaign News, Issue 9, December 2002, pp. 1-2; see also Landmine Monitor
Report 2002, pp. 76-77. [94] Interview
with Ema Macia, Head of PEPAM project, Handicap International, Luanda, 6 March
2003. [95] Interviews with Rogério
Neves e Castro, UNDP, 28 February and 3 March 2003.