Key developments since May 2002: In
September 2002, the Survey Action Center began a Landmine Impact Survey in
Azerbaijan, conducted through the International Eurasia Press Fund and the
Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action. Preliminary information identified
more than 650 communities in 27 regions as mine suspected, of which more than 80
percent were considered to be low impact. In 2002, two national NGOs cleared
1,118,000 square meters of land, marked another 1,221,000 square meters for
clearance, and identified and registered another 66,352,000 square meters in 12
regions as mine-affected. In 2002, 30 mine risk education seminars were held in
12 mine-affected regions, which trained 525 medical staff.
Mine Ban Policy
The Republic of Azerbaijan has not acceded to the
Mine Ban Treaty. On 9 November 2002, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Araz Azimov, told a delegation from the International Campaign
to Ban Landmines (ICBL) that the government shares the “goals, purposes
and principles of the Ottawa process,” but believes it would be
“irresponsible” to join the treaty at the present time as Azerbaijan
cannot fulfill the treaty’s
obligations.[1] A Ministry of
Defense official told a regional seminar in November 2002 that, “adherence
to the Mine Ban Treaty will be possible only after the final settlement of the
territorial conflict between Azerbaijan and
Armenia.”[2]
In December 2002, Azerbaijan told the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that it “supports the idea of a comprehensive
international legal document on the ban of use, storage and transfer of
anti-personnel landmines.... Azerbaijan considers that full ban and destruction
of anti-personnel landmines is an important humanitarian objective of the world
community in the XXI century.... As a result of Armenia’s actions, which
is keeping the territories of Azerbaijan under occupation, Azerbaijan at present
stage cannot become the party to the Convention, since it is deprived of the
opportunity to fulfill the obligations stemming from
it.”[3]
On 22 November 2002, Azerbaijan abstained from the vote on UN General
Assembly Resolution 57/74, which supported universalization and implementation
of the Mine Ban Treaty, even though Deputy Minister Azimov had told the ICBL
earlier in the month that Azerbaijan would cease abstaining from the annual
pro-ban UNGA votes.[4]
Azerbaijan participated in Fourth Meeting of States Parties in September 2002,
but it did not attend 2003 meetings of the treaty’s intersessional
Standing Committees. Azerbaijan has not joined the Convention on Conventional
Weapons (CCW) or its Amended Protocol II on landmines.
The Azerbaijan Campaign to Ban Landmines (AzCBL) undertook a variety of
activities in 2002 and 2003 in support of the antipersonnel mine ban. It met
with government officials, parliamentarians, NGOs, diplomatic representatives
and representatives of international organizations to discuss its efforts to get
Azerbaijan to join Mine Ban Treaty, and it organized media briefings. From 7-9
November 2002, the AzCBL hosted the annual meeting of ICBL members from the
Commonwealth of Independent States region. This included organizing a media
briefing, meetings with the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA)
and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and a field visit to the
mine-affected Fizuli region in the far west of the country.
Production, Transfer, Stockpiling, Use
Azerbaijan does not produce or export
antipersonnel mines and does not permit the transfer of mines through territory
under its control. Azerbaijan’s landmine stockpile is a legacy of the
Soviet-era, but the number and types of mines is not
known.[5] Landmines were used
by all sides throughout the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and sporadically after
the signing of the armistice in May
1994.[6] Landmine Monitor has
not received any specific allegations of new use of antipersonnel mines during
this reporting period (since May 2002).
Landmine Problem and Survey
Azerbaijan’s landmine problem is largely a
result of the conflict with Armenia from 1988-1994, but left-over munitions
dumps and unexploded ordnance (UXO) pose a significant threat as
well.[7]
In September 2002, the Survey Action Center (SAC) began a Landmine Impact
Survey in Azerbaijan, with the International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF) as the
implementing agency.[8] Data
collection was completed in May 2003. Final report writing was taking place in
June 2003, with some additional fieldwork being conducted for quality assurance
purposes.
The survey was conducted through the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine
Action and the IEPF, with oversight and monitoring provided by a SAC team based
in Baku. The European Commission (EC) provided funding for the survey. The
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Mine Action Service
(UNMAS) provided logistical and technical
support.[9] The goal of the
survey was to determine the socio-economic impact that landmines and UXO have on
communities.
SAC trained IEPF staff to plan and conduct the survey. A questionnaire was
translated into the Azeri language; and a preliminary list of mine suspected
communities was made Preliminary information on contaminated areas was obtained
from a survey of nine mine action agencies between 21 October and 8 November
2002. The seven agencies that responded identified 35 out of 59 regions as
potentially affected by mines and UXO. Subsequent visits resulted in an initial
list of over 400 mine suspected communities in 27 regions. Additional
communities, identified through community-level referrals received during the
survey period were later added to the list. By the end of April 2003, more than
650 communities in 27 regions had been identified as mine suspected, of which
more than 80 percent were considered to be low impact. Military authorities in
the Nakichivan region did not allow the Landmine Impact Survey to take place
there for national security reasons.
In early June 2003, Cranfield Mine Action through SAC conducted a strategic
planning exercise utilizing the survey data, as well as other available
information such as mine clearance capacity and national priorities.
Mine Action Funding
According to ANAMA, in 2002, mine action funding
for Azerbaijan totaled approximately $2.7 million. This included $259,000 from
the government of Azerbaijan and $265,410 from
UNDP.[10]
Five donors have reported providing about $4.5 million in mine action
assistance to Azerbaijan in 2002. The US State Department provided a total of
$1.38 million in its fiscal year 2002, and the Defense Department provided
another estimated $1.95
million.[11] In addition, the
US European Command reportedly spent approximately $1.6 million on training in
Azerbaijan in 2002, and left $400,000 worth of supplies and equipment for use in
future operations.[12] Other
contributions included: the Netherlands $518,181; Italy $200,300; Japan $78,807;
and Switzerland $15,000.[13] In
2001, Landmine Monitor recorded mine action funding totaling $5.5 million.
On 2 July 2002, the New York Wine and Grape Foundation, representing over 160
vineyards across New York State, and a US nonprofit, the Humpty Dumpty
Institute, held an event at the UN headquarters to raise funds to clear mines
and restore vineyards in the Fizuli region of
Azerbaijan.[14]
Mine Action Coordination and Planning
The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action
(ANAMA), established 18 July 1998, continues to serve as the national mine
action agency responsible for coordinating all aspects of mine action within
Azerbaijan.[15] According to
the UN, “The aim is to hand over management and implementation of all
aspects of mine action operations to ANAMA by the end of
2003.”[16] In 2002, the
US conducted two training courses in Baku (management techniques and Mine Risk
Education training) and three in Horadiz (impact and technical surveying, basic
clearance techniques, and advanced medical trainings).
An Azeri National Strategic Plan adopted in October 2001 creates a basic mine
action capacity for dealing with the problem in accessible areas. ANAMA also
uses an annual work plan, in which clearance priorities are
set.[17] It is expected that
the findings of the Landmine Impact Survey will enable ANAMA to better
prioritize mine clearance needs.
Mine Clearance
In 2002, two national NGOs, Relief Azerbaijan and
the International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF), both established in 2000, continued
mine survey and clearance in the Fizuli, Goranboy and Khanlar regions of
Azerbaijan.[18] In November
2002, demining operations near Chemenli village in Agdam region stopped for
security reasons.[19] The
Azerbaijan National Army did not conduct any humanitarian mine clearance in
2002.[20]
According to ANAMA, in 2002, the two NGOs cleared a total area of 1,118,000
square meters, including 676,000 square meters manually and 442,000 square
meters using mine detecting dogs. The NGOs identified and registered as
mine-affected 66,352,000 square meters in 12 regions. They marked for mine
clearance another 1,221,000 square meters of
land.[21]
ANAMA provided other statistics that are not consistent with the totals for
2002. From 2000 to May 2003, the NGOs cleared a total area of 1,753,826 square
meters, identified and registered as mine-affected 58,963,588 square meters of
land, and marked for mine clearance another 1,404,883 square
meters of land.[22]
At the request of local inhabitants, in July 2002 a small team of ten IEPF
deminers started mine clearance near the community of Gushgara in Khanlar
region, using funds provided by Japan. In December, the group conducted mine
clearance near the community of Topalhesenly in the same
region.[23] By 31 December
2002, IEPF had cleared 60,800 square meters of land, removing and destroying
nine UXO and three antipersonnel mines.
Landmine and UXO clearance is being undertaken in the community of Ashagi
Agjakend in Goranboy region to allow the reconstruction of housing for
IDPs.[24]
After mine clearance is completed, about 10 percent of the cleared land is
quality checked in accordance with national and international standards. As of
January 2003, mine clearance was underway in eight minefields, while 150 cleared
areas were in the quality assurance
process.[25]
ANAMA estimates that it will take 10 to15 years and cost $180-200 million to
clear Azerbaijan’s landmine
problem.[26]
Mine Risk Education
A joint mine risk education (MRE) project between
UNICEF and ANAMA continued in 2002 and
2003.[27] In 2002, 30 MRE
seminars were held in 12 mine-affected regions, which trained 525 medical
staff.[28] In Goranboy region,
conflict reconstruction teams received MRE training. Another 18 senior trainers
graduated from a special five-day MRE training course. Some 400 volunteers were
trained in the 12 regions. In November 2002, large billboards were erected at
the entry and exits to 49 settlements in nine mine-affected regions. In 2002,
MRE materials distributed included 30,000 posters, 120,000 children’s
books, 100,000 brochures for adults, 150,000 notebooks for schoolchildren, 7,000
T-shirts, and 10,000 training supplies.
In September 2002, an external consultant evaluated the MRE program developed
by UNICEF and ANAMA. The evaluation report commended UNICEF for building
“a good national capacity” and described several incidents of
children reporting suspicious objects to the authorities as a “good
indicator of the success of the program.” The report recommended that the
program build stronger relationships with its partners, encourage volunteers to
form MRE committees, produce MRE sessions in partnership with state television,
involve more NGO partners, urge the Ministry of Education to get MRE in the
school curriculum, strengthen participation by youth organizations, make sure
the content of the MRE workshops is relevant and appropriate, and create a
special MRE section within
ANAMA.[29]
On August 2002, the US European Command held a mine awareness training for 13
people with certificate
award.[30]
Landmine Casualties
In 2002, 17 new mine/UXO casualties were recorded
by ANAMA, of which nine people were killed and eight injured. Fifteen casualties
were men and two were women. No incidents involving children were
recorded.[31] In 2001, 25 new
mine/UXO casualties were reported; two people were killed and 23
injured.[32]
Civilian mine/UXO casualties reported in the media in 2002 include a
thirteen-year-old boy from the village of Khoch in Sharur region killed on 21
March after handling a
grenade,[33] and a villager from
Tezekend, in the same region, killed in a UXO explosion while herding his cattle
in June.[34]
According to the Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers, there were twelve
landmine casualties among members of Azerbaijan’s Armed Forces in
2002.[35] A survey of media
reports in 2002 found nine military mine/UXO casualties. On 23 February, a
soldier was killed in an antivehicle mine explosion. On 15 August, a landmine
explosion in Kemerli village in Kazakh region killed two soldiers and a
civilian.[36] On 26 September,
the AzCBL received information that an Army deminer was killed in a landmine
explosion; however this was not confirmed by the Ministry of
Defense.[37] On 18 October,
three soldiers were injured in a landmine incident in Ter-Ter
region.[38] In two incidents in
February and October, an Army deminer was killed and another injured in landmine
accidents in Fizuli region.[39]
Casualties continue to be reported in 2003. ANAMA has recorded six new
mine/UXO casualties to June 2003, including four people killed and two
injured.[40]
The Landmine Impact Survey, which was completed in May 2003, recorded 52
“recent” mine/UXO casualties over a two-year period (approximately
2000-2003). Of the 52 casualties, 79 percent survived, and most were adult
herders and farmers.[41]
The total number of landmine casualties in Azerbaijan remains unclear. The
Landmine Impact Survey identified 1,164 mine/UXO casualties prior to 2000, of
which 436 people were killed and 728
injured.[42] As of June 2003,
the ANAMA database contains records of 1,252 landmine and UXO casualties, of
which 318 people were killed and 934 injured. Children account for 194
casualties.[43]
Since August 1991, there have been over 200 UXO casualties reported,
including 75 people killed, from explosions of UXO stored at former Soviet Army
ammunition depots.[44] The
largest depot is in Saloglu region in the northwest of the country, while other
sites are located in Agstafa, Gazakh, Khanlar, and Tovuz
regions.[45]
Survivor Assistance
Medical and surgical facilities in Azerbaijan are
believed to be adequate to treat mine casualties. Hospitals reportedly provide
experienced physicians and ambulance services. All medical and rehabilitation
expenses for mine survivors and other persons with disabilities are covered by
the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection
(MOLASP).[46]
The Landmine Impact Survey found that of the 52 recent casualties, 93 percent
of survivors had received emergency care at the time of the incident, and almost
25 percent have received rehabilitation usually in the form of prostheses. Six
percent, or three survivors, reported receiving no treatment or
care.[47]
The ICRC supports the Nakhchivan prosthetic/orthotic center which was set up
by an ICRC-trained technician. In 2002, the center produced 29 prostheses, of
which six were for landmine
survivors.[48] After the
closure of the ICRC/MOLASP Darnagul Prosthetic-Orthotic Center in Baku on 31
December 2001, the ICRC began construction of a new prosthetic workshop in
Ganja, the second largest city in Azerbaijan. The Ganja branch of the
Prosthetic and Orthopedic Rehabilitation Center opened on 15 February 2003 with
the capacity to provide high quality services to people with disabilities. The
Center employs two ICRC-trained
technicians.[49]
The government-run Prosthetic and Orthopedic Rehabilitation Center in Baku
assisted 7,000-8,000 people in 2002, free-of-charge, providing physical
rehabilitation, prostheses, orthoses, and other assistive devices. The center
has 15,000 registered patients, including about 5,000
war-disabled.[50] In 2002, 111
people attended the center for the first time, including 56 landmine
survivors.[51] Azerbaijan does
not produce wheelchairs, which are imported at a cost of $1,200–$1,500
each.[52]
Thirty-five NGOs are working with persons with disabilities in Azerbaijan.
However, there are no programs focusing on mine
survivors.[53]
On 27 March 2003, ANAMA organized the first meeting of the Mine Victim
Assistance Working Group which includes representatives of relevant government,
non-governmental and international organizations operating in Azerbaijan. The
aim of the working group is to develop a long-term mine victim assistance
program.[54] ANAMA has
appointed a Mine Victims Assistance Specialist to co-ordinate
activities.[55]
Disability Policy and Practice
The 1997 Law of Prevention of Disability,
Rehabilitation of Persons with Disability and their Social Protection applies to
all persons with disabilities in Azerbaijan, including mine
survivors.[56]
[1] Notes taken by Landmine Monitor (AzCBL)
during a meeting between Hon. Araz Azimov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs,
and ICBL representatives from the Commonwealth of Independent States, Baku, 9
November 2002. See also AzCBL, “Information Bulletin No. 10,”
2002. [2] Notes taken by Landmine
Monitor (HRW) of a statement by Colonel Ramazanov, Director, Legal Department,
Ministry of Defense, to a regional conference on Landmine and the Explosive
Remnants of War hosted by the ICRC, Moscow, 4 November
2002. [3] Permanent Mission of the
Republic of Azerbaijan to the OSCE, “Response to the Questionnaire on
Anti-Personnel Landmines,” 20 December
2002. [4] Hon. Araz Azimov, Deputy
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baku, 9 November
2002. [5] Ibid.; AzCBL
“Information Bulletin No. 10,”
2002. [6] Landmine Monitor Report 1999,
pp. 762-765; Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p.
800. [7] For a description of the
conflict and resulting landmine problem, see Landmine Monitor Report 1999, pp.
762-765; Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p.
800. [8] This section on the Landmine
Impact Survey is based on an email to Landmine Monitor (HRW) from Mike
Kendellen, Director for Survey, Survey Action Center, 27 May
2003. [9] Azernews (English-language
newspaper), 6 November 2002. [10] Echo
(newspaper), 3 May 2003; Republic (newspaper), 30 May 2003; telephone interview
with Aziz Aliyev, Director, Information Department, ANAMA, 6 June
2003. [11] US Department of State,
“Congressional Budget Justifications: Foreign Operations, Fiscal Year 2004
- Bilateral Economic Assistance - State, Treasury, Complex Foreign
Contingencies, Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, Famine Fund,” 3 February
2003, pp. 124-128. [12] Express
(newspaper), 29 August 2002; AzCBL, Information Bulletin, No. 7,
2002. [13] UN Mine Action Investments
database, at
http://webapps.dfait-maeci.gc.ca. [14]
Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p.
614. [15] Landmine Monitor Report 1999,
p. 766. [16] UN, “Portfolio of
Mine-Related Projects 2003,” October 2002, p.
50. [17] Azerbaijan National Agency for
Mine Action, “Work Plan
2002-2003.” [18] Email to AzCBL
from ANAMA, 29 January 2003. [19]
Ibid. [20] Interview with Colonel
Muradali Aliyev, Director, Demining Office, Ministry of Defense, 30 January
2003. [21] Email to AzCBL from ANAMA, 29
January 2003. [22] Email to AzCBL from
ANAMA, 6 June 2003. [23] Email to AzCBL
from ANAMA 29 January 2003; Comsomolskaya Pravda–Baku, (Russian-language
newspaper), 17 August 2002; Sharg (newspaper), 17 August
2002. [24] Sharg, 2 May 2002; Olaylar
(newspaper), 24 May 2002; Echo, 27 December
2002. [25] Email to AzCBL from ANAMA 29
January 2003. [26] Echo, 16 July 2002;
Yeni Musavat (newspaper), 16 July
2002. [27] This section is based on a
letter to Landmine Monitor (AzCBL) from Musa Jalilov, MRE officer, UNICEF, 27
January 2003. [28] The 12 regions were
Agdam, Agjabedi, Agstafa, Beylagan, Dashkesen, Fizuli, Gazakh, Gedebey,
Goranboy, Khanlar, Ter-Ter, and Tovuz.
[29] Christina Nelke, “An
External Evaluation of the UNICEF-ANAMA Mine Risk Education Project in
Azerbaijan,” UNICEF, Baku, 1 October
2002. [30] Express, 29 August
2002. [31] Email to Landmine Monitor
(HIB) from Aziz M. Aliyev, Information Manager, ANAMA, 12 July
2003. [32] See Landmine Monitor Report
2002, p. 616. [33] Comsomolskaya
Pravda–Baku, 23 March 2002. [34]
Yeni Musavat, 3 June 2002. [35]
Interview with Rosa Aligizi, Chairwoman, Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers,
Baku, 14 January 2003. [36] Hurriyyet
(newspaper), 17 August 2002; Sharg, 17 August 2002; Echo, 17 August
2002. [37] Interview with Colonel Ramiz
Melikov, Director, Press Service, Ministry of Defense, 27 September
2002. [38] Yeni Musavat, 20 October
2002; “Three Azeri officers injured in land mine blast in southern
district,” ANS TV, Baku, 18 October
2002. [39] Yeni Musavat, 26 February
2002; Yeni Musavat, 1 October 2002. [40]
Email from Aziz M. Aliyev, ANAMA, 12 July
2003. [41] Preliminary results of
Azerbaijan Landmine Impact Survey, information provided in email to Landmine
Monitor (HIB) from Mike Kendellen, Director for Survey, Survey Action Center, 2
July 2003. [42]
Ibid. [43] Email from Aziz M. Aliyev,
ANAMA, 12 July 2003. [44] Zerkalo
(newspaper), 26 April 2003. [45] Meeting
with Nazim Ismayilov, Director, ANAMA, and Landmine Monitor researchers from the
CIS, Baku, 7 November 2002. [46]
Interview with Shahnaz Hashimova, Deputy Director, Department of Prevention,
Ministry of Health, Baku, 17 January 2003; interview with Dunya Khalilova, Press
Secretary, Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, Baku, 21 January
2003. [47] Preliminary results of
Azerbaijan Landmine Impact Survey, provided on 2 July
2003. [48] Interview with Shamsaddin
Hudaverdiyev, Director, Prosthetic and Orthopedic Rehabilitation Center, Baku,
17 January 2003; ICRC, “Annual Report 2002,” Geneva, June 2003, p.
247. [49] ICRC, “Azerbaijan:
February-March 2002,” Operational update, 1 April 2003. Available at:
www.icrc.org; interview with Shamsaddin Hudaverdiyev, Director, Prosthetic and
Orthopedic Rehabilitation Center, Baku, 17 January
2003. [50] Meeting with Shamsaddin
Hudaverdiyev, Director, Prosthetic and Orthopedic Rehabilitation Center, and
Landmine Monitor researchers from the CIS, Baku, 6 November
2002. [51] Interview with Shamsaddin
Hudaverdiyev, Prosthetic and Orthopedic Centre, 17 January
2003. [52] Meeting with Shamsaddin
Hudaverdiyev, Prosthetic and Orthopedic Center, 6 November
2002. [53] See Landmine Monitor Report
2002, p. 617. [54] ANAMA press release,
“First Meeting of Mine Victim Assistance Working Group,” 29 March
2003,available at
www.anama.baku.az. [55]
Email to Landmine Monitor (HIB) from Rauf Mamedov, Mine Victims Assistance
Specialist, ANAMA, 20 May 2003. [56] For
details see Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p. 860.