In the Middle East and
North Africa region, just five countries are States Parties to the Mine Ban
Treaty: Algeria, Jordan, Qatar, Tunisia, and Yemen. All except Qatar are
mine-affected.
Thirteen countries have not joined the treaty: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq,
Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and United
Arab Emirates. Little or no progress toward accession was noted in any of these
states during the reporting period. A meeting on landmines was held in the
United Arab Emirates for the first time ever in January 2003. The meeting
included a call for universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty in its final report.
In February 2003, the Arab Network of Researchers on Landmines and Explosive
Remnants of War hosted a regional symposium in Damascus, Syria
In Yemen, legislation to implement the treaty is apparently under discussion.
Tunisia reported that legislation was in the process of being adopted in
previous years, but now deems existing law sufficient. Jordan and Algeria also
view existing legislation as sufficient. Qatar does not see an immediate need
to formulate legislation because it does not use landmines and is not
mine-affected.
All States Parties from the region have submitted initial Article 7
transparency reports and provided updates to these reports in 2002 and 2003.
Three non-signatories from the region--Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab
Emirates--voted in favor of UN General Assembly Resolution 57/74 on 22 November
2002, supporting universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty. All five States
Parties from the region also supported the resolution. Eight of the 23
governments abstaining from voting came from the Middle East and North Africa:
Egypt, Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, and Syria. Saudi Arabia
was absent for the vote.
Eight non-States Parties attended the Fourth Meeting of States Parties in
Geneva in September 2002 as observers: Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco,
Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Delegations participated from all five States
Parties.
Every State Party attended intersessional Standing Committee meetings in
February and May 2003. Seven non-States Parties also participated: Israel,
Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman and Saudi Arabia and Syria.
Use
Saddam Hussein’s forces used antipersonnel
mines in the lead-up to and during the conflict in Iraq in early 2003. Iraqi
forces planted mines extensively, and also abandoned caches of weapons,
including landmines, in many parts of the country. There were no reports of
coalition use of antipersonnel landmines in Iraq.
There were reports of use of mines, improvised explosive devices or
booby-traps by non-state actors in Algeria and Palestine during the reporting
period.
Production and Transfer
Three of the fifteen mine producers remaining in
the world are in the Middle East/North Africa: Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. Egypt has
unofficially stated that it ceased production in 1988, but Landmine Monitor
still regards Egypt as a producer state as it has still not made a formal
proclamation.
In September 2002, Iran said it has not produced antipersonnel mines since
the end of its war with Iraq in 1988. However, last year Landmine Monitor
reported that hundreds of Iran-manufactured antipersonnel mines with production
stamps of 1999 and 2000 were encountered by demining organizations in
Afghanistan.
Since the coalition occupation of Iraq, any industrial production of
antipersonnel mines that may have been taking place has, presumably, ceased.
Landmine Monitor will keep Iraq on the list of producers until a new government
officially renounces antipersonnel mine production.
In August 2002, Israel renewed its antipersonnel mine export ban to July
2005.
Stockpiling and Destruction
Jordan completed destruction of its antipersonnel
landmine stockpile on 23 April 2003, while Yemen completed its stockpile
destruction in April 2002. Tunisia has destroyed another 13,684 stockpiled
antipersonnel mines, and plans to complete destruction in September 2003. In
May 2003, Algeria reported that it has a stockpile of 165,080 antipersonnel
mines and plans to destroy the stock before 2006. Qatar reports that it has no
stockpiled antipersonnel landmines.
Algeria plans to retain 15,030 antipersonnel landmines for training and
research purposes, as permitted under Article 3 of them Mine Ban Treaty. This
is the fourth highest number retained by any State Party. The other States
Parties from the region plan to retain mines, except for Qatar: Tunisia (5,000),
Yemen (4,000), and Jordan (1,000).
It is likely that non-signatoriesEgypt, Iran, Israel, and Syria have
large stockpiles of antipersonnel mines. Iraq likely possessed a substantial
stockpile prior to coalition occupation. Israel revealed that its military has
an annual program to destroy outdated mines, and destroyed 12 tons of mines in
2002. Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates remain among the very few countries
for which Landmine Monitor does not have a clear indication whether
antipersonnel mines are stockpiled.
The United States stockpiled a combined total of about 90,000 antipersonnel
mines in State Party Qatar and non-signatories Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi
Arabia before the combat operations in Iraq beginning in March 2003. It is
unclear if these stocks have been subsequently removed.
Qatar stated in May 2003 that it would not support any citizen of Qatar to
carry, transport, or store any antipersonnel mines with the US. It also stated
that any US stockpiles of antipersonnel mines on Qatari territory are not under
Qatari jurisdiction or control. Saudi officials have told Landmine Monitor that
the US is not permitted to use antipersonnel mines on Saudi territory.
Landmine Problem
Fourteen of the eighteen countries in the Middle
East and North Africa are affected by the presence of uncleared landmines and
unexploded ordnance, including four of the five States Parties (Algeria, Jordan,
Tunisia, and Yemen). Only Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab
Emirates are free of the landmine problem. Mines and UXO also affect the
Occupied Palestinian Territories, and Western Sahara.
There is still a lack of knowledge in many mine-affected countries as to the
extent of the landmine problem, including credible, detailed information as to
the exact location of mined areas.
In Tunisia, assessment missions were conducted in December 2002 and January
2003 by Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS),
respectively. In Iraq, several survey and assessment projects were planned or
underway as of June 2003. Lebanon’s first national Landmine Impact Survey
was carried out from September 2002 to April 2003. Preliminary results
indicated that 22 of 24 districts were affected by mines/UXO.
Mine Action Funding
The United Arab Emirates in 2001 pledged up to $50
million to mine action in South Lebanon. It is not known how much of that total
the UAE contributed in 2002, but under the program known as “Operation
Emirates Solidarity,” it has funded mine clearance, survey and risk
education activities. In 2002, UAE also contributed $10,000 for mine action in
Sri Lanka.
Apart from the UAE, seven donors reported contributions totaling $5.1 million
for mine action in Lebanon in 2002.
Saudi Arabia provided Yemen with $1 million as the second part of a donation
of $3 million for mine action activities. Overall, in 2002, twelve donors
reported providing about $5.6 million, up from about $4 million in 2001. In
2002, the government of Yemen provided approximately 3 million Yemeni Rials for
the national mine action program.
Prior to the occupation of Iraq by the Coalition Provisional Authority in
2003, mine action only took place in northern Iraq (Iraqi Kurdistan). The Iraq
Mine Action Program (MAP), under the jurisdiction of the United Nations, has
been funded entirely through the UN Oil for Food Program. The MAP expended
$27.3 million in 2002, and over $28 million in 2001. MAG and Norwegian
People’s Aid (NPA) received funds apart from the UN program, totaling
about $3.3 million in 2002 and $2.4 million in 2001. In 2003, mine action is
spreading to the rest of the country. Oil for Food funding is expected to be
about $35 million in 2003. In addition to that, by July 2003, donors had
provided or pledged more than $20 million in mine action funding for all of
Iraq.
Mine Clearance
In 2002 and 2003, humanitarian mine clearance was
underway in States Parties Jordan and Yemen, as well as non-States Parties Iran,
Iraq, and Lebanon.
The Royal Jordanian Corps of Engineers cleared 20 minefields in 2002, which
allowed a major national irrigation project to proceed. Thirteen Jordanian army
deminers were deployed to work in Afghanistan from December 2002 into 2003. In
Yemen, the National Mine Action Committee reports that in 2002 seven demining
teams cleared 18 known mine-affected areas covering approximately 1.18 million
square meters.
In Iraq, mine action programs were initiated for the first time in southern
Iraq after the main fighting ceased in April 2003. In 2002, local Kurdish
demining NGOs were established in northern Iraq, and were carrying out demining
activities with UN support. In addition, MAG and NPA cleared more than 455,000
square meters of land in 2002 in northern Iraq.
In Lebanon, the Army reported demining 1.7 million square meters of land in
2002. As part of “Operation Emirates Solidarity,” two commercial
companies cleared 3.9 million square meters of land in South Lebanon in 2002.
Syrian Army deminers working in Lebanon in 2002 cleared some 842,000 square
meters by October.
No information was available to Landmine Monitor regarding Iranian Army
demining accomplishments for 2002/2003, though they have been extensive in past
years. NPA is advising the Iranian Army on demining, and has assisted with the
surveying of nearly 600 square kilometers. The UN Development Program signed an
agreement with Iran in July 2002 to help develop a mine action strategy and
provide training in various aspects of mine action.
Limited mine clearance was underway in five other countries of the region in
2002 and 2003, all non-States Parties (Egypt, Israel, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman), as
well as in the Western Sahara.
Limited clearance by the military was recorded in Kuwait and Oman. Limited
mine clearance to maintain minefields was noted in Israel. In Egypt, commercial
companies undertook some limited mine clearance for economic development
purposes.
In the Western Sahara, the UN reported that the Royal Moroccan Army carried
out 36 mine disposal operations and the Polisario Front carried out nine such
operations between April 2002 and January 2003. In May 2003, the UN reported
that the Morocco carried out another 16 mine disposal operations in Western
Sahara.
No mine clearance of any type was noted in 2002 in Algeria, Libya, Syria and
Tunisia, as well as Palestine. Planning for humanitarian mine clearance is,
however, underway in States Parties Algeria and Tunisia. A National Mine Action
Committee was established in Palestine in August 2002, to coordinate and plan
mine action programs of government agencies, UN agencies, and NGOs.
Mine Risk Education
In 2002, MRE programs continued in four countries
(Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen) as well as Palestine. Basic MRE activities
took place in three countries (Israel, Jordan and Tunisia). No MRE programs
were reported in seven countries (Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco,
and Oman) and the Western Sahara.
A number of agencies, including UNICEF and Handicap International, have been
conducting large-scale emergency MRE activities in Iraq following the coalition
occupation, while in the northern governorates UN-supported local NGOs and MAG
implemented MRE programs. MAG made particular effort to distribute MRE
materials to displaced persons in the northern regions prior to and during the
main hostilities in 2003.
In Lebanon, between 1 May 2002 and 1 June 2003, mine risk education
activities reached about 95,000 out of 180,000 students in South Lebanon, and as
many as 500,000 people total. In 2002, the Yemen Mine Awareness Association
and the mine risk education department at the Regional Mine Action Center in
Aden carried out joint activities in Aden, Lahej, Abyan, Ebb, and Aldhala,
reaching 84 villages and schools with a total population of 95,044 persons. The
organizations made 49 field visits and distributed 19,582 posters and
educational games.
In Palestine, the NGO Defense for Children continued its MRE work in 2002,
primarily in mine-affected areas, military training zones, and areas of
confrontation. UNICEF and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society also carried out
MRE activities, while ICRC did so in Gaza. UN agencies conducted MRE in the
Golan areas of Syria; the Syrian government also runs MRE programs. Twenty MRE
instructors from four countries received training at a three-week course held in
Jordan in October 2002.
Mine Casualties
In 2002, new mine/UXO casualties were reported in
ten countries in the region: Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait,
Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen. Mine casualties were also reported in
Palestine and Western Sahara. It is possible that there were mine incidents in
Libya; however, there was a lack of tangible evidence to confirm new
casualties.
In northern Iraq, 457 mine/UXO casualties were reported in 2002, up from 360
in 2001. The mine/UXO casualty rate rose considerably due to the hostilities in
Iraq: during March and April 2003 the number of reported casualties increased
by 90 percent in the north of Iraq compared to the same period in 2002. In
2003, through May, 493 new mine/UXO casualties were recorded in the northern
region.
The number of casualties continued to decline in Lebanon with 42 casualties
reported in 2002, down from 85 in 2001 and 113 in 2000.
In this reporting period, landmine/UXO casualties also included nationals
from the region who were killed or injured while abroad engaged in military or
demining operations, peacekeeping, or other activities; these casualties were
from Algeria, Iraq, Morocco, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates.
In 2002 and the first half of 2003, there were confirmed reports of accidents
during clearance operations or training exercises that caused casualties among
deminers in Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Yemen.
Survivor Assistance
The availability of services to mine casualties and
survivors varies greatly across the region. In Algeria, the Ben Aknoun
prosthetic/orthotic center began production and assisted 61 mine survivors
during the year; the majority of which were mine survivors from Western Sahara.
In Iraq, some health facilities lack running water and constant electricity,
equipment has not been properly maintained, and there is a lack of well-trained
and experienced health care workers. In Jordan, an amputation surgery workshop
was held for surgeons from the Ministry of Health and the Hussein Medical
Center. In Lebanon, more attention is reportedly needed on employment and
economic reintegration activities. In Yemen, 132 mine survivors received
various forms of medical assistance from government-organized programs.
About Us
Our Research Products