Key developments since May 2003: On 14 September 2004, Angola
submitted its initial Article 7 transparency report, originally due by 30 June
2003. According to the report, the Armed Forces of Angola stockpile 50,659
antipersonnel mines, of which 1,360 mines will be retained for training
purposes. The size or composition of the landmine stockpile that was held by
former UNITA military forces remains unknown. In 2003, CNIDAH reported that an
area totalling 3,525,197 square meters had been cleared of 14,726 antipersonnel
mines, 1,045 antivehicle mines and 71,596 UXO. In 2003, local and international
NGOsprovided mine risk education to 806,319 individuals through
8,077 events. A Landmine Impact Survey started in December 2002 was ongoing as
of September 2004.
Key developments since 1999: Angola signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 4
December 1997, but continued to use landmines until the peace agreement signed
with UNITA forces in April 2002. Angola ratified the treaty on 5 July 2002, and
it entered into force on 1 January 2003. In 2001, the government created the
Inter-Sectoral Commission on Demining and Humanitarian Assistance (CNIDAH) to be
responsible for policy-making, coordination of mine action and victim
assistance, and the design of a new National Mine Action Plan. Trouble-plagued
INAROEE, the national demining institution, was restructured in 2003, and
renamed the National Institute for Demining (INAD). A Landmine Impact Survey
started in December 2002 was ongoing as of September 2004. Landmine Monitor
estimates that more than 20 million square meters of land were cleared from
1999-2003. Up to 20 different agencies have conducted mine risk education in
Angola since 1999. From 1999 to 2003, 2.35 million people reportedly took part
in MRE activities. From 1999 to 2003, there were at least 2,912 new mine/UXO
casualties reported in Angola. In 2001, the Ministry of Health launched the
National Program for Physical and Sensorial Rehabilitation 2001-2005.
Mine Ban Policy
Angola signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 4 December 1997 and ratified on 5 July
2002, after a peace agreement was signed with UNITA forces in April
2002.[1] The treaty entered into
force on 1 January 2003. There have apparently been no steps taken toward
developing domestic legislation, and Angola’s initial Article 7 report
states that no legal implementation measures have been taken. Angola submitted
its initial Article 7 transparency report, originally due by 30 June 2003, on 14
September 2004.[2] It included
voluntary Form J.
The Angolan government first publicly stated its support for a total
prohibition of antipersonnel mines in May 1996 and the country participated
actively in the Ottawa Process. Angola has attended every annual Meeting of
States Parties, including in September 2003, as well as most intersessional
Standing Committee meetings in Geneva, including those held in February and June
2004. Angola’s participation posed particular problems in early meetings.
At the First Meeting of States Parties in May 1999, Angola arrived on the last
day of the conference to avoid any questions on its use of antipersonnel mines
in fighting that erupted in November 1998, while during the Second Meeting of
States Parties in September 2000, Angolan diplomats attempted to justify the
government’s continued use of antipersonnel mines. Angola has voted in
favor of every annual pro-ban UN General Assembly resolution since 1996, except
for 1997 when it was absent.
Regionally, Angola has been somewhat active on the issue. The seventh
meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Acting Committee on
Landmines was held on 27-28 June 2002 in Luanda, Angola at the same time as
SADC’s first Conference of Demining
Operators.[3] The head of INAROEE
attended a seminar on the Mine Ban Treaty in February 2001 in Mali. In
September 2003, Angola stated the importance of the African Union and SADC on
the landmine issue, noting that only through “serious and collective
responses” could the weapon not remain “a permanent threat to all
nations of the
world.”[4]
Angola has not engaged in the extensive discussions that States Parties have
had on matters of interpretation and implementation related to Articles 1, 2,
and 3. Thus, Angola has not made known its views on issues related to joint
military operations with non-States Parties, foreign stockpiling and transit of
antipersonnel mines, antivehicle mines with sensitive fuzes or antihandling
devices, and the permissible number of mines retained for training. It is
particularly notable that Angola has not spoken on these issues, given its past
history of mine use and participation in joint operations.
Angola is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.
Production, Transfer, and Stockpiling
Angola is not a known producer or exporter of
landmines.[5] Its Article 7
report states that there has never been any kind of antipersonnel mines
manufactured in Angola.[6]
According to the government, a total of 47 different mines from 18 countries
have been found or reported in the country, including mines from Austria,
Belgium, China, the former Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel,
Italy, North Korea, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, the former Soviet Union, South
Africa, United States, Vietnam, and the former
Yugoslavia.[7]
In its Article 7 report, Angola states that it possesses a total of 50,659
antipersonnel mines, of three types, mostly from the former Soviet bloc. It
indicated that it would retain 1,390 mines for training purposes. However, in
the report, the numbers of individual mines listed as being retained actually
totalled 1,460. Included are 30
“flares.”[8]
Little is known about the size or composition of the landmine stockpile that
was held by former UNITA military forces and Landmine Monitor was told such
information is closely guarded for security
reasons.[14] In 1999 and 2000,
the Angolan army found antipersonnel and antivehicle mines in various UNITA
weapons caches.[15] Confiscated
arms shown to Landmine Monitor in 2000 included mines mostly from Romania, South
Africa and the USSR.[16]
The treaty-mandated deadline for destruction of all Angola’s stockpiled
antipersonnel mines is 1 January 2007. In June 2004, Angola made a presentation
to the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction that provided details of
Angola’s plan to destroy its stockpile. It noted 8,432 antipersonnel
mines were destroyed in late 2003/early 2004, leaving 50,659 to be destroyed.
The destruction program was expected to take some 18 to 24 months to complete,
at an estimated cost of $1.47 million; the European Commission would be asked to
fund 90 percent and the Angolan government would provide 10
percent.[17]
Angola’s Article 7 report states that it destroyed 7,072 landmines from
September 2003 to April 2004. Again, this included a number of
“flares,” without which the total was 6,845 mines. Angola also
reported that 15,896 mines had been destroyed during mine clearance
operations.[18]
Landmines Reported Destroyed by Angola, September 2003 to April 2004
Type
Quantity
PPM-2
445
POMZ
1,251
M-75
606
PMN
184
MON-100
152
PMD-6
154
PPMSR-1
160
FLARES
227
OTK
170
OZM-4
2,544
OZM-72
186
MON-50
167
GYATA
826
TOTAL
7,072
Use
Landmines were a constant feature of the fighting in Angola since the war of
independence, which began 1961, and through the various phases of the civil war
from 1975 until the peace agreements of April 2002, following the death of UNITA
leader Jonas Savimbi. Mines were used in great numbers by all parties to the
conflict. Prior to April 2002, and even after signing the Mine Ban Treaty,
Angolan government officials admitted to the continued planting of mines by
their military forces on many occasions, and previous field research by the
Landmine Monitor documented specific instances of such
use.[19] Mines were also
reportedly used by Angolan Army and UNITA forces fighting outside Angola in
Namibian territory.[20]
Though the Mine Ban Treaty had not entered into force for Angola, the ICBL
and other States Parties protested its continued use of antipersonnel mines,
noting that use of mines by a signatory can be judged a breach of its
international obligations. Under Article 18 of the Vienna Convention on the Law
of Treaties, “A state is obliged to refrain from acts which would defeat
the object and purpose of a treaty when...it has signed the treaty....”
Clearly, use of mines by a signatory defeats the object and purpose of the
treaty.
Since the end of the war, there have been sporadic and unconfirmed reports of
new use of antipersonnel and antivehicle mines. Allegations have been aimed
primarily at criminal groups. For instance, in January 2004 media reported that
an army operation against illegal diamond miners in the Bié province
yielded a large array of weapons, including an antivehicle
mine.[21] In January 2003, an
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.”[22] Mine incidents
continued to be reported frequently throughout 2003 and 2004, but Landmine
Monitor could not determine whether these demonstrated new mine use or were the
result of old mines that had been placed during the war. One of INAD’s
directors, Araújo Martinho Kapapelo Nunda, ruled out any new use of mines
in a media interview.[23]
Since the end of the war and taking into account the ongoing attempts to
integrate the two armed forces, former UNITA fighters have been working with the
Angolan demining institutions to help locate both stocks and
minefields.[24]
Landmine Problem
Angola is still considered to be one of the countries most affected by mines
and unexploded ordnance (UXO). Information on the extent of landmine
contamination in the country remains limited and unclear due to the fact that
numerous parties were involved in mine-laying, as well as the lack of credible
records.
According to Angola’s Article 7 report, the country’s national
database registers 4,200 areas that contain or are suspected to contain
mines.[25] This differs from
figures provided by the National Institute of Demining (INAD—formerly
INAROEE), which indicate that Angola has a total of 4,000
minefields.[26] In 2001, a total
of 2,232 known minefields and UXO locations had been registered in the national
database, and some 660 minefields and sites had been cleared since
1995.[27] In 2002, some 72 new
suspected areas were reportedly surveyed and recorded by various mine action
organizations.[28]
With a return to peace in 2002, general movement throughout the country
increased significantly. Additionally, 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.”[29] The number of
mine incidents increased dramatically during 2002 and early 2003, particularly
incidents involving antivehicle mines, and there was concern that as movement
and repatriation continued, the numbers could
rise.[30] But, as indicated
below, that was not reportedly the case in 2003.
The repatriation of refugees continues under the auspices of UNHCR, which
plans to have all estimated 450,000 refugees repatriated from neighbouring
countries by 2005.[31] However,
many refugees return to Angola spontaneously, and risks of increased mine
accidents are significant. As far as the organized repatriation is concerned,
UNHCR has been helpful in facilitating mine risk education in refugee camps in
Namibia, Democratic Republic of Congo and
Zambia.[32]
Survey and Assessment
The conclusion of the war has made possible the first systematic national
assessment of the landmine problem. A Landmine Impact Survey (LIS), started in
December 2002 under the auspices of CNIDAH and the various demining NGOs working
in Angola (including HALO Trust, InterSOS, Santa Barbara Foundation, Norwegian
People’s Aid and Mines Advisory Group) is
ongoing.[33] INAD was added as a
survey partner in August 2004. By 27 September 2004, the survey had begun in
Benguela, Bie, Cunene, Huambo, Huila, Lunda, Malanje, Moxico, Namibe and Sol.
The Survey Action Center (SAC) and the NGO implementing partners will conduct
an operational review in mid-November 2004. Data collection is expected to be
completed by February 2005 with final analysis and reporting done by August
2005. A coordination team from the Survey Action Center, based in Luanda, is
providing oversight and monitoring. Funding has been provided by the United
States, Canada, Germany and the European Commission.
CNIDAH has installed the Information Management System for Mine Action
(IMSMA), with the support of the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian
Demining and in cooperation with SAC, with the intent of consolidating all
information into the IMSMA
format.[34] The IMSMA system was
not fully operational by August 2004; at that time it was only being utilized by
SAC for the LIS data.[35]
Prior to initiating the Landmine Impact Survey, various survey and assessment
activities were carried out in Angola. As the government reported,
“extensive survey operations” were carried out in ten eastern
provinces between 1995-1997, which yielded 1,940 individual reports. In 1998,
five more provinces were surveyed (Bié, Cabinda, Cunene, Huambo, and
Lunda Sul), “increasing the number of survey reports that were submitted
to the data base.” In 1999, ongoing surveys covered 280 suspected mined
areas although “the activities had to be adapted to the new working
conditions due to the resumption of the military hostilities.” Security
concerns resulted in the postponement of surveys in Kuando Kubango, Lunda Norte
and Moxico.[36]
Mine Action Coordination and Planning
The National Inter-Sectoral Commission on Demining and Humanitarian
Assistance (Comissão Nacional Intersectorial de Desminagem e
Assistência Humanitária às vítimas de minas, CNIDAH)
was created on 28 June 2001, during a restructuring of the national mine action
sector. It was established in response to the lack of overall coordination in
the mine action sector and the lack of donor confidence in national mine action
institutions. According to one assessment, collaboration between the
international community and the original national institute for demining, the
National Institute for the Removal of Explosive Obstacles (Instituto Nacional de
Remoção De Obstáculos E Engenhos Explosivos, INAROEE),
“showed clear signs of a lack of proper mandates, poor overall planning,
lack of co-operation between key organizations, contradictory messages to
donors, and a gradually increasing international distrust in the work of
INAROEE.”[37] CNIDAH is to
provide a clear separation between policy, coordination, and fundraising on the
one hand, and the implementation of mine action activities on the other.
INAROEE was plagued with problems since its establishment in 1995; by 2002
its activities had been reduced to a
minimum.[38] In 2003 and 2004,
INAROEE underwent a thorough restructuring and was renamed the National
Institute for Demining (Instituto Nacional de Desminagem, INAD). The director
of INAD is also a coordinator of CNIDAH. INAD seeks to establish offices in ten
of the most mine-affected provinces in the country. It also works with the
Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) to get them to adopt humanitarian mine clearance
standards and practices.
The activities and role of CNIDAH have gradually been taking shape since its
creation and it is slowly assuming responsibility for the national demining
effort. Its two sub-commissions (demining and mine risk education) are
operational and NGOs are working with them to restructure the national mine
action sector. CNIDAH is also assuming its role as the liaison agency between
the international humanitarian partners and the various appropriate Angolan
government focal points.
In 2004, the main focus of CNIDAH’s work appears to be
decentralization, with a goal of having its operations functional in all
provincial capitals by 2005.[39]
The intent is to establish an operations room in each province under the
authority of the Vice-Governor where information would be gathered and analyzed
and a mine action fund established for rapid response. CNIDAH has no desire to
centralize this information because it believes the system would work best at
decentralized levels. Some Vice-Governors have reacted positively to the notion
of being listed as the mine action focal point for the province, others are
reached through national meetings and through outreach by CNIDAH’s
president.[40]
The development of a national mine action plan, as reported in 2003, has
progressed significantly but needs to be translated to the provincial level,
where it is to work through the provincial focal points. In August 2004, one
such provincial office, including an operations room with office equipment, was
inaugurated in Caxito, the capital of Bengo
province.[41]
In order to prioritize its own work, CNIDAH has made an inventory of all
provinces and decided intervention levels based on five criteria: density of the
population, number of minefields, number of mine victims, recorded incidents in
2003 and numbers of vulnerable people, especially those in transit, IDPs or
returning refugees. Based on these criteria, CNIDAH has made a breakdown of the
provinces according to five levels of urgency: Bié (Level 1); Cuando
Cubango, Benguela, and Malanje (Level 2); Kwanza Sul, Huambo, Moxico, and Huila
(Level 3); Bengo, Kwanza Norte, Uige, Zaire, Lunda Norte, Cunene, Lunda Sul
(Level 4); and Cabinda, Namibe, and Luanda (Level
5).[42]
In 2003, Landmine Monitor noted some concerns expressed by the humanitarian
partners about the decentralization plan, including that it was difficult to see
the impact of considerable funding on mine action coordination, and it was
unclear how CNIDAH would manage the increased flow of mine action information
and utilize it for planning purposes. Some also said it was unclear how CNIDAH
was represented at the provincial level, and how provincial decisions related to
central level planning.[43]
There is now some clarity, for example on the question of representation at
the provincial level, but concerns still remain, including that CNIDAH’s
activities will remain at the discretion of the provincial Vice Governors, who
decide whether or not to take up the issue of landmines. Some mine action
operators have also noted that certain long-standing, complicated, and
time-consuming bureaucratic procedures remain unresolved and continue to delay
program implementation, such as difficulties with importing demining equipment
and obtaining work visas for international
staff.[44]
Mine Clearance
According to CNIDAH, in 2003 all organizations engaged in demining in Angola
cleared a total of 3,525,197 square meters of land and destroyed 14,726
antipersonnel mines, 1,045 antivehicle mines and 71,596
UXO.[45] In a presentation to the
Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction in June 2004, CNIDAH stated that
57,731 mines were cleared in 2002-2003, and 15,896 were destroyed in
2003-2004.[46] Priority areas
included roads, bridges, and the soon to be reopened Benguela Railway, which is
of huge potential economic significance to Angola, as it links the country to
Central Africa.[47] The
management of the 1,165 kilometer-long railway, which is owned by the Angolan
government, has voiced concern about the slow pace of the work, estimated to
cost around $80 million.[48]
In the six years it has been reporting, Landmine Monitor has faced
difficulties in reconciling conflicting data on mine clearance for Angola,
particularly as reported by INAROEE and its successor. Past Landmine Monitor
reports have indicated that 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.[49]
In 2001, according to the mine action NGOs operating in Angola, 6.8 million
square meters of land were
cleared.[50] For 2000, major mine
action NGOs reported clearing some 5.8 million square meters of
land.[51] It was reported that
from 1995 through May 2000, 2,610 mine or UXO fields had been identified, of
which 517 were cleared; a total area of ten million square meters of land and
some 5,000 kilometers of main roads had been cleared; some 15,000 mines 300,000
UXO had been destroyed.[52] Thus,
it would appear that from 2000-2003, more than 18 million square meters of land
was cleared, and more than 20 million square meters from 1999-2003.
In 2004, there were ten operators engaged in mine clearance-related
activities in Angola: eight NGOs (HALO, MAG, NPA, InterSOS, SBF, BTS, MgM, and
DCA), the National Demining Institute and the Angolan Armed Forces. Three of
the NGOs are large operators with a decade of experience working in the country
(HALO, MAG, and NPA). Four others are smaller, but also long-established in
Angola (BTS, InterSOS, MgM, and SBF), while another, DanChurchAid, has been
operating in Angola for one year. In previous years, other groups active in
mine action in Angola have included the commercial South African firm BRZ
International Ltd (1999-2001), the UK-based commercial firm Greenfield
Consultants that was contracted by Care International (1995-1999), and two
German NGOs: Demira (1999) and Kap Anamur (1992-1996).
Mines Advisory Group (MAG). The British NGO Mines Advisory Group has
implemented mine action projects in Angola since April 1994, and conducted mine
risk education as early as 1992. MAG has bases in Cunene and Moxico provinces.
By mid-2004 MAG had expanded its technical capacity to twelve 15-person Mine
Action Teams and four seven-person Survey/Demarcation Teams, and is establishing
three Mechanical Operations Units to conduct vegetation clearance, excavation,
area reduction and quality assurance. MAG also runs Community Liaison Teams in
each base, conducting data gathering, prioritization and MRE activities. In
total, MAG employs 386 Angolan staff and 11 expatriates. It is supported by the
European Commission, ECHO, United States, Germany, The Netherlands, UK,
MSF-Belgium and the Zero Campaign, administered by the Committee for Project
Mine Free.
Between January 2003 and June 2004, MAG cleared 284,993 square meters of
land, completing 16 mined areas and destroying 153 antipersonnel mines, 54
antivehicle mines and 1,797 UXO, enabling the rehabilitation of a health clinic,
two schools, a key bridge over the River Zambeze and several well sites and
irrigation channels, as well as land for resettlement of returnees and
agricultural activities. In addition, MAG responded to 725 reports of mines and
UXO from local communities, NGOs and local authorities, removing 623
antipersonnel mines, 71 antivehicle mines and 41,505 UXO. In the same period MAG
demarcated eight suspect areas totalling 421,587 square meters, destroying six
antipersonnel mines and 12 antivehicle mines during the technical survey
process.[53]
HALO Trust.[54] The
Halo Trust (HALO), a British NGO, has operated in Angola since 1994. HALO
expanded its Angola operations significantly during 2002, increasing national
staff numbers from 385 to 620 and increasing the number of manual demining teams
from 26 to 40. In 2004, HALO had five international staff members in country,
managing the 40 manual teams, five mechanical teams and six combined teams. In
2004, it had operational bases in four central provinces (Bié, Huambo,
Benguela, and in Kuando Kubango). HALO receives financial support from the US
State Department, the Netherlands, Ireland, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Japan,
Finland, and the European Commission.
In 2003, HALO surveyed 26,286,113 square meters, reduced another 6,510,416
square meters, and cleared 679,049 square meters of affected land. It destroyed
4,085 antipersonnel mines, 476 antivehicle mines and 1,412 UXO. In 2003, HALO
verified 765 kilometers of road using the Chubby road system. HALO is
also involved in mine risk education activities. In the first four months of
2004, HALO surveyed 340,800 square meters; did area reduction of 792,000 square
meters; and cleared 330,437 square meters. It destroyed 1,289 antipersonnel
mines, 101 antivehicle mines and 248 UXO.
Between 1999 and 2003, HALO cleared a total of 43,963,129 square meters of
affected land manually, reduced another 6,561,429 square meters, cleared
88,878,224 square meters by battle area clearance, and surveyed a total of
35,777,569 square meters. In this period, HALO destroyed a total of 102,743
antipersonnel mines, 854 antivehicle mines and 5,747 UXO.
Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA). The Norwegian NGO Norwegian
People’s Aid has conducted mine action operations in Angola since early
1995. In 2003, it operated from three regional bases (Malanje, Luena and
Lubango) and employed approximately 500 Angolan staff, as well as ten
expatriates.[55] In 2002, NPA
restructured its Angola mine action unit so that each 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. NPA receives funding from the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the US
State Department, as well as Statoil, the Norwegian oil company.
In 2003, NPA manually cleared a total of 366,499 square meters of land,
cleared another 1,533,116 square meters mechanically, and verified 177
kilometers of road in Malanje, Moxico, Huila and Kwanza Norte provinces. It
destroyed 586 antipersonnel mines, 219 antivehicle mines and 6,393
UXO.[56] NPA mine survey teams
also identified and documented 21 mined sites in 2003. In the first four months
of 2004, NPA cleared a total of 1.5 million square meters of land, and destroyed
117 antipersonnel mines, 62 antivehicle mines and 1,145 UXO. In June/July 2004,
NPA moved its southern base from Huila province to Gabela in Kwansa Sul
province.[57]
Between 1999 and 2003, NPA cleared a total of 10,059,943 square meters of
affected land and destroyed a total of 3,285 antipersonnel mines, 501
antivehicle mines and 155,415 UXO.
Santa Barbara Foundation (SBF). The German NGO Santa Barbara
Foundation has worked in Angola since late 1996, conducting manual and
mechanical clearance, and deploying mine detecting dog teams. In 2003, SBF
verified 72 kilometers of road, destroying 17 UXO in the
process.[58] In 2004, SBF started
clearance activities in May in Bocoio in the western coastal province of
Buenguela, clearing agricultural land and 30 kilometers of roads needed for the
resettlement of refugees and IDPs, and conducting mine risk
education.[59] SBF receives
funding from Germany and UNOCHA.
Between 1999 and 2003, SBF cleared a total of 645,000 square meters of
affected land and destroyed a total of 189 antipersonnel mines, 129 antivehicle
mines and 1,118 UXO.
InterSOS.[60] The
Italian NGO InterSOS has operated in Angola since 1997 in the southern provinces
of Huila and Kuando Kubango, carrying out mine surveys, mine clearance, EOD and
battle area clearance. It receives funding from the EC, Italy, and UNDP.
In 2003, InterSOS cleared 85,506 square meters of affected land, did battle
area clearance of another 274,000 square meters and destroyed 38 antipersonnel
mines and 56 antivehicle mines. It also verified 1,403 kilometers of road.
Menschen gegen Minen (MgM). The German NGO Menschen gegen Minen has
conducted mine action activities in the country since 1996, working in the
central provinces of Bengo and Kwanza Sul and in the southern provinces of
Cunene and Huila. MgM maintains an operational capacity of two armored graders
and one armored Caterpillar 916 with ROTAR attachment, plus two dog teams and 40
manual deminers.[61] It receives
funding from Germany. In 2003, MgM cleared 17,150 square meters of land,
destroyed 85 antipersonnel mines and 50 antivehicle mines, and verified 129
kilometers of road.[62]
Between 1999 and 2003, MgM cleared a total of 2,904,259 square meters of
affected land and destroyed a total of 999 antipersonnel mines, 86 antivehicle
mines and 3,295 UXO.
DanChurchAid (DCA). DanChurchAid began operating in Angola in 2003 in
partnership with Lutheran World Federation (LWF)/Angola in support of
beneficiaries in LWF’s project area. It has received accreditation to
work in Moxico and Lunda Sul provinces. Its activities include mine risk
education, survey (including road survey/verification) and mine/UXO clearance.
In 2003, training for mine/UXO clearance was carried out, but no teams were
deployed as they were awaiting accreditation. For 2004, DCA is completing
training of approximately 110 national staff and planning for their deployment,
as well as developing national middle management
capacity.[63] By September 2004,
DCA employed 130 locals and 10 expatriates. DCA is supported by Denmark
(Danida), Finland (Finnida), ACT, and its own DCA funds.
Brigadas Técnicas de Sapadores (BTS). BTS is the INAD’s
mine action project implementor. In 2004, BTS operated in seven provinces
(Bié, Huambo, Kuando Kubango, Lunda Sul, Malange, Moxico, and Uige). In
2003, BTS cleared 136,434 square meters manually, destroying 16 antipersonnel
mines and 51 antivehicle
mines.[64] The units reportedly
lack sufficient demining equipment. In February 2004, the INAD director,
Leonardo Sapalo, said that BTS urgently required financing, field equipment and
vehicles to speed up demining
work.[65]
The Angolan Armed Forces (FAA). The Angolan Armed Forces received a
budget of $7 million from the Angolan government for mine action in the period
immediately following the signing of April 2002 peace
accords.[66] Most of these funds
were spent on returning demobilized troops to their areas of origin,
facilitating the return of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo and
Zambia, and on emergency mine risk education and mine marking projects in known
mined areas. FAA deminers have cleared small areas land, but record-keeping of
these activities remains
inadequate.[67] The FAA received
demining training from Spain in 2002. In 2004, FAA destroyed 54 mines from two
locations.[68]
Commercial Demining. There is considerable commercial demining taking
place in Angola. In 2003, the local industrial security firm, Cogote, also
known as CNDD (Cogote, Nevada, Desmatação e Desminagem), carried
out demining work along a vital high voltage electricity line between a
hydroelectric installation and Luanda. According to CNIDAH, Cogote’s team
of 37 deminers, operating out of Dondo in Kwanza Norte, destroyed 832 mines from
along the electricity line in 2003. The operation was briefly suspended in
December 2003, when Cogote did not receive payment from the national electricity
company of Angola.[69]
Mine Risk Education
Up to 20 different agencies have conducted mine risk
education[70] in Angola since
1999.[71] In 2003, local and
international NGOs[72]provided
MRE to 806,319 individuals through 8,077
events.[73] This represents an
increase compared to the 543,713 recipients reported by CNIDAH in
2002.[74] Between 1999 and 2001,
999,047 people reportedly took part in mine risk education activities (526,784
in 1999, 209,537 in 2000, 262,726 in
2001).[75]
Since 1999, a growing number of Angolan NGOs have been providing mine risk
education: four MRE NGOs were reported in
2000,[76] while eight were
reported in 2004.[77] In 2003,
eight Angolan NGOs provided MRE sessions to 279,765 people in the provinces of
Bié and Huambo (GAC), Huila (Clube de Jovens de Huila), Kuando Kubango
(Acção de Dessenvolvimento Cristã), Malanje (Palancas
Negras), Moxico (Enxame de Abelhas), Uige (SECUT), Kuanza-Norte (ASASP) and
Bengo (Trindade Ninho de
Infancia).[78] 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.[79] In
2003, in Bié and Huambo, GAC reported four minefields, 29 individual
mines and 44 UXO; most of them were cleared by the HALO Trust. In Huila, Clube
de Jovens reported three UXO, two isolated mines and eight minefields; all
reports resulted in clearance or marking, except for one minefield that was an
ex-military area. MgM marked three of the minefields
reported.[80]
Handicap International (HI) has been working in mine risk education in Angola
since 1995, initially at an institutional level (INAROEE), before giving
priority in 2002 and 2003 to direct interventions at community level, in
particular for IDPs and
refugees.[81] In 2003, HI
conducted MRE sessions for 361,592 people in Bié, Huambo, Kuando Kubango,
Benguela, Bengo and Zaire
provinces.[82] Methods used
included radio, theater, comics and the active involvement of local authority
figures.[83] HI reports that it
exchanged data for marking and clearance with mine clearance operators such as
the HALO Trust. It also conducts MRE around areas where clearance takes
place.[84]
The International Committee of the Red Cross initiated a community-based mine
risk education program in late
2002.[85] In 2003, the ICRC
supported the Angolan Red Cross (Cruz Vermelha de Angola) by helping train a
network of 40 volunteers in Benguela and Bié provinces. Some 300 MRE
sessions were organized for about 48,000
people.[86] Volunteers passed out
information about contaminated areas to demining organizations, encouraging them
to either clear the areas or mark them. In 2003, the ICRC began handing over
technical and managerial responsibility for the mine action program to the
Angolan Red Cross.[87]
Mines Advisory Group has conducted MRE in Moxico province since 1992 and in
Cunene since 1999, as well as facilitating MRE to refugees in Zambia and the
DRC. In mid-2003 MAG established MRE activities in the Transit Centres in Luau,
Cazombo and Lumbala N’guimbo, and delivered MRE in the Reception Centre in
Luena, targeting IDPs and returnees under the UNHCR Voluntary Repatriation
Process. Between January 2003 and June 2004, MAG delivered MRE to approximately
87,750 beneficiaries through a variety of methods including theatre, discussion
groups, posters and pamphlets, and games. MAG worked with UNICEF and Handicap
International to provide over 10,000 comic books and 5,000 posters to Angolan
NGOs implementing MRE
activities.[88]
In 2003, Africare conducted MRE sessions for 50,131 people in Bié and
Kuanza-Sul provinces. The organization has been providing MRE since 1999.[89]
UNICEF began its involvement in mine risk education in late
1994.[90] It mainly supported
Angolan NGOs and continues to be a lead agency in the coordination of MRE in
Angola. Since 2002, UNICEF has worked with INAD and HI to fund and coordinate
MRE activities.[91] Its work is
evolving from direct involvement in MRE to training the trainers, and its
objectives for 2004 and 2005 reflect this new focus. It is primarily geared
towards strengthening local capacities, both at CNIDAH and with local NGOs, and
it supports six national NGOs in seven of the most mine-affected provinces in
Angola. Teachers are an outreach target, and the aim is to reach 29,000 primary
school teachers who will be working with the Ministry of Education and CNIDAH.
Locally, mine committees will be formed, made up of local authority figures,
such as teachers, midwives, religious leaders, and the police. They will be
responsible at the local level for MRE, for school-based sensitization efforts
and for the maintenance of minefield
marking.[92]
One of the worrying behaviors to emerge in 2004 has been the removal of red
“Danger Mines” signs that are then used as decorations for cars or
souvenirs at home. OCHA raised the alarm about this in February and the theme
was also taken up by INAD’s director, who has called these acts extremely
irresponsible.[93]
In July 2004, an exhibit of 76 photographs about the dangers of mines was on
display at the Sao Miguel Fort in Luanda. It was sponsored by MAG and CNIDAH
and was set up to commemorate 10 years of MAG work in
Angola.[94]
An external evaluation of MRE in Angola took place in
1999.[95] An impact assessment of
MRE in Angola took place in
2003.[96]
Mine Action Funding
There is no centralized record of mine action funding in Angola. From
Landmine Monitor country reporting, in 2003, seventeen countries and the
European Commission (EC) reported contributions to mine action in Angola
totalling approximately US$21.3 million. In addition, in September 2004, the
European Commission informed Landmine Monitor that it also has an emergency mine
action program for sustainable return and resettlement of Angolan refugees,
funded at €10 million ($11.3
million).[97] This compares to
$21.2 million donated in 2002,[98]
$13.5 million in 2001,[99] $13
million in 2000,[100] and $14.7
million in 1999. The increase in international funding for 2002 was probably
the result of the end of the decades-long civil war, as well as Angola’s
ratification of the Mine Ban
Treaty.[101] In July 2004, CNIDAH
director General Santana André Pitra “Petroff” told media
that the annual budget of $16 million and was insufficient to cover the whole
country.[102]
Donor coordination appears to be increasing, as evidenced by a joint
delegation of seven major donors (Canada, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands,
Portugal, Switzerland and the USA) which visited Angola in May 2004 to see
demining work in progress.[103]
International contributions for 2003 included the
following:[104]
Germany provided $4.5 million (€4,019,157) for a physical therapy and
rehabilitation center ($2.04 million, €1,801,828), the Landmine Impact
Survey ($296,825, €262,329), for mine clearance by MgM in Cunene province
($814,680, €720,000), for mine clearance by SBF in Benguela province
($814,680, €720,000), and for integrated mine clearance by MAG and Medico
International in Moxico province ($582,723, €515,000).
The United States provided $3.5 million for mine clearance.
The European Commission provided $3.02 million (€2,669,970), including
€1.5 million ($1,697,250) for the Landmine Impact Survey and
€1,169,970 ($1,323,821) for mine clearance conducted by NGOs. As noted
above, the EC also has a €10 million ($11,315,000) emergency mine action
program for sustainable return and resettlement of Angolan refugees in the
DRC.[105]
Norway provided $2.12 million (NOK15 million) to NPA for mine
clearance.
Japan donated $1,351,354 (¥164,900,000) for mine clearance by HALO
($702,354, ¥85,700,000) and for UNMAS ($649,000, ¥79,200,000).
Finland provided approximately $1.13 million (€1 million), including
for mine clearance by Finnish Church Aid in Luena ($509,175, €450,000),
for mine clearance by HALO in Maninga ($169,725, €150,000), and for MRE
and mine clearance by the Finnish Red Cross and the ICRC (approx. $509,175,
€450,000).
The Netherlands donated $1,096,631 for mine clearance by HALO ($596,631) for
integrated mine action by NPA ($500,000). The Netherlands is providing
multiyear funding (2003-2008) to four mine action organizations operating in
several countries, including Angola: HALO ($20.5 million), MAG ($8 million), NPA
($8 million), Handicap International ($1.4 million). A Dutch NGO, Stichting
Vluchteling, provided $96,000 for MRE in Cunene province to
MAG.[106] NOVIB also provided
$36,000 for MRE in
Angola.[107]
Sweden donated $989,829 (SEK8,000,000) to NPA for mine clearance.
Denmark donated $911,854 (DKK6,000,000) to DCA for survey and mine
clearance.
Italy provided $792,050 (€700,000) for the planning and coordination
of mine action by UNDP ($565,750, €500,000) and for MRE by UNICEF
($226,300, €200,000).
France donated $520,490 (€460,000) for emergency mine clearance by
HALO ($294,190, €260,000), and MRE by Handicap International in Huambo
province ($226,300,
€200,000).[108]
Belgium provided $375,300 (€331,684) to Handicap International for
victim assistance in Benguele province.
Canada provided $335,785 (CAN$470,535) for MRE carried out under the lead of
UNICEF ($101,572, CAN$142,334) and for the Landmine Impact Survey ($234,212,
CAN$328,201).
Switzerland provided $320,000 to HALO for demining operations in Huambo
province. Handicap International Switzerland spent $51,575 on demining and MRE
in Angola.
The UK contributed $192,252 (£117,650) to HALO for road verification
activities.
Portugal donated $68,700 (€60,716) for a physiotherapeutic care for
Angolan children, including mine victims.
South Africa contributed $50,000 (R500,000) in the financial year ending
March 2003 to the ICRC for mine action in Angola.
Ireland allocated $1.13 million (€1,000,000) for demining activities
in Afghanistan, Angola, Eritrea and Somalia, but no country-level breakdown is
available.
The Committee for the Project Mine Free made a contribution of US$200,000 to
MAG for activities in Cunene
Province.[109]
Angola reported to States Parties that in 2003 it contributed $125,000 for
mine action within its own borders, and that in 2002, it provided
$300,000.[110] In contrast, on 13
November 2003, Angola told the UN Security Council that the government has
allocated an increasing share of the national budget to mine action, including
approximately $15 million for
2003.[111] On 8 September 2004,
the media reported that the government had announced that it was investing $16
million in mine clearing equipment and the training of nine new demining
brigades for INAD.[112]
Landmine Casualties
There is no comprehensive data collection mechanism in Angola and there are
conflicting reports on the number of new landmine casualties in 2003. The UN
Security Office reportedly registered at least 36 people killed and 142 injured,
including seven children, in 103 landmine incidents, while the National
Institute of Demining reportedly registered 44 people killed and 182 injured in
95 mine-related incidents.[113]
CNIDAH reported that 106 people were killed in mine incidents in
2003.[114] The contradictions in
statistics make it difficult to judge whether casualties have significantly
increased or decreased from the 287 new landmine/UXO casualties (69 killed and
218 injured) reported in
2002.[115]
The true 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.[116] Non-governmental
sources interviewed by Landmine Monitor in 2003 indicated that the number of
incidents increased dramatically during 2002 and early 2003, particularly
incidents involving antivehicle
mines.[117] According to UNDP,
there were 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.[118] According to UNICEF
there had been at least 200 mine incidents up to April 2002; INAROEE recorded
27.[119] However, over time the
rate of new mine casualties appears to be decreasing.
In 2002, the US State Department estimated that there were 800 new mine
casualties each year in
Angola.[120] In 1997, the ICRC
estimated that there were at least 120 new landmine casualties each month, or
1,440 a year, in Angola.[121]
In 2003, one deminer was killed and 16 others injured during mine clearance
operations. The single largest accident was at Cambaxi, Malanje, on 11 September
2003, when 14 NPA deminers were injured, none seriously, after an accident
involving an unmarked mine.[122]
On 12 December 2003, five Angolan workers with the NGO CARE International were
killed when the tractor they were riding on hit a
landmine.[123]
Casualties continue to be reported in 2004. In January alone, 19 reported
mine incidents caused 21 new
casualties.[124] Handicap
International reported nine people killed and nine injured in mine incidents
during the first half of 2004 in the province of Benguela
alone.[125] In Bié
province, 27 people were killed and 41 injured in mine incidents in the same
period.[126]
The total number of landmine casualties in Angola is not known. From 1999 to
2002, there were at least 2,686 new mine/UXO casualties reported in Angola: 287
(69 killed and 218 injured) in 2002; 660 (at least 170 people killed and 362
injured) in 2001; 874 (at least 388 people killed and 452 injured) in 2000; and
865 in 1999. The majority of casualties were civilians, and at least 327 were
children.[127] In September 2004,
the government reportedly stated that 700 people had been killed and 2,300
injured in landmine incidents “over the last six years.” The
government estimates that there are 80,000 mine survivors in
Angola.[128] When completed, the
Landmine Impact Survey will provide a clearer picture of the number of mine
survivors in the country.
Survivor Assistance
Despite billions in annual oil revenue, Angola remains a desperately poor
country in which limited facilities are available for the physically disabled.
Civilian survivor assistance in Angola consists mostly of physical
rehabilitation, provided by international NGOs. However, the provision of any
type of assistance, particularly outside major cities, has been significantly
affected by the conflict. The challenges faced by both local and international
organizations working with Angolan mine survivors since 1999 included military
clashes, population displacements, as well as a decrease in resources from
donors. The weaknesses in the provision of assistance to mine survivors and
other persons with disabilities in Angola include the limited availability of
services, a lack of information about the number and needs of mine survivors,
and a delay in formulating policies and operational
plans.[129]
Since September 2001, the Support and Social Reintegration Sub-Commission of
CNIDAH has coordinated and monitored the activities of mine victim assistance
providers in Angola, holding monthly coordination meetings with key actors in
victim assistance. The sub-commission is made up of representatives of the
Ministries of Health, Labor, Social Affairs, and Education, UN agencies, the
ICRC, and international and local NGOs. Assistance to mine survivors is a part
of the Ministry of Health’s National Program for Physical and Sensorial
Rehabilitation 2001-2005.[130]
The ICRC and other physical rehabilitation NGOs also continue to work with the
Orthopedic Coordination Group, established in 1995 by the Ministry of
Health.[131]
Less than 30 percent of Angolans have access to healthcare and the public
health situation in the country remains
critical.[132] The conflict
reportedly destroyed an estimated 60 percent of the healthcare infrastructure in
the country. There are few qualified medical personnel, and medicines and
equipment are in short supply.[133] It is believed that 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.[134] The World Health
Organization, together with the Norwegian NGO, Trauma Care Foundation and
Advanced Trauma Life Support provide emergency care training to medical
personnel in Luena province. Since 2001 at least 28 people have been trained;
ten qualified as instructors for training villagers as first responders to
provide first aid to mine
casualties.[135]
The ICRC has worked in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health,
providing assistance to government hospitals. In the provinces of Huambo,
Bié and Uíge, the ICRC also supported up to 16 primary healthcare
centers, in collaboration with the national Red Cross Society and the Ministry
of Health. The ICRC ended its support to the surgical ward in Huambo at the end
of 2002 and the health posts in 2003 as part of its policy to hand
responsibility for healthcare back to the government. Since 2000, the
ICRC-supported Huambo hospital treated 250 mine/UXO casualties: nine in 2003, 51
in 2002, 46 in 2001, and 144 in
2000.[136]
There are eight orthopedic centers in Angola run by the Ministry of Health,
in cooperation with international NGOs, providing rehabilitation services for
all persons with disabilities.[137] Three centers are supported by the ICRC (Huambo, Kuito, Luanda), two by
Handicap International (Lubango and Benguela), one by German Technical
Cooperation (Viana), one by Intersos (Menongue), and one by Vietnam Veterans of
America Foundation (Luena).
The ICRC continues to provide physical rehabilitation services, in
collaboration with the Ministry of Health, at three centers located in Luanda,
Huambo, and Kuito. Support includes ongoing training of technicians. In 2003,
four technicians from each center participated in one-month upper limb
prosthetic training courses, and two technicians were sponsored to attend a
one-year course in orthotics at the TATCOT School in Tanzania. Since 2000, more
than 55 technicians and 14 physiotherapists have received on-the-job training.
The ICRC also facilitates access to its centers for people from remote areas on
ICRC flights or on organized road transport, and accommodates patients during
their period of treatment. Since 1999, the three ICRC-supported centers
produced 10,069 prostheses (8,001 for mine survivors), 205 orthoses (at least 24
for mine survivors) and distributed 22,028 crutches and 518 wheelchairs;
including 1,643 prostheses (1,235 for mine survivors), 48 orthoses (six for mine
survivors), 5,288 crutches and 271 wheelchairs in 2003. The ICRC’s goal
is to build local capacity to enable Angolans to run the centers by
2008.[138]
Handicap International (HI) supports two physical rehabilitation workshops in
Benguela, Lubango, as well as the prosthetic foot factory in Viana; support for
a third workshop in Negage ended in mid-2002 due to a lack of funding. In 2003,
the two centers provided 618 prostheses. HI also provides training to
orthopedic technicians and physiotherapy assistants. A drastic shortage of
funding forced HI to significantly decrease support to the Viana foot factory in
June 2002; however, support has returned to the required level. The Viana foot
factory produced 4,300 prosthetic feet in 2003, which were distributed to the
other orthopedic centers in the country. HI provides technical assistance to
the Ministry of Health on the development of a national policy for physical
rehabilitation.[139]
The Italian NGO, Intersos, in cooperation with the local NGO Mbembwa, began
construction of the Landmine Victims Orthopedic Center in Menongue, Kuando
Kubango province in October 1999. At the same time, training began for
orthopedic technicians and physiotherapy staff. Fifteen qualified nurses have
been trained, seven as orthopedic technicians and eight as physiotherapists.
Intersos continues to provide technical support, training for technicians,
equipment, repairs and maintenance, and facilitates transport to the center.
In 2003, the center assisted 117 people, including 97 mine survivors, and
produced 96 prostheses, six orthoses and 584 crutches, and repaired 73
prostheses, 51 crutches and six wheelchairs. The local NGO, Mbembwa, in
cooperation with other organizations, organizes psychosocial support and
vocational training to assist the reintegration of persons with disabilities
into their communities.[140]
Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF), in Angola since 1996,
continues to support the orthopedic center in Luena, Moxico province, providing
physical rehabilitation, physiotherapy, psychosocial support, and socio-economic
reintegration to war-affected Angolans. The center also provides prostheses,
orthoses, crutches and wheelchairs to mine survivors and other people with
disabilities. In 2002, VVAF expanded its operation by bringing beneficiaries to
Luena from the neighboring provinces of Lunda Sul and Lunda Norte by road and by
air.[141] In 2003, the center
provided 1,112 physiotherapy treatments and produced 309 prostheses and 315
crutches.[142] By June of 2004,
the center has provided 4,000 mobility aids. In the first six months of 2004
alone, VVAF has delivered 390 physiotherapy treatments and produced 177
prostheses and 150 crutches.[143]
In early 2003, VVAF started the Sports for Life program to promote the physical
and psychosocial rehabilitation of mine survivors and other persons with
disabilities. Since the program started, around 100 athletes with disabilities
have participated in wheelchair basketball and organized soccer
tournaments.[144]
As of May 2004, a total of 44 Angolan child mine survivors had benefited from
medical treatment in Coimbra Hospital in
Portugal.[145] The last group of
ten survivors returned to Angola in December 2003 and the hospital team planned
to visit Angola in 2004 to select a new group of children for treatment in
Portugal.
For many landmine survivors in Angola the opportunities for earning a living
are very limited. In a country with one of the highest rates of landmine
casualties in the world, the availability of services to assist in their social
and economic reintegration is either non-existent or inadequate to meet the
need.
The Ministry of Labor’s National Institute for Professional Training
and the Ministry of Social Affairs’ National Institute for Support of
Disabled People work with local and international NGOs to support mine survivors
with vocational training and micro-credit
programs.[146] According to
Angola’s Article 7 Report, between September 2003 and May 2004, about
5,000 people and their families benefited from community based programs, 120
families of mine survivors benefited from an agricultural production support
program and 25 mine survivors were assisted with income generating
opportunities.[147]
The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) socio-economic program for landmine
survivors in Luena has assisted more than 300 mine survivors and their families
since 2001 with vocational training in carpentry, dressmaking, shoemaking,
breadmaking, animal breeding, and literacy skills, material support for
families, micro-credits for income generation projects, and assistance in
securing farming land. In October 2003, JRS began a registration process of all
mine survivors in Luena province; more than 900 people have been
registered.[148]
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 psychosocial support to landmine
survivors, their families and other persons with disabilities. Activities
include the development of sports and cultural activities, working with amputees
in their homes, accompanying amputees to the prosthetic workshop for fittings
and follow up rehabilitation, and organizing referrals for vocational or
literacy training. The program also supports the opthalmology ward at the
Central Hospital, a community theater and a mobile
clinic.[149]
In September 2001, the Jaipur Limb Campaign UK started a program, called
Dignidade, in Luanda and later in Benguela with the local NGO League for
the Reintegration of Disabled People (LARDEF), to promote the economic
reintegration of persons with disabilities. The program operates small
cooperatives with three-wheel vehicles that provide a taxi service for people
and goods. The cooperatives also provide transport to orthopedic centers in
order to improve access to rehabilitation services. Members of the cooperatives
receive driving lessons and training in running a small business from the
National Institute for Vocational Training. The program is self-sustaining with
profits shared between the members, with a small percentage set aside as a
reserve fund. By 2003, the cooperatives had 50 members who, together with their
families, benefit from the program; 32 are mine
survivors.[150]
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. Participants
receive nine months of training in courses such as tailoring, shoemaking and
electronics. HI handed over the training facility to the City of Luanda in
August 2004. A similar facility is run in conjunction with the El-Shaddai
Foundation in the poor Luanda suburb of Cazenga. Small loans are also available
to start income generating
activities.[151]
The local NGO ANDA works in partnership with the Fund Lwini on socio-economic
reintegration programs to enable persons with disabilities to return to their
areas of origin. The program is financed by the Angolan government through the
National Institute of Social
Security.[152]
Two mine survivors from Angola participated in the Raising the Voices
training in Geneva in May 2002.
Angola submitted the voluntary Form J with its initial Article 7 Report on 14
September 2004 to report on mine victim assistance
activities.[153]
Disability Policy and Practice
Angola has three legislative acts dating back to the 1980s on protecting the
rights of persons with disabilities, including Decree 21/82 of 1982 and
Resolution number 2/85 from 1985 that provides for the socio-economic
reintegration of persons with disabilities. Orden number 83, dated 29 November
1983, established a National Commission for Professional
Rehabilitation.[154] However, the
provisions are reportedly not fully implemented and the government has done
little to improve the physical or socio-economic conditions of the
disabled.[155] A new law for
persons with disabilities has reportedly been in preparation since 2000 but the
fourth version has yet to be put before
Parliament.[156]
Following an assessment mission in 2000, the European Union commenced a
five-year program of assistance to the Ministry of Health to implement a
national program to rehabilitate persons with disabilities: the National
Program for Physical and Sensorial Rehabilitation 2001-2005. The aim of the
program is to ensure the rights, dignity and equal opportunities for persons
with disabilities through improved access to physical rehabilitation, social and
economic reintegration, and effective legislation. In November 2003, a five-day
national conference convened by the government in Luanda stressed the need for a
comprehensive national strategy on rehabilitation for persons with
disabilities.[157]
The World Health Organization has developed a plan for an integrated public
health information system, which will include persons with disabilities,
regardless of the origin of their disability. The objective is to provide an
integrated service that includes prevention, care and rehabilitation of persons
with disabilities, including mine
survivors.[158]
At the February 2004 Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and
Socio-Economic Reintegration meeting, Angola made a statement on the problems
and priorities for mine victim assistance which was reported by the national
state-run news agency ANGOP.
[1] On 22 February 2002, UNITA leader Jonas
Savimbi was killed by government forces in Moxico Province. A cease-fire took
affect almost immediately, followed by the 4 April 2002 signing of a Memorandum
of Understanding effectively reactivating the Lusaka Protocol. See
“Statement of the Government of Angola on the ceasefire settlement of the
Government and UNITA general military staff,” UN Security Council,
S/2002/346, 3 April 2002. For a description of various prior attempts at peace
in Angola, see Landmine Monitor Report 1999, pp.
115-117. [2] Article 7 Report, 14
September 2004, covering the period September 2003 to April 2004. Landmine
Monitor received an earlier version of this report, which was undated, but
listed the reporting period variously as March to April, June and August 2003 on
different Forms. This version contained some information that does not appear in
the 14 September 2004 report and in some cases Landmine Monitor has cited that
data, referenced to: Draft Article 7 Report, undated.
[3] “SADC experts defend
enlargement of campaign against landmines,” ANGOP (Angolan press agency),
29 June 2002. [4] Statement by Angola,
Fifth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Convention, Bangkok, Thailand,
17 September 2003. [5] On 1 May 2004,
the LUSA press agency carried a report on the discovery of eight allegedly
Belgian landmines (whether antipersonnel or antivehicle was not specified) in
the Coreia suburb of the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, which were supposedly
from Angola. This was strongly denied by the Angolan Embassy in Brazil, which
stated that landmines carried in luggage belonging to Angolan citizens would
simply never make it past the security posts that are present in Angolan ports
and airports. (See the Brazil entry in this
report. [6] Article 7 Report, Form H, 14
September 2004. [7] Ibid. Landmine
Monitor has also identified Cuba, Spain, and the
UK. [8] These flares were initially
listed as under “signaling mines” in the Draft Article 7 Report,
Form H, undated. [9] Listed as
“PONZ,” this is most likely the
POMZ. [10] Listed as
“PMM-1,” this is most likely the
PMN-1. [11] This is most likely the
MON-90 directional fragmentation mine manufactured by the
USSR. [12] Article 7 Report, Form B, 14
September 2004. [13] As noted, the total
listed in the report is 1,390, but when the individual numbers are added up,
they come to a total of 1,460 mines to be retained for training purposes,
including 30 “flares.” Article 7 Report, Form D, 14 September
2004. [14] Information from informal
talks during Landmine Monitor field mission in Luanda, August
2004. [15] Landmine Monitor Report 2000,
p. 131. [16] FAA commanders shown the
mines to Landmine Monitor at Catumbela, Benguela, 15 August
2000. [17] Presentation by CNIDAH
representative, Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, 24 June 2004.
[18] Article 7 Report 2004, Form G, 14
September 2004. [19] Previous editions
of the Landmine Monitor Report have extensive descriptions of past mine use in
Angola; some cite admissions of use by Angolan officials. See, Landmine Monitor
Report 1999, pp. 111-117; Landmine Monitor Report 2000, pp. 129-130, 131-134;
Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp. 183-184, 185-186; Landmine Monitor Report
2002, pp. 65-66; Landmine Monitor Report 2003, pp.
78-79. [20] Landmine Monitor Report
2000, pp. 81-83; Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp. 123-125; Landmine Monitor
Report 2002, p. 362. The ICBL expressed concerns that Namibia could be
violating the Mine Ban Treaty by providing assistance to Angolan forces using
mines during joint military
operations. [21] ANGOP, 13 January
2004. [22] John Prendergast,
International Crisis Group, speaking at the Angola Working Group Meeting,
Washington, DC, 13 January 2003. [23]
“A situação da desminagem em Angola,” O Apostolado, 23
August 2004. [24]
Ibid. [25] Article 7 Report, Form C, 14
September 2004. [26] “UNICEF
Presents Programme for 2004,” ANGOP, 1 March
2004. [27] INAROEE Annual Report,
“Mine Accident and Survey Report –
2001.” [28] 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. [29] UNOCHA, “Provincial
Emergency Plans of Action for Resettlement and Return, Phase II,” December
2002. [30] Landmine Monitor Report 2003,
p. 79. [31] IRIN, 19 December
2003. [32] Information from ICRC,
Luanda, 18 August 2004. The ICRC conducted mine risk education in a camp in
Namibia. [33] Information on the LIS was
provided in an email from Mike Kendellen, Director for Survey, Survey Action
Center, 28 September 2004. [34]
Interviews with Rogério Neves e Castro, UNDP, 28 February and 3 March
2003. [35] Information gathered during
Landmine Monitor field visit to Luanda, August
2004. [36] Draft Article 7 Report, Form
C, undated. Much of the early survey work was carried out by Norwegian People's
Aid. See Landmine Monitor Report 1999, p. 177; Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p.
134; Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p. 66. Others involved in survey and
assessment have included HALO, MAG, MgM and SBF; see Landmine Monitor Report
2002, pp. 66-67. [37] GICHD, “The
Mine Action Sector in Angola: Mission Report,” February 2002, p.
4. [38] Landmine Monitor Report 2002,
pp. 68-69. For more details about INAROEE, see Landmine Monitor Report 2000,
pp. 139-141, and Landmine Monitor Report 1999, pp. 120-122. The crisis in
INAROEE was exacerbated by the withdrawal of donor support as Angola continued
to use landmines. [39] Interview with
Rogério Neves e Castro, UNDP/CNIDAH, 16 August
2004. [40]
Ibid. [41] “Office to coordinate
demining process set up,” ANGOP, 11 August
2004. [42] Interview with Rogério
Neves e Castro, UNDP/CNIDAH, 16 August
2004. [43] Interview with UNOCHA, 3
March 2003; interview with UNICEF, 6 March
2003. [44] Email from Christian Larssen,
Program Manager, DCA, Luanda, 25 February
2004. [45] Resultados operacionais de
desminagem, referentes amo de 2003, table dates Luanda, 5 March 2004. In CNIDAH,
“Annual Report 2003.” [46]
Presentation by CNIDAH, Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, 24 June
2004. [47] CNIDAH, “Annual Report
2003.” [48] “USD 80
million for railway demining,” ANGOP, 9 February
2004. [49] Landmine Monitor Report 2003,
p. 82. [50] Landmine Monitor Report
2002, pp. 69-70. In that report, Landmine Monitor noted, “Great
disparities in the information provided to Landmine Monitor by INAROEE
underscore its weakness in coordinating mine action. It could not provide clear
statistics for mine clearance in 2001, nor could it provide data for the first
quarter of 2002.” [51] Landmine
Monitor Report 2001, p. 183. [52]
Landmine Monitor Report 2000, pp.
138-139. [53] Email from Tim Carstairs,
Director for Policy, Mines Advisory Group, 4 October
2004. [54] Unless noted otherwise,
information on HALO was provided by: Email from Matthew Hovel, Caucasus and
Balkans Desk Officer, HALO, 3 September 2004; interview with José Pedro
Agostinho, Deputy Program Manager, HALO, Luanda, 13 August
2004. [55] Email to Landmine Monitor
from Sigbjorn Langvik, Program Manager, NPA, 16 June
2004. [56] CNIDAH, “Annual Report
2003.” [57] Email to Landmine
Monitor from Sigbjorn Langvik, NPA, 16 June
2004. [58] Response to LM Questionnaire
by Norbert Rossa, Executive Director, SBF, Bonn, 29 July
2004. [59]
Ibid. [60] CNIDAH, “Annual Report
2003.” [61] Email from Ken
O’Connell, MgM Angola, 26 May
2002. [62] CNIDAH, “Annual Report
2003.” [63] Email from Christian
Larssen, DCA, 25 February 2004. [64]
CNIDAH, “Annual Report
2003.” [65] LUSA, 20 February
2004. [66] Interview with General
Petroff, CNIDAH, 26 February 2003. [67]
Interview with Rogério Neves e Castro, UNDP, 3 March
2003. [68] CNIDAH, “Annual Report
2003.” [69] “Empresa de
desminagem suspende actividade na provincial,” ANGOP, 12 March 2004;
ANGOP, 10 July 2004. [70] The term used
in Angola is PEPAM (Programa de Educaçao para Prevençao de
Acidentes com Minas). [71] Landmine
Monitor Report 2000, pp. 148-149; Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp. 192-193;
Landmine Monitor Report 2002, pp. 73-74; Landmine Monitor Report 2003, pp.
86-87. [72] Angolan agencies have
included the Ministry of Education, the Angolan Red Cross and the following
NGOs: Acção de Dessenvolvimento Cristã, ASASP, Clube de
Jovens de Huila, Enxame de Abelhas, Grupo de Apoio e Criança (GAC),
Palancas Negras, SECUT, and Trindade Ninho de Infancia. International agencies
have included Africare, CARE, HALO, HI, InterSOS, MAG and World
Vision. [73] Of those 800,000 plus,
377,274 were men, 429,045 were women and 363,257 were children; Draft Article 7
Report, Form I, undated; CNIDAH, “Annual report
2003.” [74] Landmine Monitor
Report 2003, p. 87. [75] Draft Article
7 Report, Form I, undated. [76]
Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p.
148. [77] Draft Article 7 Report, Form
I, undated. [78]
Ibid. [79] Interview with Sharon Ball,
MRE Project Officer, UNICEF Angola, Luanda, 16 August
2004. [80] Email from Sharon Ball,
UNICEF Angola, 21 September 2004. [81]
HI, “Fiches de présentation des actions de Handicap
International,” Issue 2004. [82]
Draft Article 7 Report, Form I,
undated. [83] Information provided by
Emmanuelle Rioufol, Country Director, HI, Luanda, 13 August
2004. [84] Email from Sophie Bonichon,
MRE Coordinator, HI Lyon, 25 February
2004. [85] Landmine Monitor Report 2003,
p. 87. [86] ICRC, “Special Report:
Mine Action 2003,” Geneva, August 2003, p. 20. However, Angola's Article
7 report, Form I, 14 September 2004, indicates that 75,819 people attended MRE
sessions organized by the Angolan Red Cross, while the ICRC reports only 48,000
participants. [87] ICRC, “Special
Report: Mine Action 2003,” Geneva, August 2003, p.
20. [88] Email from Tim Carstairs, Mines
Advisory Group, 4 October 2004. [89]
Landmine Monitor Report 2000, pp.
148-149. [90] CIET, “Angola: Mine
Awareness Evaluation Summary,” July 2000, p.
iv. [91] Landmine Monitor Report 2003,
p. 86. [92] Interview with Sharon Ball,
UNICEF Angola, 16 August 2004. [93]
“Playfool removal of landmine signs a danger in Huila, UN agency
warns,” LUSA, 27 February
2004. [94] “ONG realiza
exposição fotogràfica sobre o perigo de minas,”
ANGOP, 16 July 2004. [95] CIET,
“Angola: Mine Awareness Evaluation Summary,” July 2000. See also
Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p.
192. [96] Landmine Monitor Report 2003,
p. 86. [97] “2003 European
Community Mine Action,” updated Excel Table provided by Catherine
Horeftari, DG Relex, European Commission, 21 September 2004. This program will
also include the rehabilitation or reconstruction of key bridges and
rehabilitation of key stretches of secondary roads. The main components of the
program are: provincial coordination of mine action operations and institutional
capacity building; a Rapid Response Fund for emergency mine action; humanitarian
mine action; logistics and construction of bridges; rehabilitation of secondary
roads. [98] Landmine Monitor Report
2003, pp. 80-81. Donors in 2002 included the EC, Austria, Canada, Finland,
France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, South Africa,
Sweden, Switzerland, and the United
States. [99] Landmine Monitor Report
2003, p. 80, gave the range of funding for 2001 as between US$9.6 million and
US$13.5 million. It noted that in the previous year’s report, it had
reported the lower figure, but that subsequent reporting from mine action NGOs
yielded the higher figure. The nine donors for 2001 included the US, the
Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Japan and
Canada. [100] Landmine Monitor Report
2001, pp. 186-187. Donors in 1999 and 2000 included: the EC, Canada, Denmark,
Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United
States. [101] Landmine Monitor Report
2003, p. 80. [102] ANGOP, 10 July
2004. [103] ANGOP, 15 May
2004. [104] Unless otherwise noted,
information comes from the individual country reports in this edition of
Landmine Monitor Report. In some cases, the funding was for the country’s
fiscal year, not calendar year 2003. Landmine Monitor has converted the
currencies and rounded off
numbers. [105] “2003 European
Community Mine Action,” provided by Catherine Horeftari, EC, 21 September
2004. [106] Email from Tim Carstairs,
Mines Advisory Group, 4 October
2004. [107] Email from Tilleke Kiewied,
Emergency Operations Coordinator, Novib, 8 April 2004, to the Landmine Monitor
researcher for the Netherlands. [108]
US$312,000 (€260,000) to HALO was part of the 2002 budget, but the money
was disbursed in 2003. Landmine Monitor (France) interview with Gérard
Chesnel, Ambassador for Mine Action, Paris, 14 April
2004. [109] Email from Tim Carstairs,
Mines Advisory Group, 4 October
2004. [110] Resource Mobilization
Contact Group, "A review to achieve the Convention’s aims," Table 2: Mine
Action Funding 1997 - 2003 (Mine Affected States Parties), p. 7, presented by
Norway at the Standing Committee on General Status and Operation of the
Convention, Geneva, 25 June 2004. [111]
Statement by Gaspar Martins, 4858th UNSC Meeting, S/PV.4858, New York, 13
November 2003. [112] “Angolan
govt. Invests in mine clearing,” Xinhua (Luanda), 8 September
2004. [113] US Department of State,
“Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Angola 2003,” Bureau of
Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Washington DC, 25 February
2004. [114] CNIDAH, “Annual Report
2003.” [115] All casualty data is
taken from the INAROEE Survey and Mine Accident Report
2002. [116] INAROEE Survey and Mine
Accident Report 2002, p. 5; ICRC Special Report, “Mine Action 2003,”
Geneva, August 2004, p. 19. [117]
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. [118] Interview with
Rogério Neves e Castro, UNDP, 3 March
2003. [119] Interview with UNICEF,
Luanda, 29 April 2002; printout provided to Landmine Monitor by INAROEE, 29
April 2002. [120] US Department of
State, “To Walk the Earth in Safety,” September 2002, p.
12. [121] ICRC, “Antipersonnel
Mines: An Overview,” 1 August 1997, p.
1. [122] CNIDAH, “Annual Report
2003.” [123] “Five killed in
landmine explosion in Angola,” AFP (ANGOLA), 16 December
2003. [124] UNOCHA, “Humanitarian
situation in Angola – Monthly analysis, Jan 2004,” 31 January
2004. [125] Information from Emmanuelle
Rioufol, HI, Luanda, 13 August
2004. [126] “Landmines kill 27
people in Angolan central province,” Xinhua, 12 August
2004. [127] For details see Landmine
Monitor Report 2002, p. 74; Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp. 193-194; see also
INAROEE Annual Reports, available at www.inaroee.ebonet.net/relatorios.en.html
(accessed 20 September 2004). [128]
Presentation by Angola, Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and
Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 10 February
2004. [129] Article 7 Report, Form J, 14
September 2004. [130] Presentation by
Dr. Adriano Gonçalves, CNIDAH, Standing Committee on Victim Assistance
and Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 23 June
2004. [131] ICRC Physical Rehabilitation
Programs, “Annual Report 2003,” Geneva, 9 March 2004, p. 7;
interviews with Rogério Neves e Castro, UNDP, 28 February and 3 March
2003. [132] UNOCHA, “Consolidated
Inter-Agency Appeal for Angola 2003,” 19 November
2002. [133] Immigration and Nationality
Directorate Home Office, “Angola Country Report,” Country
Information and Policy Unit, United Kingdom, April 2004, pp.
18-19. [134] Presentation by Sebastian
Kasack, Medico International, Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and
Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 28 January
2002. [135] Landmine Monitor Report
2002, pp. 74-75. [136] ICRC Special
Reports, “Mine Action 2003,” Geneva, August 2004, p. 19; “Mine
Action 2002,” July 2003, p. 18; “Mine Action 2001,” July 2002,
p. 16; “Mine Action 2000,” July 2001, p.
13. [137] ICRC Physical Rehabilitation
Programs, “Annual Report 2003,” Geneva, 9 March 2003, p.
7. [138] Ibid, pp. 7 and 26;
“Annual Report 2002, July 2002; “Annual Report 2000,” 31 March
2001; “Annual Report 1999,” 31 March 2000, p. 11; interview at ICRC,
Luanda, 18 August 2004. [139] HI,
“Activity Report 2003,” Brussels, 15 July 2004, p. 16; HI,
“Orthopedic Aid Production per Country Program 2003,” report
prepared for ISPO by Technical Support Department, Brussels, undated;
information provided by Gilles Delecourt, Angola Program Director, HI, Brussels,
9 July 2003. For details on activities in previous years see Landmine Monitor
Report 2003, p. 89; Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p. 75; Landmine Monitor Report
2001, p. 195. [140] Response to LM
Questionnaire by Stefano Calabretta, Mine Action Coordinator, Intersos, 5
February 2004. For details on activities in previous years see Landmine Monitor
Report 2003, pp. 89-90; Landmine Monitor Report 2002, pp. 75-76; Intersos
report on activities dated 20 February 2003 provided to Landmine Monitor;
“Intersos: Orthopedic Center for Amputated Landmine Victims,
Menongue-Kuando Kubango Province–2002 Briefing Document,” via email
from Stefano Calabretta, Intersos, 28 and 29 June
2002. [141] Email from Tom Petocz, VVAF,
4 May 2003. See also Landmine Monitor Report 2003, p. 90; Landmine Monitor
Report 2002, p. 76; Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p.
196. [142] Information supplied by Shi
Nguyen, WHO, Luanda, 16 August
2004. [143] Tracy Brown, Country
Representative, VVAF, 4 October,
2004. [144] USAID, “Patrick J.
Leahy War Victims Fund: 2004 Portfolio Synopsis,” p. 32; USAID,
“Sports for Life Program inspires the disabled,” 10 August
2004. [145] “Child victims of
landmines return from Portugal,” ANGOP, 16 December 2003; Email to
Landmine Monitor (Portugal) from Col. Carlos Manuel Armas da Silveira
Gonçalves, Director, Coimbra Hospital, and from ALEM-SOLVIG, May
2004. [146] Presentation by CNIDAH,
Standing Committee on Victim Assistance, 23 June
2004. [147] Article 7 Report, Form J, 14
September 2004. [148] Jesuit Refugee
Service, “Annual Report 2003,” p. 27; see also Landmine Monitor
Report 2003, p. 90; Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p. 76; Landmine Monitor Report
2001, p. 196. [149] Landmine Monitor
Report 2002, p. 76. [150] Information
supplied in email from Isabel Silva, Projects Officer, Jaipur Limb Campaign, 13
September 2004; Paolo Varandas, Dignidade Coordinator, LARDEF, “Dignity
for disabled people in Angola,” Jaipur Limb Campaign News, Issue 9,
December 2002, pp. 1-2; Isabel Silva, Jaipur Limb Campaign, response to LM
Questionnaire, 11 July 2002. [151]
Information provided by HI, 13 August 2004; “Micro-credit scheme gives
disabled a chance,” IRIN, 28 October 2003; interview with Ema Macia, Head
of PEPAM project, HI, Luanda, 6 March
2003. [152] Presentation by CNIDAH,
Standing Committee on Victim Assistance, 23 June
2004. [153] Article 7 Report, Form J, 14
September 2004. [154] Interview with
Emmanuelle Rioufol, HI, 13 August 2004; see also HI, “Landmine Victim
Assistance: World Report 2002,” Lyon, December 2002, p.
58. [155] US DOS, “Human Rights
Practices: Angola 2003,” 25 February
2004. [156] Information provided by HI,
13 August 2004. [157] Presentation by
Angola, Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic
Reintegration, Geneva, 10 February 2004; ICRC Physical Rehabilitation Programs,
“Annual Report 2003,” Geneva, 9 March 2004, p. 7; “Annual
Report 2000,” 31 March 2001. [158]
Interview with Shi Nguyen, WHO, Luanda, 16 August 2004.