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Table of Contents
Country Reports
CHAD, Landmine Monitor Report 2005

Chad

Key developments since May 2004: National implementation legislation is in the approval process. Chad stated its objective to be “free of the impact of mines and UXO before the end of 2010....” Despite the conflict in Tibesti, Chad was chosen to compete for the UNDP Completion Initiative. In October 2004, Mines Advisory Group took over supervision of clearance operations and started a new project to clear arms caches and water points in the northern regions. From May 2004 to April 2005, 244,227 square meters were cleared of mines and 2.68 square kilometers were cleared through battle area clearance; 3,630 antipersonnel mines, 1,364 antivehicle mines and 67,513 UXO were destroyed. An MRE campaign reached more than 41,307 people, and 990 community volunteers were trained. Reported casualties increased significantly in 2004. At the First Review Conference, Chad was identified as one of 24 States Parties with the greatest needs and responsibility to provide adequate survivor assistance.

Mine Ban Policy

The Republic of Chad signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 6 July 1998, ratified it on 6 May 1999, and became a State Party on 1 November 1999. In 2004, Chad drafted national implementation legislation, with assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). As of April 2005, the bill had been approved by the ministries concerned and was due to be considered by the Council of Ministers before being presented to parliament.[1 ]

As of 30 September 2005, Chad had not submitted its annual Article 7 transparency report, which was due 30 April 2005.[2 ] It has submitted four previous reports.[3 ]

The Minister of Planning, Development and Cooperation, Mahamat Ali Hassan, led the country’s delegation to the First Review Conference in Nairobi in November-December 2004. He made a statement during the high level plenary confirming that the legislative measures needed to legalize the Mine Ban Treaty domestically were in the approval process. He also proposed the creation of an African structure to fight against landmines and monitor implementation of the treaty.[4 ]

Chad participated in the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in June 2005, but did not make any statements. Chad sponsored, but was absent from the vote on 3 December 2004 on UN General Assembly Resolution 59/84 in support of the Mine Ban Treaty. Chad has been absent from the vote on every annual pro-ban UNGA resolution since 1996, except in 1999 when it voted in favor of the resolution.

Chad is not a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

On 3 November 2004, Chad attended the inaugural meeting in New York of the Forum of Mine-Affected Countries (FOMAC), a group of high-level representatives from mine-affected countries.  FOMAC was formed to encourage cooperation between mine-affected countries.[5]  

Production, Transfer, Use and Stockpiling

Chad is not known to have produced or exported antipersonnel mines. Landmine Monitor found no evidence of use of antipersonnel mines in Chad in this reporting period.

Chad completed destruction of its stockpile of 4,490 antipersonnel mines in January 2003. It has not retained any mines for training purposes. After completion of the destruction program, the National Demining Office (Haut Commissariat National de Déminage, HCND) in August 2003 destroyed 207 PMA3 antipersonnel mines that had been newly discovered in a container abandoned by the Libyan army.[6 ]

Landmine and ERW Problem

The mine problem in Chad is a result of decades of internal conflict and the 1973 Libyan invasion. Most of the known mined areas are located in the Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti region in the north, and in the Biltine and Ouaddai regions in the east, with lesser-mined areas in the west and south. There is also a serious problem of contamination with unexploded ordnance (UXO) throughout the country, especially in the north and east.[7 ] Areas such as the Wadi Doum military base are also contaminated with abandoned missiles, munitions and other explosive remnants of war (ERW).[8 ]

An impact survey in 1999-2001 identified 249 mine-affected communities in 23 of the 28 departments surveyed, and a total contamination of more than 1,000 square kilometers; this did not include the Tibesti region, which is the most affected area in the country. The survey found that mine contamination directly interferes with the livelihood and safety of more than 280,000 Chadians, blocking access to water, pasture and agricultural land, roads and trails.[9 ]

A lack of comprehensive records, as well as the shifting of munitions due to rainfall and drifting sands, make marking of the location of mines and UXO more difficult.[10 ] According to the Chief Technical Advisor at the National Demining Office (HCND), after the impact survey “no technical survey has been implemented, so it is difficult to know exactly the extent of areas really polluted.” In 2004, three previously unrecorded minefields were discovered in Wadi Doum.[11]

The Chadian border with the Darfur region of Sudan contains several mined areas and many areas contaminated with UXO. According to HCND, the impact on the civilian population is considerable, and has increased with inflows of Sudanese refugees from the conflict in Darfur.[12 ] In 2004, 200,000 Sudanese refugees arrived in the east of Chad.[13 ]

Mine Action Program

An interministerial committee, founded in 2002 and chaired by the Prime Minister with representatives from relevant ministries, has been the central body responsible for policy formulation, resource allocation and a national mine action strategy. The committee oversees the National Demining Office (HCND).[14 ] HCND has three regional offices located in Fada, Bardaï and Wadi Doum, and a logistical center in Faya. Its role is to prioritize, coordinate and plan mine action activities, and assure quality control.[15 ] Mine risk education is coordinated through HCND with support from UNICEF.[16]

Mine action in Chad has been based on the Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) conducted by Handicap International in December 1999-May 2001. HCND prioritizes clearance and survey mainly according to impact scoring in the LIS, the discovery of new minefields, and the arrival of refugees. Priorities are agreed in consultation with local authorities. Selection of areas for survey is also based on development priorities.[17]

In 2004, mine action operations were implemented by HCND with the support of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the NGOs HELP and Mines Advisory Group (MAG), and the Chadian Army. Some deminers resigned in 2004, as a result of deminers not being assigned demining tasks and thus not being paid. There were also some delays in paying salaries, mainly due to bureaucracy. The situation had reportedly changed in 2005, following the reorganization of the administration and finance departments of HCND.[18 ] No MAG deminers were affected by this situation in 2004 or 2005.[19 ]

The 2004 mine action plan identified as priorities for mine clearance and battle area clearance the Wadi Doum region (where abandoned ordnance causes casualties), areas neighboring Sudan (as a result of an inflow of Sudanese refugees), and the Fada region (where high impact communities and development projects have been identified).[20 ] Demining in the Fada region could not start in 2004 as planned because of a lack of funding. In July 2005, two MAG teams started assessing the needs for further mine clearance and battle area clearance in the Fada region.[21 ]

MAG’s program in Chad is based on two separate projects in support of the HCND: providing training, management and supervisory support to HCND operations in northern Chad; clearing all known mines and ERW from water access points (funded by the US Department of State). The UNOPS/UNDP project capacity is comprised of two 26-man demining platoons and one 17-man EOD platoon, and is managed by three MAG international staff.[22]

Priorities of the 2005 mine action plan include continuing mine clearance and battle area clearance in Wadi Doum, and creating new clearance capacity for the Fada Region. Technical survey, depending on available funds, was to be limited to high and medium impact communities, such as Fada, Moussoro, Salal and Kouba Olanga. The 2005 plan also allows for possible survey and clearance operations in the Tibesti region, if security allows.[23 ] In the Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti region, Chad plans to support the national NGO Association de Déminage Tchadien to develop survey and clearance teams, and to mobilize the local population for mine risk education and data collection.[24 ]

Despite the conflict in Tibesti, Chad was chosen to compete for the UNDP Completion Initiative. This aims to accelerate mine action in countries where a concerted effort and relatively modest investment will resolve the landmine and UXO problem within five years. If Chad is selected, it is likely to secure additional resources for mine action and improve efficiency by creating economies of scale.[25 ]

As part of its National Strategic Plan to Fight Mines and UXO: 2002-2015, HCND plans to implement a technical survey which will cover all high, medium and low impact areas identified by the Landmine Impact Survey, to identify the remaining tasks.[26 ] The strategic plan was integrated into the National Strategy to Reduce Poverty: 2001-2015, with the result that it will benefit from petroleum revenues.[27 ] The Chad Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) estimated that more than 57 billion FCFA (US$107 million) would be needed over 14 years to clear the country of mines and UXO.[28]

HCND’s Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) contains information gathered during the LIS and later field missions. Updating of IMSMA became a concern during 2004, and in January 2005 the IMSMA technical advisor (seconded by Switzerland) left; this position had not been filled as of July 2005. In previous years, the IMSMA system in Chad was non-operational due to a lack of qualified staff.[29 ]

National standard operating procedures for mine action, based on the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS), have been developed. Quality assurance is provided by the UNDP chief technical officer accompanied by a HCND quality control team of three to five staff. Quality assurance is carried out during clearance and at the end to certify the completion of a task.[30]

Survey and Assessment

In December 2004, MAG, following an earlier assessment, started a project aimed at clearing all known arms caches and water points from mines and UXO in the regions of Borkou and Ennedi in northern Chad. Completion for this project is scheduled for 2007. In phase 1, from December 2004 to March 2005, MAG conducted a rapid assessment of the areas that had been reported during the 2001 LIS and identified water points and caches to be cleared of UXO under phase 2. Phase 2, from March 2005 to February 2006, includes a technical survey of known and suspected mine areas, as well as clearance of UXO found previously. The third phase is planned to commence in March 2006, using mechanical and manual demining techniques to clear the remaining water access and cache impacts.[31 ] The costs are estimated as phase 1 ($400,000), phase 2 ($1 million) and phase 3 (costs not known).[32]

In phase 1, using information provided by the LIS, 150 suspected hazard areas were surveyed, of which 59 had already been cleared and 59 were not part of the LIS data. Ten other communities could not be surveyed for security or logistical reasons, such as unusable roads.[33 ] Most of the new areas were in Bourkou province; operations in Bourkou started in June 2005 and were scheduled for nine months.[34 ] As well as survey, UXO were to be cleared from over 20 identified water points. The remaining mined areas were to be marked until mine clearance operations could start.[35 ]

After battle area clearance was completed in Wadi Doum in May 2005, two MAG explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams were retrained in survey and marking. From July, the teams started to evaluate the needs for mine clearance and battle area clearance in the Fada region. They are also tasked to survey areas inhabited by Sudanese refugees, in order to verify the clearance of all sites and to clear any remaining UXO. After completion of these tasks, the teams will start a technical survey of 2006 priorities.[36 ]

Mine/ERW Clearance

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Chad’s deadline for destruction of all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control is no later than 1 November 2009.

According to HCND’s Chief Technical Advisor, “without additional funding, Chad will be unable to meet its obligations by November 2009.”[37 ] In connection with the treaty’s First Review Conference, Chad described its objective to be “free of the impact of mines and UXO before the end of the year 2010, and the people and communities of Chad can return to a normal life.” This means that “all the minefields identified in Chad have to be turned into impact free areas, either by clearing the contaminated areas or by permanent solid fencing.”[38 ]

According to a draft of Chad’s 2005 Article 7 report supplied to Landmine Monitor, 244,227 square meters of land were cleared of mines and more than 2.68 square kilometers were cleared through battle area clearance, and returned to public use in the reporting period May 2004-April 2005. A total of 3,630 antipersonnel mines, 1,364 antitank mines, 67,507 UXO and six other bombs were destroyed.[39 ] This represents considerable increases on the results reported for 2003 (1,069,402 square meters of mine clearance, 1,890,681 square meters of battle area clearance).[40]

From the beginning of operations in September 2000 to 31 December 2004, almost 5.55 square kilometers of land have been cleared and returned to potentially productive use, and 13,015 antipersonnel mines, 5,060 antivehicle mines, 102,008 items of UXO and 103 bombs have been destroyed, according to official reports.[41]

Clearance operations were conducted by HCND demining platoons and battle area clearance teams, under the supervision of international NGOs. In Wadi Doum, HELP provided supervision until June 2004 and EOD capacity until October 2004 when it withdrew; MAG was selected via a tender process to take over supervision of HCND clearance from October 2004.[42 ]HCND capacity as of January 2005 consisted of three platoons for mine clearance, two teams for battle area clearance, two for survey/marking and EOD, and two for mine risk education.[43 ]

During 2004, clearance focused on the Wadi Doum area, where operations had started in 2002. This was classified as high priority by the LIS, although sparsely inhabited, due to the abandoned ordnance (including SAM missiles) in and near a military base that is collected for sale, as well as causing casualties. Mines were also being collected privately from the minefields surrounding the base. According to HCND, operations in this area were necessary “to prevent anyone from accessing live mines and UXO and, therefore, as a measure to reinforce peace in the region and fight terrorism.”[44 ] In total, 217,445 square meters of land were cleared of mines and more than 434,500 square meters were reduced through battle area clearance in 2004.[45 ] Battle area clearance was completed in this area in May 2005, and mine clearance is expected to be completed by 2007.[46 ]

Also during 2004, on the border with Sudan from Ade to Bahai, and in the town of Gouro, HCND and HELP conducted clearance operations from June to October 2004; 5,365 square meters were cleared and more than 2.5 square kilometers of suspected area were reduced.[47 ] Until March 2005, the US assisted operations at both Wadi Doum and the border with Sudan by providing a Medevac plane.[48 ] From April to December 2005, HCND assumed this expenditure, estimated at $250,000.[49 ]

The Chadian Army recruited 120 deminers in 2004 and training started in January 2005, under a cooperation project with France. The French Army plans to train deminers, to establish demining sections within the Chadian Army, and to clear old battle areas and ammunitions depots. Although cooperation started in 2003, as of May 2005 the official agreement had not been signed.[50 ] The Chadian Army regularly conducts interventions on the main route between N’Djamena and Faya Largeau, and on the north of Lake Chad; from 2001 to December 2004, it cleared 14,957 UXO.[51 ]

During clearance operations in 2004, two EOD specialists and one deminer were injured in two accidents. See Landmine/UXO Casualties section for further details.

Mine Risk Education

No large-scale mine risk education (MRE) took place in Chad prior to April 2004, although the LIS in 1999-2001 reported that many people sustain injuries from mines and UXO, and concluded that there was a need for a focused MRE program to reduce casualties. In its preparations for the First Review Conference, the government of Chad recognized that MRE needs to be integrated into data gathering, task prioritization, mine clearance and the development of community-based activities. To help achieve this, UNICEF and UNDP agreed to develop the MRE capacities of HCND.[52]

An MRE director was appointed by HCND at the beginning of 2004.[53 ] UNICEF provided a consultant for April-May 2004, and in April 2005 a UNICEF MRE consultant was funded for an initial six-month period. During this time, UNICEF sought to strengthen the institutional capacity of the HCND, expand MRE coverage to all the affected areas, in particular the north and east of Chad, and integrate MRE in the school curriculum in the most affected areas. The UNICEF MRE budget for 2005 was $320,000, partially funded by Canada. The project is planned to last from February 2005 to January 2007.[54]

From 27 April to 17 May 2005, the MRE campaign focused on villages and refugee camps in the east of the country. From June to mid-July it focused on the northeast. MRE trainers, trained by UNICEF, provided initial MRE to more than 41,307 people. The teams used a lecture-based methodology, and also distributed T-shirts, notebooks, leaflets and calendars. The teams sought to appoint and train mine action volunteers in the camps and villages, who would act as a focal point for mine issues, report mine/UXO casualties, and remind the community of safety messages. More than 990 mine action volunteers were trained in this period. The teams also provided MRE information to NGO and UN humanitarian staff working in the refugee camps on the Sudan border, particularly at new campsites. Activities were hampered by lack of resources, in particular vehicles.[55 ]

In May 2005, an MRE assessment took place in the east of Chad, and another in June 2005 in the north. These sought to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) with regard to mines and UXO of Sudanese refugees in the camps and of the local population in at-risk areas, and to obtain baseline data for measuring impact. Initial findings suggested that most people remain unaware of the dangers, especially children and women, or that they undertake unsafe behavior. Many people stated that they moved UXO, often to hide them from children who play with the items. Others reported tampering with UXO, often with a view to selling it.[56]

HCND, with UNICEF support, prepared an MRE plan for 2005, which focused on a further MRE campaign in the refugee camps and high-risk areas, and a program to integrate MRE into the national school curriculum. Integration of MRE into the curriculum of schools in high-risk areas was ongoing as of June 2005. This includes developing training materials for teachers and materials for children, training teachers, and effective monitoring and support. The HCND has created and produced new materials in preparation for the next campaign.[57 ]

Funding and Assistance

As in the past, information on mine action funding for Chad is inconsistent and incomplete. Landmine Monitor identified four donors providing a total of $1,902,899 in mine action funding to Chad in 2004:

  • Canada: C$240,000 ($184,399) through UNICEF for MRE;[58]
  • Switzerland: CHF354,375 ($262,500) through UNOPS for IMSMA and finance advisors;[59]
  • UK: $250,000 received by UNDP;[60]
  • US: $1,206,000, consisting of $950,000 from the State Department for air evacuation support to deminers and new vehicles, and to MAG for survey, and $256,000 from the Defense Department.[61]

This represents a significant increase over the $1,188,334 in donor funding reported by Landmine Monitor for 2003.

HCND reported that in 2004 a new project document was signed between the government, UNDP and UNOPS, which includes an earlier decision on a common budget for mine action, of $4 million divided equally between 2004 and 2005. As of July 2005, UNDP had provided $1.5 million and the government had provided $400,000.[62 ] The Department of State reported providing $1 million to MAG in 2005 for a “targeted impact specific technical survey” of weapons/UXO caches and the areas of water blockage identified in the LIS.[63 ] HCND also reported the following contributions for 2004–2005, although none of these governments have included these funding contributions in their own reports:

  • Switzerland: $300,000 for battle area clearance of Sudanese refugee areas and two EOD teams supervised by the NGO HELP, June-October 2004;[64]
  • Canada: $60,000 to UNICEF for MRE in the Sudanese refugee areas, and $320,000 for MRE implementation and an MRE advisor for 2004-2005;[65]
  • UK: $350,000 for clearance in Wadi Doum.[66]

In February 2005, a UNDP update on Chad reported that $2,073,095 guaranteed for mine action activities in 2004 had been used, and stated that at the time of the report no further financial resources were available for 2005.[67 ]

The National Strategic Plan to Fight Mines and UXO 2002-2015 provides an estimate of $76 million for the total mine action budget, including victim assistance. In January 2003, the government announced its decision to finance 50 percent of its National Strategic Plan. Chad has reported providing $3,858,000 to mine action for the period 1999-2003.[68 ] The budget for 2005 is estimated at more than $6.7 million.[69 ]

Chad called for $6,831,716 through the UN Portfolio of Mine Action Projects in 2005; funds received by July 2005 reached US$174,000 for mine victim assistance and MRE.[70]

Landmine/ERW Casualties

In 2004, there were at least 32 new mine/ERW casualties in Chad; seven people killed and 25 injured. HCND recorded 12 new casualties, including one deminer and five children under the age of 12; all survived the explosion. Four casualties were caused by antipersonnel mines, three by antivehicle mines, four by UXO and one by an explosive device.[71 ] No fatalities were recorded by HCND. In an incident in June, three people were killed and six others injured after their vehicle hit a landmine near Faya Largeau.[72 ] Six children were injured in three UXO incidents near the Sudanese border in early 2004.[73 ] Landmine Monitor was also told of two other unconfirmed mine/ERW incidents in 2004, in which two people were killed and one injured.[74 ] This represents an increase from the 18 mine/ERW casualties (12 killed and six injured) reported in 2003.[75 ] However, there is no comprehensive nationwide data collection mechanism in Chad. The HCND occasionally receives reports on new casualties from its regional offices in Fada, Wadi Doum and Bardaï, but does not systematically include the information in the existing database.[76 ]

In March 2004, two EOD specialists were injured in an explosion while collecting fuzes and detonators.[77 ] In June 2004, a deminer lost his right hand and left foot, and sustained facial injuries, after stepping on a mine during clearance activities in Wadi Doum.[78 ]

One casualty was reported in January 2005, when a child injured his hand when an unidentified device exploded near a borehole in the town of Birgosse.[79 ]

Animals are also regularly killed in minefields. In May 2005 a herd of eight camels was killed after walking into a minefield in Wadi Doum.[80 ]

The total number of mine/ERW casualties in Chad is not known. The Landmine Impact Survey provides the most comprehensive information with a total of 1,688 casualties (825 killed and 863 injured) recorded from January 1998 up to May 2001. The data does not include any mine/ERW casualties from the Tibesti region in the north. Landmine Monitor identified another 200 mine casualties (53 killed and 147 injured) in 2002.[81 ]

Survivor Assistance

At the First Review Conference in November-December 2004, Chad was identified as one of 24 States Parties with significant numbers of mine survivors, and with “the greatest responsibility to act, but also the greatest needs and expectations for assistance” in providing adequate services for the care, rehabilitation and reintegration of survivors.[82 ] Chad did not participate in the workshop on advancing landmine victim assistance in Africa, 31 May-2 June 2005, convened for the eleven African States Parties among the list of 24.

One of the objectives of the National Strategic Plan to Fight Landmines and UXO is to improve mine victim assistance. In 2004, a new director was recruited for the survivor assistance department within HCND.[83 ] The 2005 Portfolio of Mine Action Projects includes eight proposals for victim assistance activities in Chad, including the development of a five-year national plan for the rehabilitation and disability sector to promote the socioeconomic reintegration of mine survivors; however, it would appear that the project lacks funding for implementation.[84]

Chad submitted the voluntary Form J attachment with its annual Article 7 Report in 2005, with information on victim assistance and other issues.[85]

In Chad, medical care and rehabilitation services for mine casualties remain rudimentary. All Chadian and French planes are obliged to transport landmine casualties free of charge. The French army operates a surgical unit at the military hospital in N’Djamena with the capacity to assist mine casualties. The military hospital also provides continuing medical care for mine survivors. Other hospitals and health centers reportedly do not have the capacity to do so.[86 ] In 2004, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) provided medical supplies to two hospitals for the treatment of war-wounded.[87]

In December 2004, a team from the American National Guard, accompanied by the HCND director for survivor assistance, carried out a two-week assessment mission on survivor assistance in Chad, visiting several sites and meeting with survivors from various locations. Clear plans had not yet been developed, but would reportedly include surgical support.[88 ]

The ICRC provides financial, material and technical support to the Kabalaye Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Center (CARK) in the capital, N’Djamena. The center is run by Secours Catholique pour le Développement (SECADEV), a Catholic development organization. In 2004, the center assisted more than 300 people, provided 205 prostheses (96 for mine survivors) and 142 orthoses (four for mine survivors), and distributed 916 crutches. The ICRC reimbursed the cost of treatment for more than 100 people, including nine new mine survivors (six military personnel and three civilians, including one woman).[89 ] However, in recent years, CARK has been going through internal difficulties and the quality of physiotherapy treatments and follow-up is reportedly low, with limited collaboration between the rehabilitation and orthopedic departments.[90 ]

The Our Lady of Peace rehabilitation center (Maison Notre Dame de la Paix) provides orthopedic and rehabilitation services in the town of Moundou, and holds surgical missions twice a year in collaboration with a team of visiting surgeons from France or Spain. There are also two related centers in Kelo and Doba, providing rehabilitation services, orthopedic devices and socioeconomic reintegration support to persons with disabilities. Follow-up is also available in satellite centers in Laï, Batchoro, Maibombaye, Bendone and Mbikou on the premises of Catholic missions. Our Lady of Peace is supported by an agreement with the Ministry of Health, and is financed through various donations and through payment for treatments. People pay between 10 and 15 percent of the total cost of treatment. In 2004, 1,343 people were assisted at the center, including war-wounded; no mine survivors were assisted. The center also produced 308 prostheses, 550 crutches, 39 wheelchairs and 101 pairs of orthopedic shoes.[91 ]

The organization Physiotherapists of the World (Kinésithérapeutes du Monde, KDM) in Chad provides technical support and training in physiotherapy and orthopedics at the Admido Rehabilitation Center in the Middle Chari. The center, opened in 1999, does not receive any outside funding, which has reduced its ability to provide treatments. KDM recently started a community-based rehabilitation project with the center, in the hope of increasing its activity level. Twelve people have been trained for follow-up and identification of persons in need of rehabilitation services in the surrounding villages. KDM also ran the “A Physiotherapist for every Hospital in Chari” project between 2002 and 2004. Eight people undertook a one-year training program in physiotherapy and six received further ongoing training and support for the establishment of rehabilitation departments in local hospitals, including in Kourma, Sahr, Danamaghi, Moissala and N’Djamena. However, the trainees lack official recognition from the State. KDM is planning to develop a recognized physiotherapy training program in Chad, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education, to improve the level of rehabilitation services available and to increase the recognition of the physiotherapy profession.[92 ]

The Association of Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Professionals in Chad (Association des professionels en Orthopédie et en Rééducation au Tchad, APORT) represents orthopedic technicians and physiotherapists from around the country. There are 12 recognized physiotherapists and seven orthopedic technicians in Chad.[93 ]

The NGO EIRENE (International Christian Service for Peace) runs a Reintegration of Persons with Disability project in Chad, with the second phase due to end in 2005. Activities include supporting local associations of persons with disabilities, lobbying the Chad government for the development of inclusive measures in favor of persons with disabilities, improving their mobility, and increasing socioeconomic integration through training activities.[94]

The Chad National Fund to Support Professional Training has trained 156 people with disabilities between 2002 and 2005, including 30 people trained in welding in 2004 and eight women trained in crafts in 2005. On the National Day of Persons with Disabilities in February 2004, the Ministry of Social Action and Family organized training for 30 women with disabilities on the transformation of local products.[95 ] SECADEV also has vocational training projects in Chad, but it is not known if landmine survivors or persons with disabilities participate.[96 ]

Disability Policy and Practice[97]

The Ministry of Social Action and Family is responsible for issues relating to persons with disability in Chad. In 2000, under decree 580/MASF/2000, the ministry created the special Direction for the Reintegration of Persons with Disabilities, which is in the process of finalizing a National Action Plan. The objective for the next two years is to create professional training centers to facilitate the socioeconomic reintegration of persons living with disabilities. A new law for the rights and the improvement of the quality of life of persons with disabilities in the area of health, socioeconomic and cultural integration, transport, housing and security is currently being studied.

Law 17/PR/01 protects the rights of persons living with disabilities in Chad. Children with a disability, or whose parents have a disability, have access to free education under law 327/PR/MEN/94.

The Association for Mutual Aid of Physically Disabled of Chad (Association d'Entraide des Handicappés Physiques du Tchad - AEHPT) supports persons with disabilities, mainly in N’Djamena. It is estimated that there are about 100 associations of persons with disabilities in Chad. Many are members of the National Union of Persons with Disabilities in Chad (UNAPHT). The Ministry of Communication has allocated air time on the National Diffusion Radio for a program to raise awareness on disability issues in the general population.

In November 2004, the diocese of Doba, in collaboration with the Our Lady of Peace rehabilitation center (Maison Notre Dame de la Paix), organized a three-day national conference on the situation of persons living with disabilities in Chad. The participants recommended that national legislation in favor of persons living with disabilities be developed, and that national and international NGOs working in the field of rehabilitation establish a coordination committee.[98]

On 7 February each year a National Day of Persons with Disabilities is organized under decree 136/PR/MCFAS/94, to promote the development of persons with disabilities and their reintegration into society. However, it is acknowledged that persons with disabilities, including mine survivors, are stigmatized both at the private and public level.[99 ]


[1 ]Email to Landmine Monitor (HRW) from Kathleen Lawand, Legal Advisor, Mines-Arms Unit, ICRC, Geneva, 29 April 2005.

[2 ]The National Demining Office (Haut Commissariat National de Déminage, HCND) provided Landmine Monitor with a Draft Article 7 report (for the period 1 May 2004 to 30 April 2005) on 2 July 2005, which is cited throughout this country report. As of 30 September 2005, the report had not been posted to the UN website, http://disarmament2.un.org/MineBan.nsf.

[3 ]Previous Article 7 reports were submitted: 12 December 2001; 29 April 2002; 30 April 2003; 27 May 2004.

[4 ]Statement by Mahamat Ali Hassan, Minister of Planning, Development and Cooperation, Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World (First Review Conference), 3 December 2004, p. 4.

[5] United Nations, “Countries stand united in the battle against landmines,” 4 November 2004,
www.un.int/angola/press_release_landmines.htm.

[6 ]Article 7 Report, Form G, 27 May 2004 (1 May 2003-30 April 2004); email to Landmine Monitor (Marielle Hallez) from Michel Destemberg, Senior Technical Advisor, UNOPS/HCND, 5 July 2004.

[7 ]“Country Profile: Chad,” www.mineaction.org, accessed 27 July 2005.

[8 ]Email from Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, 2 July 2005.

[9 ]See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 290-291.

[10 ]“Country Profile: Chad,” www.mineaction.org, accessed, 27 July 2005.

[11] Email from Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, 2 July 2005.

[12 ]Chad, “Updated First Review Conference Document - Communicating Elements To Implement Article 5,” 28 January 2005, p. 2.

[13 ]Email from Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, 2 July 2005.

[14 ]Chad, “Updated First Review Conference Document - Communicating Elements To Implement Article 5,” 28 January 2005, p. 6.

[15 ]See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 291.

[16] Chad, “Updated First Review Conference Document - Communicating Elements To Implement Article 5,” 28 January 2005, p. 5.

[17] Email from Michel Destemberg, Chief Technical Advisor, UNOPS/HCND, 2 July 2005; telephone interview with Michel Destemberg, 1 August 2005.

[18 ]Email from Michel Destemberg, Chief Technical Advisor, UNOPS/HCND, 2 July 2005; telephone interview with Michel Destemberg, 1 August 2005; see also Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 295.

[19 ]Email from Tim Carstairs, Policy Director, MAG, 14 September 2005.

[20 ]Draft Article 7 report (for the period 1 May 2004 to 30 April 2005), Form J, sent by HCND to the Landmine Monitor, 2 July 2005.

[21 ]Draft Article 7 report (for the period 1 May 2004 to 30 April 2005), Form J, sent by HCND to the Landmine Monitor, 2 July 2005; telephone interview with Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, 1 August 2005.

[22] Email from Tim Carstairs, MAG, 14 September 2005.

[23 ]Chad, “Updated First Review Conference Document - Communicating Elements To Implement Article 5,” 28 January 2005, p. 4; telephone interview with Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, 1 August 2005.

[24 ]UNMAS, “Portfolio of Mine Action Projects 2005: Chad,” www.mineaction.org, accessed 28 July 2005; telephone interview with Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, 1 August 2005.

[25 ]Email from Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, 2 July 2005.

[26 ]UNMAS, “UN Portfolio of Mine Action Projects 2005: Chad,” www.mineaction.org, accessed on 28 July 2005; telephone interview with Michel Destemberg, Chief Technical Advisor, UNOPS/HCND, 1 August 2005. For development of the 2002-2015 strategy, see Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 291-292.

[27 ]Chad, “Updated First Review Conference Document - Communicating Elements To Implement Article 5,” 28 January 2005, p. 6.

[28] Chad National Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), June 2003, p. 106.

[29 ]Emails from Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, 5 July 2004 and 2 July 2005; interview with Michel Verrault, Senior Technical Advisor at HCND, UNDP/UNOPS, 14 January 2003.

[30] Email from Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, 2 July 2005; telephone interview with Michel Destemberg, 1 August 2005.

[31 ]Draft Article 7 report (for the period 1 May 2004 to 30 April 2005), Form J, sent by the HCND to the Landmine Monitor, 2 July 2005; email from Tim Carstairs, MAG, 14 September 2005.

[32] Meeting with Didier Leonard, Technical Operations Manager, MAG, N’Djamena, 23 May 2005.

[33 ]“General Survey results,” MAG, 23 May 2005; email from Didier Leonard, MAG, N’Djamena, 3 August 2005.

[34 ]Meeting with Didier Leonard, MAG, N’Djamena, 23 May 2005.

[35 ]Telephone interview with Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, 1 August 2005.

[36 ]Email from Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, 2 July 2005.

[37 ]Email from Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, 2 July 2005.

[38 ]Chad, “Updated First Review Conference Document - Communicating Elements To Implement Article 5,” 28 January 2005, pp. 2-3.

[39 ]Draft Article 7 report (for the period 1 May 2004 to 30 April 2005), Form J, sent by the HCND to the Landmine Monitor, 2 July 2005.

[40] See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 292-293.

[41] Chad, “Updated First Review Conference Document - Communicating Elements To Implement Article 5,” 28 January 2005, p. 3.

[42 ]Draft Article 7 report (for the period 1 May 2004 to 30 April 2005), Form J, sent by the HCND to the Landmine Monitor, 2 July 2005.

[43 ]Chad, “Updated First Review Conference Document - Communicating Elements To Implement Article 5,” 28 January 2005, p. 5.

[44 ]Email from Michel Destemberg, Chief Technical Advisor, UNOPS/HCND, 2 July 2005.

[45 ]“Travaux - Bilans Decembre 2004,” HCND.

[46 ]Chad, “Updated First Review Conference Document - Communicating Elements To Implement Article 5,” 28 January 2005, p.7.

[47 ]Email from Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, 3 August 2005; Chad, “Updated First Review Conference Document - Communicating Elements Of Plans To Implement Article 5,” 28 January 2005, www.mineaction.org, accessed 22 August 2005.

[48 ]“Chantiers December 2004,” HCND.

[49 ]Draft Article 7 report (for the period 1 May 2004 to 30 April 2005), Form J, sent by the HCND to the Landmine Monitor, 2 July 2005; telephone interview with Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, 1 August 2005.

[50 ]Interview with Lt. Col. Philippe Marquez, French Military Cooperation, N’Djamena, 23 May 2005.

[51 ]HCND, “Travaux - Bilans Decembre 2004.”

[52] Chad, “Updated First Review Conference Document - Communicating Elements To Implement Article 5,” 28 January 2005, p 5.

[53 ]Chad, “Updated First Review Conference Document - Communicating Elements To Implement Article 5,” 28 January 2005, p 5.

[54] UNICEF, “Plan Stratégique Pour La ERM 2005 au Tchad,” N’Djamena, p. 5.

[55 ]Information provided to Landmine Monitor by Valentina Crini, UNICEF, and Amrichtene Alnadjib, MRE Director, HCND, N’Djamena, 29 May 2005.

[56] Information provided to Landmine Monitor by Valentina Crini, UNICEF, and Amrichtene Alnadjib, HCND, N’Djamena, 29 May 2005.

[57 ]UNICEF, “Plan Stratégique pour la ERM 2005 en Tchad,” N’Djamena, p. 4.

[58] Emails from Elvan Isikozlu, Mine Action Team, Foreign Affairs Canada, June-August 2005. Average exchange rate for 2004: UD$1 = C$1.3017, used throughout this report. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2005.

[59] Email from Janine Voigt, Diplomatic Collaborator, Switzerland Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2005. Rate of exchange for 2004 according to fixed rate specified by donor: $1 = CH1.35, used throughout this report.

[60] UNDP Mine Action, Funding Mine Action, Funding Update by Donors, www.undp.org/, accessed 22 August 2005. This funding was not reported by the UK.

[61] Email from Angela L. Jeffries, Financial Management Specialist, US Department of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, 20 July 2005.

[62 ]Telephone interview with Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, 1 August 2005.

[63 ]Email from H. Murphey McCloy Jr., Senior Demining Advisor, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, US Department of State, 13 September 2005. This may duplicate funding to MAG reported for 2004.

[64] Email from Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, 2 July 2005

[65] Email from Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, 2 July 2005; telephone interview with Michel Destemberg, 1 August 2005.

[66] HCND, “Chantiers December 2004.”

[67 ]MASG Newsletter, February 2005, UNDP update: Chad.

[68 ]See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p.295.

[69 ]Chad, “Updated First Review Conference Document - Communicating Elements To Implement Article 5,” 28 January 2005, pp. 6-7.

[70] UNMAS, “Portfolio of Mine Action Projects 2005: Chad,” www.mineaction.org, accessed 28 July 2005.

[71 ]Data provided to Landmine Monitor (HI) by Kali Mahamat Salli, Director, Survivor Assistance, HCND, N’Djamena, 26 May 2005.

[72 ]US Department of State, “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2004: Chad,” Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Washington DC, 28 February 2005.

[73 ]See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 296.

[74 ]Informal discussions during field visit to Chad by Landmine Monitor (HI), 16 to 26 May 2005.

[75 ]For details, see Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 296.

[76 ]Interview with Saleh Hissein Hassan Halaki, Coordinator, HCND, N’Djamena, 18 May 2005; interview with Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, N’Djamena, 20 May 2005.

[77 ]HCND, “Investigation Commission Report,” N’Djamena, 10 March 2004.

[78 ]Interview with Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, N’Djamena, 25 June 2004.

[79 ]Interview with MAG staff during Landmine Monitor (HI) field visit, 17 to 26 May 2005.

[80 ]Interview with Saleh Hissein Hassan Halaki, HCND, N’Djamena, 18 May 2005; interview with Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, N’Djamena, 20 May 2005.

[81 ]For more details, see Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 296.

[82 ]United Nations, Final Report, First Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, Nairobi, 29 November–3 December 2004, APLC/CONF/2004/5, 9 February 2005, p. 33.

[83 ]Interview with Saleh Hissein Hassan Halaki, HCND, N’Djamena, 18 May 2005; Interview with Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, N’Djamena, 20 May 2005; Draft Article 7 report (for the period 1 May 2004 to 30 April 2005), Form J, sent by HCND to the Landmine Monitor, 2 July 2005.

[84] UNMAS, “Portfolio of Mine Action Projects 2005,” pp. 112-123, www.mineaction.org.

[85] Draft Article 7 report (for the period 1 May 2004 to 30 April 2005), Form J, sent by HCND to the Landmine Monitor, 2 July 2005.

[86 ]See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 296-297; see also U.S. Department of State, “To Walk the Earth in Safety,” Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Washington DC, 5th edition, August 2004, p. 15.

[87] ICRC, “Annual Report 2004,” Geneva, June 2005, p. 137.

[88 ]Interview with Saleh Hissein Hassan Halaki, HCND, N’Djamena, 18 May 2005; interview with Michel Destemberg, UNOPS/HCND, N’Djamena, 20 May 2005 and 26 May 2005; interview with Kali Mahamat Salli, Director, Survivor Assistance, HCND, May 25 2005; email from Claude Tardif, Head of Physical Rehabilitation Programs, ICRC, 15 July 2005; Draft Article 7 report (for the period 1 May 2004 to 30 April 2005), Form J, sent by HCND to the Landmine Monitor, 2 July 2005.

[89 ]ICRC Physical Rehabilitation Program, “Annual Report 2004,” Geneva, July 2005, pp. 17-18, 44; Kabalaye Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Center, “2004 Production Statistics.”

[90 ]“Chad Program: Current Situation and Ambitions” (Programme Tchad: État des lieux et ambitions), Aux Coins du Monde, No. 40, Summer 2005, p. 3, available in French at www.kines-du-monde.org/Journal/AUXCOINSDUMONDEN40.pdf, accessed 5 July 2005.

[91 ]Response to Landmine Monitor Survivor Assistance Questionnaire by Father Michel Guimbaud, 4 July 2005 “Assessment of the 25 years of the Our Lady of Peace Rehabilitation Center” (“Bilan des 25 années de la Maison Notre-Dame de Paix”), report by Michel Guimbaud, 24 March 2004.

[92 ]Email from Nadège Régent, KDM, 18 July 2005; Report on “Conference on the Situation of Persons with Disabilities in Chad,” (Colloque sur la situation des personnes handicapées au Tchad), Doba , 9-11 November 2004, pp. 30-39; see also www.kines-du-monde.org, accessed 5 July 2005.

[93 ]Report on “Conference on the Situation of Persons with Disabilities in Chad,” (Colloque sur la situation des personnes handicapées au Tchad), Doba, 9-11 November 2004, p. 33; interview with Djastoide Lonira, Director, APORT, N’Djamena, 25 May 2005; email from Claude Tardif, ICRC, 15 July 2005.

[94] “Support for Persons with Disabilities: Integration of Persons with Disabilities in Chad,” (SAPH: Integration von Menschen mit Körperbehinderung im Tschad), www.eirene.org/programme/sued/sued.saph/, accessed 28 July 2005.

[95 ]Interview with Mbaïtoubam Saklah Djimadoungar, Director, Reintegration of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Action and Family, N’Djamena, 24 May 2005; “The Implementation of the Decade of Persons with Disabilities in Chad” (La mise en œuvre de la décennie de la personne handicapée au Tchad), report by Mbaïtoubam Saklah Djimadoungar, Ministry of Social Action and Family, 2 April 2005.

[96 ]Interview with Marc Beremadji Madengar and Yanyara Djimadoumadji Elie, SECADEV, N’Djamena, 25 May 2005.

[97] Unless otherwise stated the information in this section is from an interview with Mbaïtoubam Saklah Djimadoungar, Ministry of Social Action and Family, N’Djamena, 24 May 2005; and “The Implementation of the Decade of Persons with Disabilities in Chad” (La mise en œuvre de la décennie de la personne handicapée au Tchad), report by Mbaïtoubam Saklah Djimadoungar, Ministry of Social Action and Family, 2 April 2005.

[98] Report on “Conference on the Situation of Persons with Disabilities in Chad,” (Colloque sur la situation des personnes handicapées au Tchad), Doba, 9-11 November 2004.

[99 ]See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 298.