Key developments since May 2004: Mine clearance slowed down
significantly in 2004 following the end of funding from the US, the only
external donor to the demining program. During 2004, 19,687 square meters were
demined, destroying some 750 mines and UXO. About 900,000 square meters of
mine-affected land remain to be cleared. Mine/UXO casualties increased in 2004,
reportedly due to the lack of mine risk education.
Mine Ban Policy
The Republic of Rwanda signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997,
ratified it on 13 June 2000, and became a State Party on 1 December 2000. By
presidential order of 24 December 1998, the treaty was incorporated into
domestic law, but there is no specific implementation
legislation.[1] In December 2004, the
Prime Minister stated that the government is “actualizing the national
legislation to adapt it to the requirements of the Ottawa
Treaty.”[2] In its Article 7
report for 2004-2005, Rwanda reported that an implementation law had been
drafted and was awaiting final comment from the cabinet legal advisor at the
Ministry of Justice.[3] In June 2005,
Rwanda stated that “legal and administrative measures...have been drafted
and are in promising stages.”[4]
Rwanda has also stated that an existing law― Decree-Law 12/79, which
prohibits illegal import, use, transfer and possession of arms and
ammunition―also covers mines, although mines are not explicitly
mentioned.[5]
Rwanda submitted its most recent Article 7 update on 15 June 2005, covering
the period April 2004 to April
2005.[6] It submitted three reports
previously.[7]
Rwanda participated in the First Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty in
Nairobi in November-December 2004. Prime Minister Bernard Makuza led the
delegation. Rwanda also attended the intersessional meetings in Geneva in June
2005, and made a statement on its mine action program.
Rwanda told Landmine Monitor in May 2005 that it is “willing to
engage” in discussions among States Parties on matters of interpretation
and implementation related to Articles 1, 2 and 3 of the Mine Ban
Treaty.[8] Rwanda has not in the past
made known its views on issues related to joint military operations with
non-States Parties, antivehicle mines with sensitive fuzes or antihandling
devices, and the permissible number of mines retained for training. It did not
speak on these matters during the June 2005 intersessional meetings. Landmine
Monitor has said that given Rwanda’s involvement in the Democratic
Republic of Congo with non-state actors who use antipersonnel mines,
Rwanda’s silence on the issue of joint military operations is especially
notable.[9]
In April 2004, Rwanda ratified the Nairobi Protocol for the Prevention,
Control and Reduction of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region
of the Horn of Africa, which includes mines in the definition of small
arms.[10] The ratification
instrument was to be deposited by the end of May
2005.[11]
Rwanda participated in the International Conference on Peace, Security,
Democracy and Development in the Great Lakes Region, held in Dar-Es-Salaam on
19-20 November 2004. In the resulting declaration, Rwanda committed itself to
“promote common policies to put an end to the proliferation of illicit
small arms and light weapons, as well as antipersonnel mines and... ensure the
implementation of existing agreements and
mechanisms.”[12] Rwanda
hosted the First Meeting of the Regional Inter-Ministerial Committee (RIMC) on
17-18 February 2005. The proliferation and circulation of illicit small arms
and antipersonnel landmines was identified as a priority for peace and
security.[13] The Draft Document on
Possible Protocols and Programmes of Action for the Security, Stability and
Development Pact stated, “While antipersonnel mines seldom accompany the
issue of Small Arms, it was deemed more effective to join them together.... In
addition, all members should use the [Mine Ban Treaty] and implement in the
context of the Great Lakes
region.”[14]
Rwanda is not a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.
Production and Stockpiling
Rwanda states that it has never produced antipersonnel
mines.[15] In the past, Rwanda
imported an unknown number of antipersonnel mines. Some 35 types of mines from
at least eight countries have been found in
Rwanda.[16]
Rwanda has stated that it has no stockpiles of antipersonnel mines. It
maintains that in 1994 the former government “fled into neighboring Congo
with all arms and ammunitions including antipersonnel mines” and that the
current government “has never imported antipersonnel mines, and therefore
no stockpiled antipersonnel mines [are] in
Rwanda.”[17]
After initially indicating that it retained no antipersonnel mines for
training or development as permitted under Article 3, Rwanda reported in April
2003 that it possessed 101 antipersonnel mines “uprooted from minefields
and retained for training
purposes.”[18] As of April
2005, none of them had been used. Rwanda stated that the number of retained
mines “has not changed since the last reporting period because there has
been no training on demining
activities.”[19]Landmine
Monitor Report 2004 cited an interview with an official of the Ministry of
Defense indicating Rwanda’s willingness to destroy the retained
mines.[20] After publication of the
report, the same official clarified that destruction of the mines was dependent
on “ongoing research that would produce replacement
mines.”[21] At the First
Review Conference in November-December 2004, the Prime Minister expressed his
wish for the country “to accede to alternative techniques in order to also
get rid of” the retained
mines.[22]
Use, Transfer and Assisting Mine Use in the DRC
No mine use has been reported in Rwanda since
1998.[23] However, there were
allegations in the past of mine use in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Rwandan officials have repeatedly denied using mines in the
DRC.[24]
Since publication of Landmine Monitor Report 2004, no new allegations
have been received concerning Rwanda’s possible involvement in the use of
antipersonnel mines by armed forces that it supports in the DRC. As recently as
early 2004, Landmine Monitor noted unconfirmed allegations that Rwanda has
supplied antipersonnel mines and provided other types of assistance to rebel
groups in the DRC that acknowledged using mines, notably the Congolese Rally for
Democracy (RCD) and Union of Congolese Patriots
(UPC).[25] Rwanda has strongly
denied all allegations, and Landmine Monitor has published the denials alongside
the allegations.[26]
Landmine and UXO Problem
Mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Rwanda result from the 1990-1994 Tutsi
insurgency against the Hutu-dominated government and army, the 1994 genocide,
the retreat of the army and Interahamwe militias to neighboring countries, and
their subsequent attacks launched from the DRC in 1995 and 1998. Rwanda has
claimed that UXO is more widespread than
mines.[27]
In a 2002-2003 assessment, four of the 12 provinces reported a mine-threat:
Kigali (including in the capital), Byumba, Ruhengeri and Gisenyi. Two
minefields were discovered in Ruhengeri after the assessment; both have since
been cleared.[28] By the end of
January 2003, 19 identified minefields covering a total of 961,110 square meters
remained to be cleared.[29]
Since the 2002-2003 assessment, 61,188 square meters have been cleared, of
which 19,687 were demined in
2004.[30] About 900,000 square
meters of mine-affected land remain to be
cleared.[31]
In December 2004, Rwanda stated that the mine and UXO problem has a severe
socioeconomic impact as agricultural fields and pastures lie idle; these are the
main sources of subsistence for the
population.[32] In the northwestern
Gisenyi province, much of the population relies on tea production for its
livelihood. Two tea plantations, Nyabihu and Kabaya, remain closed due to the
presence of mines and UXO.[33]
According to the German NGO Menschen gegen Minen, “The still existing
problem of undernourishment has also to do with the mine problem. Still large
parts of the country are only accessible under the risk of death, fertile ground
lies fallow.”[34]
Most mined areas are reported to be marked by warning signs and sometimes
fenced, depending on the availability of
resources.[35] The 2002-2003
assessment revealed that marking of the four largest minefields was “in
such disarray that assessing the size of them was impossible,” and that
“the marking systems at the minefields are so sub-standard that they are
dangerous.”[36] Most of the
marking was said to be temporary and to deteriorate quickly. Markings and
fences are also removed by local residents for other purposes, and the National
Demining Office states that it lacks resources to replace them in a timely
fashion or to use more permanent
material.[37]
Mine Action Program
The National Demining Office (NDO) was created in 1995, under the auspices of
the Ministry of Defense. Its main functions are to develop a sustainable and
integrated mine action plan, to coordinate demining activities in the country,
and to maintain a national
database.[38]
NDO has 43 deminers and possesses 16 mine detectors (reportedly not very
reliable) and five vehicles in poor condition. Its mine detection dogs have
been retired.[39] The 2002-2003
assessment recommended refresher training for the deminers, hiring a demining
expert and 100 new deminers, creating three more mine detecting dog teams,
bringing in mechanical clearance devices, and management training. It noted
that 16 of the 20 minefields could be cleared by mid-2004, but
“realistically it would take 10-20 years before declaring Rwanda mine-safe
depending on whether NDO acquires more
deminers.”[40]
The recommendations are said to have been taken into consideration in
proposals submitted to possible
donors.[41] The assessment
recommended that a civilian should head NDO, in order to attract international
donors.[42] By mid-2005, however,
NDO was still exclusively
military-run.[43]
In October 2002, NDO claimed to be waiting for completion of the assessment
to develop its national mine action
plan.[44] In June 2004, a military
official stated that the plan would be announced by the First Review Conference
in November-December.[45] This did
not occur. In May 2005, the plan was said to depend on whether NDO receives
financial support. If it does, NDO plans to “train 150 deminers during
three months, acquire mechanical assets for Kanombe and Nyabishambi minefields,
and do a simultaneous deployment in all the minefields in the country. The
duration to clear the remaining minefields is estimated to [be] about 24 months
from the time the required resources will be
available.”[46]
The Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) was installed in
2001, but has not been updated to the latest version. National mine action
standards exist, but NDO acknowledges it needs re-training on International Mine
Action Standards (IMAS). It is seeking assistance from other mine action
operators to update the standards. Quality control of clearance is provided by
NDO, which fills in a completion report and a handover report that is then
signed by the private owners of the cleared land or by local
authorities.[47]
Survey and Assessment
Between October 2002 and January 2003, NDO carried out an assessment
“to determine the extent of the mine threat in Rwanda after plus seven
years of continuous demining,” with technical support from the company
RONCO under contract from the US Department of
State.[48]
In May 2005, criteria for prioritizing land for clearance were reported to be
the actual or perceived threat of mines/UXO, and the importance of the area for
development activities. The Ministry of Local Administration, the police and
civilians in affected areas are also involved in priority setting for mine
action.[49]
Mine and UXO Clearance
Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Rwanda must destroy all antipersonnel
mines from mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible,
but not later than 1 December 2010.
In June 2005, Rwanda expressed concern that, given the rough terrain and the
lack of appropriate resources, clearance of the remaining minefields might take
more than five years, if it is not assisted. Those minefields remaining
uncleared were said to be “very challenging.” Rwanda declared,
“Since June 2004 the momentum of the demining operations have [sic] slowed
down remarkably as the only external donor to the demining program suspended its
financial support.” It added that “The demining unit was only
confined to attending to urgent reports (destroying surface UXO) while big
minefields remained unattended.” Rwanda called upon the international
community for assistance.[50]
In 2004, 19,687 square meters of agricultural land were cleared in Kanombe
minefield in Kigali town, and in Nyabihu and Rubaya in Gisenyi province. During
these operations, 765 mines and UXO were
destroyed.[51]
All minefields are cleared manually; in Kanombe minefield the MAXX machine
was used to cut vegetation.[52]
According to the NDO coordinator, “The sheer size of those still to be
demined necessitates more efficient technological
devices.”[53]
The Ministry of Defense indicates no civilian mine clearance initiatives have
taken place in Rwanda.[54]
In 2004, one deminer lost his leg when a mine exploded during
clearance.[55] The accident
occurred when he walked through an area believed to have been cleared of mines.
The Ministry of Defense believes that mine detectors used in the area were not
functioning properly.[56]
Mine Risk Education
No systematic mine risk education (MRE) has taken place in Rwanda since 2002.
NDO lacks funds for MRE activities and has called upon the international
community for assistance.[57]
Despite this, some MRE is conducted when NDO demining teams are deployed. Inert
mines are used to teach the population how to identify and report suspicious
objects. This is said to contribute to the reporting of suspected objects and
promotes requests for intervention. Local leaders and district police liaise
with NDO in making these requests. Mine awareness posters, T-shirts and caps
are also distributed. There may be 50 or more attending MRE presentations,
depending on the size of the village, the time of day and the location of the
demining site.[58]
Some MRE is also conducted by the Mulindi Japan One Love Project, a
disability organization, which integrates MRE into its program of disability
assistance. The project’s mobile orthopedic service distributes
information on the danger of mines to groups of up to 300 people. MRE messages
are also disseminated by radio. In 2004, this NGO reached an estimated 3,500
persons, including 1,050 children and 2,450 adults. The annual budget is
US$4,200, and is self-funded.[59]
There has been no evaluation of the MRE activities undertaken by this
organization or by NDO. The IMAS for MRE have not been applied in Rwanda.
In 2002, deminers reported that people continue to enter known mine-affected
areas, mainly pastureland and similar agricultural areas, suggesting that MRE
messages have a limited impact on changing risk
behavior.[60] Landmine Monitor
witnessed farmers cross a marked and fenced
minefield.[61]
Funding and Assistance
The US was the only external donor to mine action in Rwanda between 1994 and
2003.[62] In 2004, the only
external donor to report funding was France, which contributed €9,197
($11,439) to Handicap International to support physical rehabilitation services
in hospitals.[63]
The operating costs of NDO were paid by the Ministry of
Defense.[64] The budget allocated
by the Ministry of Defense to NDO for 2004 was reported as “the same
amount of 2003, plus 3
percent.”[65] The ministry
reported expenditure of $330,000 in
2003.[66]
The budget requested by Rwanda for 2005 was $2.75 million. The government
submitted formal requests for funding to the embassies of the Netherlands and
the US in Kigali.[67] As of June
2005, it had not received positive
responses.[68]
Landmine Casualties
In 2004, 12 new mine/UXO casualties were recorded by the National Demining
Office, including three people killed and nine
injured.[69] This represents an
increase from seven mine/UXO casualties reported in
2003.[70] It is likely that the
number of casualties is higher than recorded, and that not all casualties are
reported to NDO.[71] In 2004, one
deminer lost his leg when a mine exploded during mine clearance
activities.[72]
Casualties appeared to be increasing in 2005. Between January and June, 14
new mine/UXO casualties were reported, with at least four people killed and
seven injured. The increase is reportedly due to a lack of
MRE.[73]
NDO has recorded mine/UXO casualty data using IMSMA since June 2001. As of
July 2004, 659 mine/UXO casualties were recorded, including 275 people killed,
236 seriously injured and 148 slightly
injured.[74]
Survivor Assistance
Healthcare in Rwanda was severely affected by the 1994 conflict. In some
areas, the population lives more than a 1.5 hours walk to the nearest health
center. There is a lack of skilled medical personnel, limited accessibility due
to cost and location of services, and variable quality of available services.
The healthcare system remains largely dependent on international funding.
In early 2005, after pressure from the World Bank and International Monetary
Fund, Rwanda dismissed most of its healthcare staff because of lack of proper
qualifications. The hospitals can recruit again, but lacks the funds to do so.
There is a shortage of trained healthcare
professionals.[75] The government
is reportedly in the process of building more health centers in the countryside.
However, there are still not enough centers to respond to the
needs.[76] On average, the centers
are 20 to 50 kilometers from the
minefields.[77]
NDO has a standby team, including medical personnel, to evacuate mine
casualties to the nearest hospital. In 2004, NDO conducted four
evacuations.[78] Due to a lack of
funds, NDO does not offer any other medical or rehabilitation assistance to mine
survivors.[79]
Between January and April 2004, the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) provided 12 weeks of first aid training to 51 staff members at Kanombe
military hospital and updated emergency medical
supplies.[80]
There are four specialized orthopedic centers in Rwanda. There are no
specific programs for mine survivors, who are assisted through general programs
for all persons with
disabilities.[81] Handicap
International supports the orthopedic workshop at Kigali Hospital and the
decentralized units in Cyangugu, Gahini, Ruhengeri and Butare, trains
physiotherapists and technicians, and produces prostheses and crutches. In
2004, the National Prosthesis and Rehabilitation Service at Kigali Hospital
produced 56 prostheses and 246 orthoses, and provided 798 crutches. HI also
assisted 1,328 people at the orthopedic center and 528 in the decentralized
units. HI supports local associations of persons with disabilities, including
the AGHR (Association Générale des Handicappés au Rwanda),
URA (Union Rwandaise des Aveugles) and ANSR (Association Nationale des
Sourds-Muets). Approximately 100 people per year benefit from these
associations.[82]
The Gatagara Center, run by the Brothers of Charity, provides free orthopedic
surgery and physiotherapy, produces and fits artificial limbs, and promotes the
socioeconomic reintegration of persons with disabilities through primary and
secondary (in Butare) education and vocational training. It also operates a
school for the blind and a center for physiotherapy in
Rwamagana.[83]
The Mulindi Japan One Love Project runs an orthopedic center in Kigali
providing prostheses and orthoses free of charge, and promoting the
socioeconomic reintegration of persons with disabilities, as well as a mobile
service that visits all 12 provinces once a year. It also promotes sports for
persons with disabilities and trained athletes for the 2004 Athens Paralympic
Games. In 2004, this NGO assisted 535 people, including 73 mine survivors, and
produced 105 prostheses and fitted 51, and distributed 29 wheelchairs, 283
crutches and 67 other assistive
devices.[84]
The Federation of Associations and Centers of the Handicapped in Rwanda is
approved by the Ministry of Interior to act as an advocate for disability
organizations with the
government.[85]
Disability Policy and Practice
The Ministry of Health is responsible for issues relating to persons with
disabilities. In October 2002, a national plan for the rehabilitation of
persons with a physical disability was drafted, with the support of HI. The
plan has not yet been
implemented.[86] The Constitution
of Rwanda of 4 May 2003 provides for a permanent seat in the National Assembly
of an elected representative of persons with
disabilities.[87]
[1] Order of the President, No.
38/01, 24 December 1998; Article 7 Report, Form A, 22 April 2003.
[2] Statement by Bernard Makuza,
Prime Minister, Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World (First Review Conference)
held from 29 November to 3 December 2004. Translation by Landmine Monitor. In
April 2004, Rwanda reported that “efforts to enact legislation and
administrative measures are underway....” Article 7 Report, Form A, 1
April 2004. In June 2004, it was stated that the law would include penal
sanctions. Statement of Capt. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense,
Geneva, 21-25 June 2004.
[3] Article 7 Report, Form A, 15
June 2005 (for April 2004-April 2005). The report is dated 15 April 2005, but
recorded by the UN as received on 15 June 2005.
[4] Statement by Rwanda, Standing
Committee on Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine
Action Technologies, Geneva, 13-14 June 2005.
[5] Article 7 Report, Form A, 22
April 2003.
[6] Rwanda submitted the voluntary
Form J with its most recent Article 7 report, which contains information on mine
action generally.
[7] Previous reports were
submitted: 1 April 2004; 22 April 2003; 4 September 2001.
[8] Rwanda response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005.
[9]Landmine Monitor Report
2004, p. 688.
[10] “The Nairobi Protocol
for the Prevention, Control and Reduction of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the
Great Lakes Region of the Horn of Africa,” 21 April 2004, p. 3.
[11] Rwanda response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005.
[12] “Dar-Es-Salaam
Declaration on Peace, Security, Democracy and Development in the Great Lakes
Region,” First Summit of Heads of State and Government, International
Conference on Peace, Security, Democracy and Development in the Great Lakes
Region, Dar-Es-Salaam, 19-20 November 2004, p. 4.
[13] “Report, Meeting of
the Regional Inter-Ministerial Committee, Kigali, 17-18 February 2005,” p.
4. The RIMC meeting was the second phase of the International Conference of the
Great Lakes Region, Kigali, 15-18 February 2005. See also “Organization
in bid to improve regional security,” The East African Standard
(Nairobi), 21 February 2005.
[14] “Draft Document on
Possible Protocols and Programs of Action for the Security, Stability and
Development Pact,” Meeting of the Regional Preparatory Committee and the
Regional Inter-Ministerial Committee, Kigali, 15-18 February 2005, p. 11.
[15] Article 7 Report, Form E, 15
June 2005.
[16] See Landmine Monitor
Report 1999, p. 162.
[17] Article 7 Report, Form B, 15
June 2005. The same language is used in the 2003 and 2004 Article 7
reports.
[18] Article 7 Reports, Form D,
22 April 2003 and 15 June 2005. The mines include 32 PMD-6, 26 TS-50 and 43
M-35 mines.
[19] Article 7 Report, Form D, 15
June 2005. See also Rwanda Response to Landmine Monitor Questionnaire by Maj.
Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May 2005.
[20]Landmine Monitor Report
2004, p. 688.
[21] Email from Maj. Jean-Marie
Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 9 March 2005.
[22] Statement by Bernard Makuza,
Prime Minister, First Review Conference, Nairobi, 29 November-3 December 2004.
Translation by Landmine Monitor.
[23] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2004, p. 688; Rwanda response to Landmine Monitor Questionnaire by
Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May 2005.
[24] There were serious and
credible allegations that Rwandan forces used antipersonnel mines during the
fighting around Kisangani in the DRC in June 2000. Landmine Monitor does not
have evidence of new use of antipersonnel mines by Rwandan forces in the DRC,
since Rwanda became a State Party in December 2000. Landmine Monitor Report
2002, p. 197; Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp. 132-134.
[25] Allegations have come from
numerous local leaders in the DRC. In January 2004, a high-ranking official of
the UPC told Landmine Monitor that his movement had recently received important
military support from Rwanda, including antipersonnel mines. In July 2004, a
special UN panel said that it was “highly likely” that rebels who
used mines in May and June 2004 were supplied with weapons by Rwanda, but
landmines were not specified by the UN. See Landmine Monitor Report
2004, pp. 688-689.
[26] Letter to Mary Wareham,
Global Research Coordinator, Landmine Monitor, from Zac Nsenga, Ambassador of
Rwanda to the United States, 1 October 2004; Landmine Monitor Report
2004, pp. 689-691; Landmine Monitor Report 2003, pp. 409-410.
[27] “Mine Action
Assessment for Rwandan National Demining Office,” 2003, provided to
Landmine Monitor (Marielle Hallez) by Jean Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense,
20 July 2004; see also Article 7 Report, Form J, 22 April 2003.
[28] Rwanda Response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005.
[29] “Mine Action
Assessment for Rwandan NDO, attachment Minefield summaries,” 2003.
[30] Rwanda Response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005. However, the 2004 Article 7 report mentions clearance of 41,501.26 square
meters.
[31] Rwanda Response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005; Article 7 Report, Form J, 15 June 2005.
[32] Statement by Bernard Makuza,
Prime Minister, First Review Conference, Nairobi, 29 November-3 December
2004.
[33] “Rwanda: Funding
shortage retards mine action efforts,” IRIN (Kigali), 22 November
2004.
[34] “MAXX Rwanda - the
task area: mined hills and traumatized people,” Photo stories, Charles
Chichester, www.mgm.org, accessed 4 March 2005.
[35] Interview with Lt. Col. John
Zigira, NDO, 29 October 2002; interview with Lieutenant André Kayumba,
Head of Deminers, NDO, Kigali, 29 October 2002.
[36] “Mine Action
Assessment for Rwandan National Demining Office,” 2003.
[37] Rwanda Response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005, and statement by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, Geneva,
14 June 2005.
[38]Landmine Monitor Report
2001, p. 426.
[39] Interview with Lt. Col. John
Zigira, National Demining Office, 29 October 2002; Rwanda response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005. The coordination unit is composed of a coordinator, a deputy-coordinator
and support staff for administration, logistics, database, communication and
mine risk education. The operational teams are composed of deminers, detectors,
dog handlers, logistical and medical staff.
[40] “Mine Action
Assessment for Rwandan NDO,” 2003. The report of the technical survey
provides statistical information per minefield, such as size in square meters,
level of vegetation, metal content in the ground, an estimated time to clear,
and indications of the type of affected land (farming land, forest or
tourism-related).
[41] Rwanda Response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005.
[42] “Mine Action
Assessment for Rwandan NDO,” 2003.
[43] Rwanda Response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005.
[44] Interview with Lt. Col. John
Zigira, NDO, 29 October 2002.
[45] Interview with Capt.
Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 25 June 2004.
[46] Rwanda Response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005.
[47] Rwanda Response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005.
[48] Interview with Lt. Col. John
Zigira, NDO, 29 October 2002; interview with Wayne Bellinger, Contractor, RONCO,
Kigali, 30 October 2002. Landmine Monitor Report 2003, p. 410, referred
to this as a Level One Survey, but the US Department of State indicates it is
more properly called an assessment. Email from Deborah Netland, Program
Manager, Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, US Department of State, 2
December 2003.
[49] Rwanda Response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005.
[50] Statement by Maj. Jean-Marie
Micombero, Ministry of Defense, Standing Committee on Standing Committee on Mine
Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 14 June
2005; statement by Bernard Makuza, Prime Minister, First Review Conference,
Nairobi, 29 November-3 December 2004; interview with Lt. Francis Kabuce,
Coordinator, NDO, in “Rwanda: Funding shortage retards mine action
efforts,” IRIN (Kigali), 22 November 2004.
[51] Article 7 Report, Annex A,
15 June 2005. For clearance in previous years, see Landmine Monitor Report
2004, p. 693.
[52] Rwanda response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005.
[53] Interview with Lt. Francis
Kabuce, Coordinator, NDO, in “Rwanda: Funding shortage retards mine action
efforts,” IRIN (Kigali), 22 November 2004.
[54] Rwanda response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005.
[55] Rwanda response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005.
[56] Email from Maj. Jean-Marie
Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 23 May 2005.
[57] Article 7 Report, Form J, 15
June 2005; “Rwanda: Funding shortage retards mine action efforts,”
IRIN (Kigali), 22 November 2004.
[58] Rwanda response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005.
[59] Response to Landmine Monitor
MRE Questionnaire by Mami Rudasingwa, Legal Representative, Mulindi Japan One
Love Project, 6 May 2005.
[60] Interview with Alexis
Gakwaya, Head of Administration, NDO, and several deminers, Byumba, 31 October
2002.
[61] The incident took place in
Byumba, 31 October 2002.
[62] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2004, p. 694.
[63] Email from Amb. Gerard
Chesnel, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, France, 30 June 2005. Email exchanges
with Anne Villeneuve, Handicap International France, July-August 2005. Average
exchange rate for 2004: €1 = $1.2438, used throughout this report. US
Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2005.
[64] Rwanda response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005.
[65] Email from Maj. Jean-Marie
Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 23 May 2005.
[66] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2004.
[67] Rwanda response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005.
[68] Interview with Maj.
Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, Geneva, 15 June 2005.
[69] Rwanda response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005.
[70] For details see Landmine
Monitor Report 2004, pp. 694-695.
[71] Statement by Maj. Jean-Marie
Micombero, Ministry of Defense, Standing Committee on Mine Action, Mine Risk
Education and Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 14 June 2005.
[72] Rwanda response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005.
[73] Statement by Maj. Jean-Marie
Micombero, Ministry of Defense, Standing Committee on Mine Action, Mine Risk
Education and Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 14 June 2005; and Rwanda
response to Landmine Monitor Questionnaire by Maj Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry
of Defense, 20 May 2005.
[74] For more details see
Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 695.
[75] Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire by Masse Niang, Program Director, HI Rwanda, 12 May 2005; see also
Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 695.
[76] Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire by Masse Niang, HI Rwanda, 12 May 2005.
[77] Rwanda response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005.
[78] Rwanda response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Major Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005.
[79] Interview with Lt. Francis
Kabuce, Coordinator of the National Demining Office, in “Rwanda: Funding
shortage retards mine action efforts,” IRIN (Kigali), 22 November
2004.
[80] ICRC, “Annual Report
2004,” Geneva, June 2005, p. 92.
[81] For details, see Landmine
Monitor Report 2004, pp. 695-696.
[82] Response to Landmine Monitor
questionnaire by Masse Niang, Program Director, Handicap International, Rwanda,
12 May 2005.
[83] Interview with
Déogratias Rwabudandi, Brothers of Charity, Home of the Virgin of the
Poor, Gatagara, 2 February 2004.
[84] Response to Landmine Monitor
Survivor Assistance Questionnaire by Mami Rudasingwa, Legal Representative,
Mulindi Japan One Love Project, 6 May 2005.
[85] Interview with
Déogratias Rwabudandi, Home of the Virgin of the Poor, 2 February
2004.
[86] Rwanda response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Maj. Jean-Marie Micombero, Ministry of Defense, 20 May
2005; response to Landmine Monitor Questionnaire by Masse Niang, Program
Director, Handicap International, Rwanda, 12 May 2005; for more details, see
Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 697.
[87] Article 76 of the
Constitution, 4 May 2003; statement by Rwanda, Standing Committee on Victim
Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 10 February 2004.
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