RONCO Operations in Sudan

Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Volume 10 Issue 1 The Journal of Mine Action Article 27

August 2006

A Firm Foothold: RONCO Operations in Sudan

John Lundberg RONCO Consulting Corporation

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Recommended Citation Lundberg, John (2006) "A Firm Foothold: RONCO Operations in Sudan," Journal of Mine Action : Vol. 10 : Iss. 1 , Article 27. Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol10/iss1/27

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Protecting vulnerable human popu- Protecting vulnerable populations know that at times it was the villagers who lations. The ICBL has done a great ser- from armed forces. Whether or not one were laying mines to protect themselves from vice in raising awareness about the damage believes a line between combatants and non- attack and theft by dispersed Khmer Rouge caused by landmines. Much of their case combatants can or should be maintained, and other bandits.11 Travel Web sites assure rests on the fact that mines do not discrim- the fact is many aggressive parties are willing us that it is now safe to travel to Cambodia. inate between combatants and noncomba- to force noncombatants into their conflicts. Perhaps for tourists, it is. A Firm Foothold: tants. As we know, the damage extends far Whether the noncombatants are “innocent” Let us return to the case of Sarajevo. beyond the physical injuries themselves. or are implicated by association and by pro- Deminers are currently assisted by maps The social stigma and the added economic viding indirect support to combatants, they showing where conflicting armies deployed RONCO Operations in Sudan burden that a loss of a productive person require defense. To the extent landmines mines. However, their mission is consider- creates for victims and their families are help to provide that defense, they protect ably more difficult because not all mines additional harms. children and farmers, viz, those people who were deployed by military forces. According Over the past four years, RONCO has established a continuing presence in Sudan, Further harm results not from actual tend to be the focal point of the humanitar- to Dino Bulsuladzic of the University of detonations, but from the belief that land- ian campaign to ban landmines. Western Australia, “There are zones that mines are present in the area. The threat of If we take the moral argument against were not mined by the military but rather following the Nuba Mountains ceasefire, with the deployment of quick-response teams mines blocks access to vital resources such all landmine use seriously, then we have to by civilians themselves. One example is that f o c u s as land, water, housing, public buildings, conclude that it is wrong to use mines to of houses and gardens, more or less isolated, to conduct emergency mine-clearance tasks. Currently, RONCO is creating and infrastructure and transport. Avoiding in- defend these populations. If we join sup- [that] were mined by their owners for pro- jury requires curtailing or refraining from porters of the ICBL in stigmatizing land- tection out of fear of being attacked. The securing subsistence or additional economic mine use, we must also stigmatize people minefields of Sarajevo, in reality, are many sustaining an indigenous mine-clearance, survey and disposal capacity in southern productivity. To make matters worse, mined who want to defend these populations. We more than those marked on the maps.”12 roads prevent the transport of goods once would have to stigmatize people who are These were civilians using mines to protect Sudan on behalf of the United Nations. In addition to the threat of extensively mined collected or grown, thereby preventing in- glad mines are used to defend them from themselves while United Nations peacekeep- come and trade. rape and murder. We would have to stigma- ers watched as everything these citizens held However, while landmines can be used tize families of soldiers who are glad that dear was being destroyed. roads and infrastructure, RONCO had to overcome a number of obstacles, including by someone on the outside to keep a group their spouses and children have one more contained within a confined territory, so too means of ensuring that they come home. Conclusion can they be used to protect a group within a Suppose for the moment the choice to use To demonize landmines pers se i to de- inclement weather, disease and an increasing security threat due to rebel activity. circumscribed territory by keeping danger- mines is mistaken. Even so, what this war- monize not only the guerrillas and the op- ous persons out. Landmines were originally rants is education, not vilification. But there pressive regimes that are effectively judged Sudan’s austere and hostile conditions intended for purposes of defense; the fact are many cases where the choice to use mines by their aims and methods anyway. There that some now use them on the offense does was not mistaken; the choice to use mines are people who use mines for their own not mean that landmines cease to play this saved lives. For instance, it was thick belts of defense in the longstanding absence of ad- are not dissimilar to those RONCO defensive role. landmines that protected thousands of resi- equate protection from police, the military dents in Sarajevo from meeting the same fate and even the United Nations. To pretend experienced in Afghanistan and Iraq, as Srebrenicans. Perhaps next to the photos that landmines do not serve these purposes of people who were injured by landmines, we is to obfuscate the conditions of the vul- should add the photos of women and girls nerable populations who are compelled to but as RONCO has discovered in those who were not raped, and fathers and sons use them to defend themselves when no one who were not removed in the night. else will. two countries, the long-term impact of Self-defense of vulnerable popula- Although people who oppose all land- tions. Although proponents of the ICBL mine use have not caused the acute prob- often work in or come from countries af- lems faced by vulnerable communities, I the work far outweighs its challenges. flicted by landmines, the framework that would suggest that the stifling of debate and they have developed does not seem to take the willful overlooking of such cases impli- by John Lundberg [ RONCO Consulting Corporation ] Shelby Weitzel received her Ph.D. into account all that it should. There is cates them in terms of skewing our response in philosophy from the University something wrong with the strategy to the to these communities. If noncombatants of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in extent that it includes vilifying those who turn to landmines for self-protection, they udan presents a variety of problems for mine- 2002. She is currently the Brake- Smith Assistant Professor in Social try to protect parties who do not wish to be must be particularly vulnerable. When the action operations. Control of the country, which Philosophy and Ethics at the College included in conflicts. But perhaps an even self-appointed authorities on the matter fail S had been at war since 1983, is now divided be- of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. more troubling problem pertains to cases to acknowledge such cases exist, it makes it tween the Sudanese government and the Sudanese of landmine use, which the general public sound like there are no such cases, render- People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), with government forces claiming the majority of the north Shelby Weitzel tends not to hear about. The way one learns ing the extent of their vulnerability invisible. Department of Philosophy of these cases is by speaking to people in And when we pretend landmines never help, and both sides maintaining some control in the College of the Holy Cross the field: deminers and the people who live we worsen the situation of some communi- south. Both the government and the Sudanese People’s Box 20-A there. Consider the following example: ties. Because by denying them recourse to an Liberation Army used landmines throughout the civil One College Street Cambodians have endured a longstand- effective tool, we make them more vulner- war and as a result, landmines now pose a serious threat Worcester, MA 01610 / USA Tel: +1 508 793 3454 ing problem with bandits. Kidnappings as- able. And by denying ourselves recourse to to civilians. For example, the United Nations reports that Fax: +1 508 793 3841 sociated with the Khmer Rouge received an effective tool, we make it easier to give in 2004, landmines were responsible for more than 15 E-mail: [email protected] attention but are now dismissed as a thing of ourselves permission to claim that there is deaths and 30 injuries. The actual number of deaths and Web site: http://www.holycross.edu the past. At least some of the deminers who nothing we can do either. injuries has likely been higher but goes unreported due to were working in Cambodia in the 1990s See Endnotes, page 109 the difficulty of access throughout much of the south.

expensive, averaging as much as US$5.50 Clearance of the road from Juba to Yei per liter (US$20.82 per gallon). involved overcoming numerous obstacles; Weather and disease. Weather is a major since its completion in November, the im- factor in Sudan, and it can severely hamper pact of the operation is already having a operations. The daytime temperature can visible effect. The United Nations designat- reach more than 122 F. During 2003, exces- ed the road as a high priority for clearance sive heat precluded operations for 14 days despite its location in the center of a highly in June, 10 days in July, 25 days in August dangerous area near the known location ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF RONCO and 20 days in September. During the rainy of LRA forces. While an armed section of season, dirt roads turn to a thick mud, slow- U.N.-supplied Bangladeshi soldiers provided ing operations to a crawl and hampering the security at the task site, they were unable to mobility of all vehicles. provide an armed escort for supply runs into The terrain in southern Sudan also lends Juba, forcing re-supply by air. The cleared itself to flooding. The ground is low and flat road now serves as a much-needed route for RONCO’s MDD teams were integrated with manual and mechanical with virtually no natural drainage, and the aid organizations and returning refugees and Flooding during the rainy season made the roads in Malakal impassable at times. mine clearance operations in South Sudan. soil saturates quickly, resulting in standing IDPs, and its clearance has facilitated trade water even during the brief periods when with Uganda and the Democratic Republic it is not raining. At times, some areas have of the Congo, providing for the economic Internally displaced persons fleeing conflict emergency clearance tasks and a training the cities of Juba and Ed Damazin. Eight concern over the operations of the LRA had been under as much as six to 10 inches of revitalization of the region. areas such as the Darfur region are at par- team to develop a Sudanese demining/ mine-detection dog teams were also trained a major impact on RONCO’s operations on standing water. In Malakal in particular, RONCO is pleased to commit to build- ticular risk because they have little or no local explosive ordnance disposal capacity in in Kadugli, in central Sudan, where they are the Juba-to-Yei road. the mud made operations almost impossible ing a local mine-action capacity in Sudan knowledge of potential threats and are often Wau and Malakal. Local capacity was to be assigned to support RONCO’s demining Another major security concern arose for three-and-a-half months in 2005, from and to bringing long-term stability and de- forced to move regardless of the potential developed in the following areas: teams, although they have also briefly in August, following the death of Dr. August through November, forcing the relo- velopment to the country. With this help, landmine problem. • Emergency EOD deployed in support of two other clearance John Garang, the newly elected First Vice cation of RONCO training of local nationals Sudan will soon have a growing ability to Both the Sudanese government and the • Mine clearance organizations in the south. Finally, a survey President of Sudan. As a result, the United from Malakal to the Nuba Mountains. While independently sustain its own demining and SPLA have accepted assistance from the • Battle-area clearance capacity was deployed to Wau. Since the Nations directed RONCO to suspend op- flooding was not quite as bad in Rumbek, clearance operations. United Nations, which is in the process of • Bunker and stockpile clearance initial training of the Sudanese mine- erations in Malakal for six days. In addi- RONCO operations there were shut down See Endnotes, page 109 implementing a plan to eliminate Sudan’s RONCO was uniquely prepared to quick- action team in May, RONCO teams have tion, security authorities were in the area due to weather for more than 0 days in landmine threat. In 2002, the United Nations ly respond to the United Nations’ needs, been involved in a variety of clearance tasks stopping RONCO’s local nationals during 2005. Bruce Burnett, RONCO’s Chief of established the National Mine Action Office having extensive experience creating and critical to U.N. operations, including the their pre-dawn travel to the training/work Party in Sudan, summed up the relentless in Khartoum, along with regional offices deploying its Quick Reaction Demining destruction of weapons caches, battle-area sites. These precautionary detentions were difficulties of the country’s weather: “In in central and southern Sudan, and various Force, a Mozambique-based team developed clearance on future U.N. sites, and road- impacting RONCO’s ability to train and the wet season, nothing moves; and in the suboffices scattered throughout the country. to respond to emergency tasks on short no- clearance tasks crucial to the relief effort in operate. In response, RONCO created iden- dry season, the ground is very hard, which From these locations, the United Nations car- tice. RONCO initially deployed this force southern Sudan. tity cards for its local nationals to vouch for makes demining extremely challenging.” ries out all aspects of mine action, including to Sudan in 2002, following the ceasefire their employment. Disease, particularly malaria, is also a mine clearance, mine-risk education, survi- agreement, where it greatly aided the safe The Challenges of Operating Supply challenges. Keeping operations serious problem in Sudan—a problem ex- vor assistance and stockpile destruction. The return of internally displaced persons and In Sudan supplied is hardly routine in Sudan, as road acerbated by the general lack of adequate NMAO is responsible for coordinating those increased the flow of humanitarian assis- Basedn o their long history of operat- access throughout much of the south is dif- medical facilities throughout the south. efforts and helping build a lasting mine- tance through the Nuba Mountains. But ing in austere environments, most recently ficult due to inadequate infrastructure, se- Instructing personnel on the proper use of a John Lundberg was raised in Nairobi, action presence in the region. Unfortunately, the 2005 Sudanese deployment necessitated in Iraq and Afghanistan, RONCO’s teams curity issues, the presence of landmines malaria prophylaxis has proven to be crucial Kenya, and now lives in Washington, its operations have often been interrupted by a more permanent force and the rapid de- were prepared for the challenges of operat- and weather concerns, particularly during in maintaining operational tempo. Rats and D.C. He is a Writer/Editor with RONCO the ongoing conflict. velopment of local capacity. RONCO’s as- ing in a remote and hostile environment. the rainy season. Supplying operations in poisonous snakes are also a serious health and a graduate of the College of Following the most recent peace-treaty sistance included a management team, two Nevertheless, operations in southern Sudan Malakal proved especially difficult, as there hazard; tents that seal at the bottom and zip William and Mary with graduate agreement between the government and the international clearance teams and two train- proved far from routine, and the difficul- is no road access to the city, necessitating the to the top are necessary to keep them out. degrees from Florida State University, the University of Virginia and Stanford SPLA in January 2005, the United Nations ing teams—each complete with medical and ties of security, supply, lack of transporta- airlifting or barging of supplies down the University. His freelance articles have moved quickly to establish the U.N. Advance support staff, interpreters and all adminis- tion infrastructure and the inhospitable Nile—a five-day trip from the nearest port, Overcoming the Challenges appeared in the Oil and Gas Journal, Mission in Sudan with the goal of help- trative, technical and logistical resources weather proved to be a persistent challenge Kosti. In addition, the limited road access be- Historically, RONCO’s experience is the New England Review and the ing to ensure a lasting peace. It was quickly required. In just one month, this force was to RONCO operations in the country. tween Wau and Rumbek and the total lack of that the impact of clearance operations fre- Virginia Quarterly Review. evident that mine-affected roads severely fully operational. It had established a liai- Security concerns. The Lord’s Resistance access between Rumbek and Juba also made quently outweighs its challenges. Despite curtailed relief efforts and prevented develop- son office in Khartoum, completed recruit- Army, a rebel group that routinely crosses the air transport a necessity, even though it is ex- medical, security, transportation and weath- John Lundberg ment aid from reaching its destination, also ment of local nationals, established two base border from Uganda into southern Sudan, pensive and, in Sudan, unreliable, sporadic, er issues, along with extended downtime Writer/Editor hampering peacekeeping activities and af- camps in Malakal and Rumbek, begun all is a concern for demining operations in and sometimes extremely limited. during clearance operations for the U.S. RONCO Consulting Corporation fecting the food supply of more than two training preparations, and completed all cer- the area. The group recently ambushed a RONCO’s supply challenges didn’t end Department of State from 2003 to 2005, 2301 M Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20037 / USA 1 million people. tification requirements. Moreover, the force Fondation Suisse de Déminage convoy near there. Getting equipment into the coun- RONCO cleared hundreds of kilometers of Tel: +1 202 785 2791 was flexible enough to take on a variety of Juba and killed two deminers. As a result of try has proven challenging; the Khartoum roads. Within weeks of clearing the road to E-mail: [email protected] The RONCO Response EOD/demining tasks, quickly and efficient- this incident and a continued LRA presence custom authorities continue to be slow in Kudru, the population grew from 15 to 90, Web site: As a result of the above conditions, in ly train a local capacity, and cope with the in the area, RONCO was directed to close its releasing shipments, not only for RONCO, and after the road to Luba was cleared, the http://www.roncoconsulting.com May 2005, the United Nations contracted unique challenges of demining in Sudan. forward camp and fall back to its base camp but for the United Nations and others. In- population grew from 20 to over 100, sig- RONCO to provide the mine-action ca- In September, under two additional U.N. at Juba until the situation stabilized. A num- country construction materials such as steel nificant increases that illustrate the impor- pacity necessary to support its programs. contracts, RONCO began training EOD, ber of areas in the south are now considered are expensive to procure, and bricks are tance of mine clearance in allowing refugees In response, RONCO deployed two in- battle-area clearance, demining and mine- off limits, and many areas require the pres- smaller and of lesser quality than elsewhere. and internally displaced persons to return to ternational clearance teams to conduct risk education teams to increase capacity in ence of armed escorts. As discussed below, Gasoline has been of poor quality and very their homes.