Explosive remnants of war and mines other than anti-personnel mines Global survey 2003 –2004 This report is a project of Landmine Action (UK) Actiongroup Landmine.de Mines Action Canada Project undertaken with generous support from: Canada, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Finland, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kingdom of the Netherlands, Ministry of Foreign Affairs New Zealand, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Norway, Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sweden, Ministry of Foreign Affairs With additional support from: The European Commission and Factiva Project coordinators: Richard Moyes (Landmine Action), Markus Nitschke (Actiongroup Landmine.de), Thomas Nash (Mines Action Canada) Regional Researchers: Nicky Aarons, Mahajabeen Ahmed, Kwesi Aning, Mikolaj Bekasiak, Eugene Datta, Katarzyna Derlicka, Inga Grdzelishvil, Lise Grung, Chris Hughes, Amani El Jack, Raza Shah Khan, Alfredo Lubang, Sergio Koc Menard, Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan, Sarah Njeri, Sharon Qunisaat, Roger Sathre, Emily Schroeder, Naqib Shah, Purna Shova, Ayman Sorour, Noel Stott, Peter Sundberg, Sirinrath Tesvisarn, Boubine Touré, Andy Wheatley, Andrew Wells-Dang, Gustavo Oliveira Vieira, Wairagala Wakabi, Iouri Zagoumennov. Editor: Richard Moyes, Landmine Action Copy editing: Jack Glattbach The views expressed in this report, including the legal status of any country territory or area, or of any of its authorities or armed groups do not necessarily represent those of Landmine Action, Actiongroup Landmine.de, Mines Action Canada or any of the institutions that provided support to the project. While every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy and reliability, the editors acknowledge that there are limitations to the reports where data was unavailable, incomplete, or provided by third parties in rapidly changing circumstances. Corrections and clarifications from all interested parties are therefore most welcome. Published in March 2005 by Landmine Action, 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP, UK www.landmineaction.org Copyright © Landmine Action, Actiongroup Landmine.de, Mines Action Canada British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data. A catalogue record of this report is available from the British Library. ISBN 0-9536717-9-8 Design and print by www.calverts.coop Contents List of common acronyms Foreword General introduction 4 Key findings: explosive remnants of war 6 Key findings: mines other than anti-personnel mines 12 Country & Territory Reports 14 Lithuania 113 Afghanistan 14 Mauritania 114 Albania 17 Moldova 114 Algeria 20 Mongolia 115 Angola 21 Morocco 117 Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh 24 Mozambique 117 Belarus 27 Myanmar/Burma 119 Bosnia and Herzegovina 29 Namibia 120 Burundi 32 Nepal 122 Cambodia 34 Nicaragua 123 Chad 37 Niger 127 Chechnya 39 Nigeria 128 Chile 41 Oman 129 China 43 Pacific Islands (Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Colombia 46 Northern Mariana Islands, Hawaii) 130 Congo, Democratic Republic of 48 Pakistan 132 Croatia 50 Palestinian Territories 134 Czech Republic 53 Panama 137 Djibouti 54 Peru 139 Ecuador 55 Philippines 141 Egypt 57 Poland 143 El Salvador 58 Russian Federation 144 Eritrea 60 Rwanda 147 Estonia 63 Senegal 149 Ethiopia 64 Serbia & Montenegro 150 Falkland Islands/Malvinas 66 Sierra Leone 152 FYR Macedonia 68 Somalia 154 Georgia and Abkhazia 70 Somaliland 156 Greece 73 Sri Lanka 158 Guatemala 75 Sudan 161 Guinea 77 Syria 165 Guinea-Bissau 77 Taiwan 166 Honduras 79 Tajikistan 167 Hungary 81 Thailand 169 India 82 Timor Leste 171 Iran 84 Tunisia 172 Iraq 86 Turkey 173 Israel 91 Uganda 174 Jordan 93 Ukraine 177 Kenya 95 Uzbekistan 180 Kosovo 98 Vietnam 181 Kyrgyzstan 101 Western Sahara 188 Kuwait 102 Yemen 189 Lao PDR 104 Zimbabwe 191 Latvia 108 Lebanon 109 No political recognition should be inferred from the inclusion here of Liberia 111 independent reports on disputed territories, or of the analysis of Libya 112 disputed territories grouped together with other states. Key terms This report focuses on two specific types of post-conflict Mines Other Than Anti-Personnel Mines contamination, ERW and MOTAPM. The terminology used is (MOTAPM) linked to discussions within the UN Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW): The term has not been formally defined within the CCW but, within that forum, it is generally taken to mean anti-vehicle Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) mines (AVMs). A broad term for explosive ordnance (such as mortar bombs, grenades, cluster submunitions and air-dropped bombs) There is more detailed discussion of these key terms, and the which have not exploded and are left as a hazard in the post- items to which they refer, within the introductory sections of conflict environment. This results from ordnance being fired the report. but failing to explode (unexploded ordnance – UXO) or from ordnance stores being abandoned during the fighting (abandoned explosive ordnance – AXO). List of common acronyms AXO Abandoned ordnance MDD mine detection dog BAC Battlefield area clearance MRE mine risk education BiH Bosnia and Herzegovina NGO non-governmental organisation CBU cluster bomb unit NPA Norwegian People’s Aid CMAA Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance NSA Non state actors Authority OAS Organization of American States CROMAC Croatian Mine Action Centre OCHA United Nations Office for the Coordination of CCW Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons Humanitarian Affairs (1980) OSCE Organization for Security and Co-operation in EOD explosive ordnance disposal Europe EU European Union PADCA OAS Mine Clearing Programme for Central FSD Fondation Suisse de Deminage (Swiss Demining America Foundation) RPG Rocket-propelled grenade GGE Group of Governmental Experts SAC Survey Action Center GICHD Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian SALW Small Arms and Light Weapons Demining SFOR Stabilisation Force (Bosnia and Herzegovina) HALO Trust Hazardous Areas Life-Support Organization UN United Nations HI Handicap International UNDP United Nations Development Programme HRW Human Rights Watch UNHCR Office of the United Nations High ICBL International Campaign to Ban Landmines Commissioner’s Office for Refugees ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund IDP internally displaced person UNMAS United Nations Mine Action Service IED improvised explosive device UNOPS United Nations Office for Project Services IMAS International Mine Action Standards UNTAC United Nations Transitional Authority in IMSMA Information Management System for Mine Cambodia Action UXO unexploded ordnance KFOR Kosovo Protection Force UXO LAO Lao National Unexploded Ordnance Programme MAC Mine Action Centre VVAF Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation MACC Mine Action Coordination Centre WFP World Food Programme MAG Mines Advisory Group WHO World Health Organization Foreword The last decade has seen significant developments in both the preventative and remedial structures for reducing the post- conflict impact of war on civilians. Under the Ottawa Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty a large number of countries have outlawed the use of anti-personnel mines. Protocol V to the Convention on Conventional Weapons, sets out a legal framework for tackling the humanitarian impact of abandoned and unexploded ordnance (explosive remnants of war). Backed by generous support from donor nations, the development of the “mine action sector” has seen an improved inter- national capacity to find and eradicate both mines and ordnance. There remain, however, key areas of outstanding need. This report examines the impact of explosive remnants of war (ERW) and mines other than anti-personnel mines (MOTAPM) on civilian populations internationally. It is made up of 88 summary reports on individual countries or disputed territories affected by these contaminants. The report serves as a contribution towards further understanding of the problems these forms of post-conflict contamination cause, and of the mechanisms available for mitigating these problems. Drawing on the findings of this and other research, Landmine Action, Actiongroup Landmine.de and Mines Action Canada continue to advocate for improved preventative measures and remedial responses to protect civilians in the aftermath of conflict. Cluster munitions and MOTAPM both cause predictable problems for civilian populations either during or after conflict. More broadly, remedial responses to long-term ERW contamination can be further developed if the problem of ordnance is seen in the wider contexts of security sector reform, community safety and poverty. Protocol V of the Convention on Conventional Weapons, if adopted and implemented, presents a valuable basis for dealing with existing ordnance contamination and reducing problematic future contamination from ERW. However, in the interests of civilian protection, further action is required. Landmine Action, Actiongroup Landmine.de and Mines Action Canada will continue to advocate for the development and implementation of the strongest possible measures to address these problems. It is hoped that this report will serve as a useful contribution to the knowledge and understanding that underpins this common endeavour. erw and motapm – global survey 2003–2004 General introduction Background to this report Practical operations in affected countries to address the post-conflict impact of ERW and MOTAPM are generally Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) and Mines Other Than Anti- seen as falling into the sector of ‘mine action’. This sector Personnel Mines (MOTAPM) present some level of hazardous developed rapidly in the 1990s in response to