Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction Volume 10 Issue 1 The Journal of Mine Action Article 18 August 2006 Chad Country Profile Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at JMU (CISR) Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal Part of the Defense and Security Studies Commons, Emergency and Disaster Management Commons, Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, and the Peace and Conflict Studies Commons Recommended Citation Profile, Country (2006) "Chad," Journal of Mine Action : Vol. 10 : Iss. 1 , Article 18. Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol10/iss1/18 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at JMU Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction by an authorized editor of JMU Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Profile: Chad COUNTRY PROFILES points in the Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti region. and coastal areas, swamps make demining As Egypt is a quickly developing and grow- Due to lack of funding, the MAG/UNOPS work difficult, and in the Western Desert, ing country, land will become increasing- contract ended in December 2005 and the sand dunes and wind move and conceal ly important. deminers are waiting for a new contract. The landmines/UXO.6 The aging of UXO items by Megan Wertz deployment of three EOD teams was planned makes them increasingly unsteady and prone Facing the Future [ Mine Action Information Center ] for April 1, 2006, but due to logistical prob- to detonation. It is estimated that of Egypt’s Egypt faces competing issues of security, had lems and security issues, the teams have not by Daniele Ressler approximately 19.7 million abandoned mu- which may determine future progress made [ Mine Actiong Informationyp Centert ] Che mine and unexploded ordnance database established. Phase Two, initiated in yet deployed. nitions, only 2 percent are actual landmines in demining. A major demining effort is contamination in Chad is a result of 2002, aims to establish a mine-clearance and E while the remaining 7 percent are pieces of needed for economic growth and national T decades of internal conflict, the 1973 explosive-ordnance-disposal capacity and Toward a Mine-safe Future gypt is one of the most heavily mined UXO. Furthermore, there are few records of development within the country, yet Egypt’s Libyan invasion and intensive mining dur- complete the LIS. Due to lack of funding, Over 19,76 mines and over 7 tons nations in the world, with estimates minefields, and many mines are low-metal refusal to sign the Ottawa Convention7 may ing Libya’s occupation of the Aouzou Strip only parts of Phase Two have been completed. of UXO have been destroyed; 1,658,69 ranging from 16.7 to 22 million mines, a fact that inhibits detection. prevent the country from adequately ad- E 1 in the north from 1984 to 197. Most of Parts of the third phase began in 200; this square meters (09 acres) of land have been landmines/pieces of unexploded ordnance, Another challenge is the lack of na- dressing these key questions: Who pays for the known mined areas are in the Borkou- phase consists of the operational deployment cleared and returned to the community. The or an estimated one-tenth of the world’s 200 tional and international commitment to and is responsible for Egypt’s costly, ardu- Ennedi-Tibesti region in the north and the of the mine-clearance/EOD capacity in areas Convention-mandated deadline for Chad to million landmines.2 Seventeen million land- and funding for mine action/demining in ous demining? Can Egypt actively join the Biltine and Quaddai regions in the east. identified as national priorities by the govern- be mine-free3 is November 2009; however, mines and pieces of UXO3 are estimated to Egypt. Though Egypt has stated it supports movement and stop laying landmines for se- Areas such as the Wadi Doum Military Base ment. Teams have been deployed to a num- without additional funding and signing of be located in the Western Desert, a result a ban on anti-personnel mines for humani- curity when there is still political and mili- are also contaminated with abandoned mis- ber of locations, including but not limited to the Tibesti Peace Agreement, that goal is of intense fighting during World War II tarian reasons, it has not acceded to the tary instability in the Middle East? siles, munitions and other explosive rem- N’Djamena, Massenya, Faya Largeau, Kalait, not attainable. If donors increase funding between Allied and Axis forces at the El- Anti-personnel Mine Ban Convention7 due The two-day International Conference nants of war. Fada, Ounianga Kebir and Wadi Doum. In to approximately US$20 million per year, Alamein perimeter. Approximately five mil- to concerns regarding security and general for Development and Landmine Clearance Chad signed the Ottawa Convention1 2003, Chad completed one of its obligations the known and accessible high-priority ar- lion3 additional landmines were spread across principle. The government claims a right to in late December 200, organized by the on July 6, 199, ratified it May 6, 1999, under the Ottawa Convention, destroying its eas (not including the Tibesti region) can be the Sinai Peninsula and Red Sea coasts, self-defense, saying landmines are necessary National Council for Human Rights, high- and became a State Party Nov. 1, 1999. A stockpile of 4,90 anti-personnel mines. cleared by the end of 2007. largely from the Arabian-Israeli conflicts of to protect its expansive borders. Egypt also lighted the gravity of Egypt’s landmine prob- Landmine Impact Survey conducted from To view endnotes and references for this ar- 196, 197 and 1973. The Egyptian mili- argues that the Ottawa Convention does lem to the world. It ended with participants December 1999 to May 2001 identified 29 Mine-action Coordination ticle, visit http://maic.jmu.edu/journal/10.1/ tary estimates 19.7 million mines and pieces not require countries responsible for laying urging two things: that Egypt reconsider mine-affected communities in 23 of the 2 HCND has three regional offices, located profiles/chad/chad.htm/#endnotes. of UXO still exist, after nearly three million mines to remove them or provide assistance its position on international conventions departments surveyed and a total contami- in Fada, Bardi and Wadi Doum, with a logis- mines/pieces of UXO were cleared between in mine clearance. Presently, cleanup is es- concerning landmines and that the interna- nation of over 1,000 square kilometers (36 tical center in Faya. Its role is to coordinate 193 and 1999, mostly in the Sinai. timated at US$20 million. Due to Egypt’s tional community offer Egypt funding and square miles), not including the Tibesti re- and plan mine-action activities and assure use of landmines and refusal to sign the technical support even if Egypt is not a State gion.2 Chad is not known to have produced quality control. The organization prioritizes Casualties/Incidence Convention, international funding to the Party to the Mine Ban Convention. or exported anti-personnel mines and has not clearance and survey mainly according to The Egyptian government has regarded country has been limited. Nearly all mine- To view endnotes and references for this ar- retained any mines for training purposes. impact scoring in the LIS, the discovery of landmine/UXO contamination as a sensitive clearance operations have occurred through ticle, visit http://maic.jmu.edu/journal/10.1/ The LIS showed mine contamination new minefields, and the arrival of refugees. issue and limits information on the extent of the Egyptian Army, with a few commercially profiles/egypt/egypt.htm/#endnotes. directly interferes with the livelihood and Priorities are agreed upon in consultation with the problem. Mines/UXO are distributed funded projects and no reported humanitar- safety of over 20,000 Chadians, blocking local authorities and selection of survey areas over approximately 27,000 hectares (1,10 ian clearance operations. access to water, pasture, agricultural land, is also based on developmental priorities. square miles) with civilians reportedly using roads and trails. A lack of comprehensive re- In 200, HCND implemented mine- mine-affected areas for cultivation, grazing, Progress cords and the shifting of mines due to rainfall action operations through the support of the infrastructure projects and housing. There sProgress i being made, however. Until Megan Wertz was an Editorial and drifting sands make marking mine and United Nations Development Programme, Assistant with the Journal of Mine is no national data-collection mechanism, recently, Egypt was listed as a producer of unexploded ordnance locations difficult. the nongovernmental organizations HELP Action from August 2005 until May so many mine incidents likely go unreport- landmines, but in December 200, the In 200, there were at least 32 new casu- and Mines Advisory Group, and the 2006, when she graduated from James ed, particularly in the Western Desert area Egyptian government announced a morato- alties due to mines and explosive remnants Chadian Army. Several deminers resigned Madison University with a Bachelor among nomadic Bedouin tribes. The 200 rium on the exportation and production of of Science in technical and scientific of war in Chad; seven people were killed in 200 due to apparent funding problems; communication. Wertz attends The Landmine Monitor Report states casualties anti-personnel mines. Since 2002, Egypt has and 2 injured. In January 200, a child in- deminers were not being assigned demining George Washington University where have occurred on a regular basis in Egypt. taken a development-focused approach to its jured his hand when an unidentified device tasks and thus not getting paid.