by Caiphas Chimhete
Southern African governments have pledged to take concerted steps to ban anti-personnel mines, thus continuing to build momentum toward the signing later this year of the Ottawa Treaty, which seeks a worldwide ban on the production, stockpiling, exporting and use of landmines.
“The Maputo Conference is a pivotal event in this critical year as the international community moves toward the signing of the comprehensive treaty banning anti-personnel landmines in Canada this December,” says Jody Williams, coordinator of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL).
At the 4th International Non-Governmental Organisations Conference on Landrnines, “Toward
a Mine Free Southern Africa”, held in Maputo recently, NGOs called upon governments to “commit to the objective of signing the international treaty banning all anti-personnel landmines in December 1997”, as they cause untold human suffering.
The conference hosted by Mozambique and ICBL, and officially opened by President Joaquim
Chissano, was attended by more than 350 people from 60 countries all over the world, mainly by representatives of NGOs and governments.
During the conference, several governments denounced the production and use of anti-personnel mines, and pledged to ban them. South Africa, one of the former major producers of landmines in southern Africa, announced a historic decision to ban, with immediate effect, the production and use of landmines. The host nation, Mozambique, also declared a total ban on anti-personnel landmines, also with immediate effect.
Swaziland clearly stated that it will sign the treaty in Ottawa in December and the Tanzanian government, in a letter to the conference, said it supports the ban of landmines and will ask all other Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries to sign the protocol, thus building the momentum towards a total ban already endorsed by Canada and 50 other countries.
Although many countries are fully committed to the Ottawa treaty, others gave vague commitments to the annoyance of the campaigners. Williams says she is pleased by the pledges made by most countries but wished Zimbabwe and Angola could take a stronger stance.
However, Zimbabwe Ambassador to Mozambique, John Mayowe, indicated that his country supports the ban and “will soon announce its official position on the landmines issue”. He also made it clear that Zimbabwe does not manufacture landmines.
The conference organisers were also disappointed by the unwillingness of the United States to commit itself to the Ottawa process. Michael McKinley, a US representative to the conference, clearly stated his country’s position saying the US reserves the right to use the so-called “smart mines”. Other countries resisting total ban are Britain, China, France, Russia and India, all major producers of landmines.
However, the “Ottawa momentum” is fast building up in southern Africa. So far, various coalitions or concerned people are campaigning for a ban on landmines as part of the ICBL. National campaigns have been formed in Angola. Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa. Zambia and Zimbabwe.
In his opening address, President Chissano suggested that the landmine issue be put on the agenda of SADC and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) summits to be held in the region before the Ottawa conference. This will show the seriousness of African governments towards the total ban of landmines.
Since 1961, landmines have claimed well over 250 000 victims in southern Africa. However, Martin Rupiya of the University of Zimbabwe says, the figure could be far higher as many of the fatalities go unreported.
Women and children constitute the majority of the victims. The International Committee of the Red Cross OCRC) says the mutilation of women has a more devastating impact on the family than that of a man. Child-care, field work, wood-collecting and domestic chores– traditionally women’s activities in the region — are fraught with difficulties for amputees.
“It is the weakest members of the society (women and children) who suffer most several years after the war, governments should make sure that these vulnerable people are protected,” said Graca Machel, widow of fanner president Samora Machel, addressing the participants.
The landmine problem is particularly acute in Angola and Mozambique because of protracted,
South African-backed, civil wars which lasted almost two decades in each country.
The United Nations estimates that there are between 9-15 million mines in Angola. Landmines were extensively used by both the government and Unita during the war; and more mines were laid after the disrupted national elections of 1992.
Angola has the highest per capita landmine deaths and amputations in the region. According to recent estimates, one in every 400 people in Angola is an amputee as a result of landmines.
As in Angola, landmines were used by government forces and Rename in almost two decades of fighting in Mozambique. Mines have claimed 10 000 victims in Mozambique and continue to do so. More than 1 000 people have been injured by mines since the October 1992 peace Accord.
Nearly two decades after independence, landmines continue to harm people in Zimbabwe, particularly along the border with Zambia and Mozambique. The Zimbabwe government estimates that there are 2-3 million mines. The problem of landmines is prevalent in almost all countries of the region except in Lesotho and Mauritius.
The conference called on all governments “to increase greatly resources for victims assistance for mine-contaminated countries.” It was noted that in some countries landmine victims have been left to fend for themselves reducing them to perpetual street beggars.
The intense pain and shock of landmine injuries are traumatic experiences which cause long-term psychological disorders in a significant proportion of the victims. The victims need rehabilitation and reorientation in the society.
Of the estimated 20 million landmines planned in southern Africa, only 400 000 mines have been cleared. Only US$45 million has been invested in mine clearance in southern Africa since May 1991.
“Given the presence of 20 million mines costing an average of US$700 each to remove, clearly there is an urgent need for international assistance to rid the southern Africa zone of landmines still in the ground,” says Rupiya.
It is therefore logical for the region to source external assistance to increase funding for demining activities, if it would want to achieve a mine free southern Africa by the year 2000. However, many participants felt that the date is an unrealistic deadline considering the funding constraints and that even up to now some mines are still laid in Angola.
According to UN reports the international community only clears about 100 000 landmines per year although 2-5 million additional mines are laid annually throughout the world. At these rates, each year threatens to add two or more decades to the 1 1 00 years necessary to clear the world of all the landmines at current rates.
Previous efforts the control landmines use have so far achieved limited success as governments failed to stick to their commitments — particularly in countries of manufacture, whose national economies benefit from the sale of landmines.
The Maputo conference noted that the Landmines Protocol of the 1980 Convention on conventional Weapons (CCW), an international treaty which aims to ban production and use of landmines, has proved ineffective in stopping their continued use.
The conference castigated the 1980 Conventions for containing weak language on transfers, saying it does not “address production or stockpiling of mines as it is an international humanitarian rather than a disarmament law treaty.” It therefore called for an unambiguous treaty with simple terminology. Landmines are also governed by customary international law through taws of wars as stated in treaties such as the Additional Protocol to the Gevena Conventions.
Williams warned that Ottawa is not the end of the road. She says, “A ban is not just a treaty. It means ensuring universal adherence to the treaty, removing all the mines in the ground, and repairing the lives of the victims.”(SARDC)
