by Caiphas Chimhete
Most countries in the southern Africa have joined the worldwide campaign for a complete ban on the production, stockpiling, transfer, sale and use of anti-personnel landmines to achieve “a mine-free one that could be an international model.”
National movements have already been established in Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe to spearhead the campaign against the production and use of landmines.
The movements have sent a joint letter to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state urging them to adopt permanent and legally binding national measures to ban landmines and to destroy all stockpiles.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa says, “we should call for a total ban on all anti-personnel landmines. They are excessively cruel, cause horrific injuries, are indiscriminate, targeting unarmed innocent men, women and children.”
In February this year, Mozambique– one of the most heavily mined countries in the World — will host the Fourth International Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) Conference on Landmines. The
Mozambique Campaign to Ban Landmines says the conference seeks “to ensure that mines are cleared and that governments agree that no more landmines will be produced or laid on African soil.”
The conference is a follow-up to the one held Canada last year where representatives from 50 countries worldwide called for a ban on anti-personnel mines. The group now dubbed the “Ottawa Group”, concluded “a commitment to work together to ensure the earliest possible conclusion of a legally binding international agreement to ban anti-personnel mines”.
Landmines cause disability and deaths many years after the conflicts for which they were planted are over. With the exception of Lesotho and Mauritius, all countries in SADC have had people injured or killed by landmines, almost every year.
A UNICEF Report on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children by Graca Machel of Mozambique, says: “Landmines are uniquely savage in the history of modem conventional warfare not only because of their appalling individual impact, but also their long-term social and economic destruction.”
It is estimated that there are 30 million landmines planted in Africa, most of them in southern Africa. The most affected countries are Angola and Mozambique which had protracted civil wars in which rebel groups were trained and equipped by the apartheid regime in South Africa. Between eight million to twenty million landmines, according to different sources, are buried on Angolan soil, and two million in Mozambique.
The United Nations department of humanitarian affairs says in the past 30 years, landmines have claimed
more than 250 000 civilians in southern Africa.
Angola has one of the highest per capita landmine deaths and amputations. According to estimates by the
Angolan Ministry of Health there are 70 000 amputees, this includes both military and civilian victims.
The mines were planted during the 17-year old civil war between the Angolan government and the
National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita).
According to the director of Mozambique’s National Mine Clearance Commission, Osorio Severiano, at least 40 people are killed by landmines in Mozambique every month. He says the number could be considering that data collection system set up to monitor landmine explosions has not been expanded to include all parts of the country.
Landmines have a significant impact on most areas of Angola and Mozambique’s agricultural land.
Thousands of acres of farmland, pasture and forest, and thousands of miles of riverbanks are unusable. For example, the fertile Mavinga valley in Cuando Cubango Province of southeast Angola is largely abandoned because of the large number of mines.
South Africa, which used to plant landmines in Angola and Mozambique, has also joined the call to ban landmines. The Mail and Guardian, a South African weekly, however, says South Africa still has stockpiles of about 300 000 anti-personnel landmines.
South Africa announced a ban on the export of these mines and a suspension on their use by the South
African National Defence Force (SANDF), pending a review of their military utility. Although the country is advocating the ban of landmines, no official ban on the production is yet in place.
Sixteen years after the liberation of Zimbabwe some places in the country are still no-go areas due to landmines and an area of the main tourist resort at Victoria Falls remain fenced off. The Zimbabwe Ban Landmines Campaign estimates that there are 1.3 million anti-personnel mines in the country planted by the Rhodesian military during the independence struggle, which have rendered almost 1 million acres of land inaccessible.
Others were planted by Renamo in Zimbabwe’s eastern border during raids into the country for food, clothing and conscription purposes. Renamo planted mines to avoid being tracked down. About Z$126 million (US$11.6 million) are needed to clear landmines in Zimbabwe’s border with Mozambique.
Demining activities in all countries in the region are being hampered by financial constraints. UNICEF says a landmine which may cost as little as US$3 to manufacture, might cost up to US$1.000 to remove it. Estimates say clearing landmines in Mozambique alone would cost between US$600 million and US$2 billion.
An international study on the utility of anti-personnel mines conducted by senior military commanders from various countries on behalf of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says, “the limited military utility of anti-personnel mines is far out-weighed by the appalling humanitarian consequences … on this basis their prohibition and elimination should be pursued as a matter of urgency.”
Today’s problem is not only for regional governments to tackle but also an issue for the international community to assist with financing the demining. And, banning the use of landmines alone is not enough, but stopping the production completely worldwide would be most ideal. (SARDC)
