More governments joining Mine Ban Treaty

A growing number of governments have joined the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, leading to reduced use of anti-personnel mines, a dramatic drop in production and an almost complete halt to trade, according to the Landmine Monitor Report 2002, released on Friday.

There has been also rapid destruction of stockpiled mines, fewer new mine victims in key affected countries and more land demined, it stated.

Significant strides had occurred in the eradication of landmines, and saving lives and limbs of civilians, in every region of the world had occurred, it said.

However, it was increasingly evident that - at current levels of mine action funding and demining - many mine-affected state parties to the treaty would not meet the 10-year deadline for completion of mine clearance, the report added.

Anti-personnel mines continue to be laid by governments and rebels groups, and in this reporting period India and Pakistan embarked on "what appears to be the largest mine laying operations in many years", it said.

In Africa, the report noted, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Eritrea are known to have used anti-personnel mines "extensively in recent years but with the emergence of peace initiatives have decided to foreswear any future use."

In March 2002, the Landmine Monitor said, it received an admission of ongoing use of anti-personnel mines by the rebel Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD) fighting the DRC government.

It had not received any specific allegations of use by the rebels Mouvement des Forces Democratiques de Casamance (MFDC) in Senegal or the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda in the reporting period, it said, "though concerns remain about possible use in the future by both."

In Sudan, the accusations of new use by the government and by the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement were less frequent and the evidence less compelling, according to the report.

It noted, however, that anti-personnel mine use by various factions in Somalia was believed to have continued in the reporting period.

No country in Sub-Saharan Africa is known to produce anti-personnel mines, the Landmine Monitor reported.

"Uganda reported that it invited foreign military attaches to inspect an alleged mine production facility and that they concluded no production existed," it said.

In many of the mine-affected countries in Africa, it added, medical facilities and rehabilitation services were generally in poor condition, mostly due to lack of resources, and sometimes lack of medicine, equipment and skilled personnel.

Consequently, in many instances the assistance available to landmine survivors was inadequate. In Chad, according to the Landmine Impact Survey, of 217 recent survivors none reported receiving physical rehabilitation or vocational training after their injury.

However, commissions had been established to address the needs of survivors in Angola, Eritrea, Mozambique, Namibia and Uganda.

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