Angola: Landmine clearing set to exceed deadline by three years minimum – report

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Angola: Landmine clearing set to exceed deadline by three years minimum – report

11:13 CAT | 15 Nov 2023

FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: Lusa]

Angola is expected to miss the deadline for clearing its entire territory of anti-personnel mines, set for 31 December 2025, by at least three years, estimates the “Landmine Monitor 2023” report, released on Tuesday in Geneva.

According to the annual study by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, based in the Swiss city, in 2022 Angola cleared a total of 5.87 square kilometres and destroyed 3,342 explosive devices (compared to 5.91 square kilometres cleared in 2021 and 3,617 mines destroyed), records well below the 17 square kilometres of annual land clearance provided for in its demining plan.

“Angola’s annual land clearance since 2019 has been lower than the projected annual land clearance of 17 square kilometres detailed in its work plan for 2019-2025,” the report points out.

Angola has stated that it is making every effort to meet its deadline” currently set for the total clearance of its territory – 31 December 2025 – but “it is believed that it will realistically be able to complete the clearance of known minefields by 2028, with the possibility of extending the deadline to 2030, depending on the availability of funds,” the study stresses.

The report records 107 victims of incidents involving this type of explosive in Angola in 2022, but does not break down the number of dead and injured or whether they were civilians, military personnel or personnel belonging to organisations specialising in demining operations.

Children made up almost half (49%) of civilian victims and just over a third (35%) of all victims in 2022 worldwide, in records for which the age group is known.

Angola was also the 13th country to receive the most international financial assistance in 2022, around US$12 million (€11.24 million), and a total of US$54.9 million (€51.4 million) between 2018 and 2022, placing it 15th in the ranking of the most supported countries.

Angola has not provided any information on its national contribution in 2022 to its demining programme, although it does financially support the National Mine Action Agency (ANAM).

The Angolan government is also the largest donor to the HALO Trust Foundation, which is working in the country to clear protected areas along the Okavango delta in Cuando Cubango province.

Mozambique

Two other Portuguese-speaking African countries are mentioned in the ‘Landmine Monior 2023’ report: Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau, for different reasons.

Mozambique was declared mine-free in 2015, but faces “a possible threat of contamination from improvised explosive devices” introduced by insurgents in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.

The study highlights two incidents with these explosives in March 2023, reported by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Despite being declared mine-free in 2015, Mozambique has since recorded “residual and isolated mine contamination throughout the country”, namely from “four small suspicious areas” identified in 2018, totalling 1,881 square metres, located underwater in Inhambane province.

“Mozambique stated that it would deal with this contamination as soon as the water level receded and allowed access,” but “provided no further updates on the progress made in these areas since 2019,” says the study.

Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau declared that it had fulfilled its demining obligations in December 2012, but in 2021 it reported the presence of “previously unknown mined areas” containing anti-personnel mines, anti-vehicle mines and explosive remnants of war (ERG).

The country registered a total of nine proven mined areas in the provinces of Cacheu and Oio in the north, and in the provinces of Quebo and Tombali in the south. Another 43 areas were suspected of containing mines and explosive ordnance.

Guinea-Bissau reported that the nine proven contaminated areas total 1.09 square kilometres, but did not provide information on the other 43 suspected areas.

Source: Lusa