ANB-BIA SUPPLEMENT

ISSUE/EDITION Nr 323 - 01/05/1997

Mozambique

Banning anti-personnel mines

by Joao de Brito Langa, Mozambique, March 1997

THEME = ARMS

INTRODUCTION

An increasing number of people are calling for the banning of anti-personnel mines. Mozambique is leading the way in this movement

The Mozambican Government has approved a Resolution banning, with immediate effect, the unauthorised production, commercialisation, use and transport of anti-personnel mines. In the document, the Mozambican government expressed its desire to see the world free from anti-personnel mines, and considers the removal and destruction of existing mines, a priority!
The Government also appealed to the international community to increase its contribution for mine-clearing operations. This Resolution was taken at a time when the IV International Conference of the non-governmental organisations (NGO)s concerned with mines, took place in Maputo, Mozambique's capital. (February 1997). The conference had as theme: "Towards a Southern Africa free from mines", and aimed at focusing international attention on the devastating effects of anti-personnel mines in Mozambique and Southern Africa. It wanted to start new campaigns in the region, for making Southern Africa, a mine-free zone. (It is estimated that there are 100 million mines stored in the world).

The banning of mines wins support

Southern African governments all agree that land mines must go, and their point of view was communicated to the 450 delegates from more than 60 countries, present at the international conference. At the same time, some countries who manufacture mines, showed willingness to support the efforts to clear mines from affected countries, and to assist in the rehabilitation of those who have fallen victim to the land-mines!
The United States was hesitant to sign a treaty banning land mines throughout the world, unless every other country was willing to sign. The USA representative criticised some countries, such as Russia and China who maintain that they will not sign such a treaty. On the other hand, almost all Nordic countries agreed to ban mines throughout the world, and supported the efforts for mine clearance in affected countries, particularly in Mozambique. Sweden, for example, announced that it is making available 32 million dollars for mine clearance. Denmark is planning a similar action.

Land mines in Southern Africa

The African continent is the most mined part of the world, with about 50 million mines implanted in its soil. All SADC countries have mines in their territory, with the exception of Mauritius and Lesotho. Many countries such as Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe have land mine problems on their border regions. Angola has between 8 and 20 million mines in its soil and Mozambique has about 1.5 million!
Angola has one of the highest rates of mine victims per capita in the world. It is estimated that there are about 100,000 mine victims in Angola out of a population of some 10 million. Eight million Angolans live in mine-infested areas. In Mozambique it is thought that the number of mine survivors who have received medical treatment, number about 10,000. The great majority of African mine incidents occur when people walk on sand tracks or roads, near streams or springs, on their way to work the fields, on their way to school, to the health centre or even in the act of gathering fuel or fruit. Wild animals, including elephants have also been mutilated or killed by land mines. In Zimbabwe the mined areas on the borders have now become infested with tsetse fly. Domestic animals including cattle, have been decimated.

International help needed

Mozambique continues to need international help to cover the cost of mine clearing operations. De-mining work is concentrated in the south of the country where 10 platoons of 45 men each, are at work. Parallel to this, another mine clearance programme is taking place in the centre of the country, run with the help of Norwegian Popular Help which has six mine clearance units in Manica, Tete and Sofala, directed by male and female supervisors. The northern region has not yet been targeted for any significant mine clearance, simply because funds are not yet available!
Mozambique's national director for mine clearance says that his country cannot fund the operation alone. The same source indicated that it will take anything from 46 to 126 years to clear all the land mines from Mozambique, if the current rate of 11,000 mines cleared per annum, does not improve.

Women unite to support land mine victims

Women in Africa are working towards founding a cooperative to help solve problems faced by mine victims and their families. The group preparing this organisation is headed by people from Angola and Mozambique. According to Farida Gulamo, president of the Association of Mozambican Handicapped Persons, the new organisation, called AWAMA, is a non-profit making organisation, destined to encourage women in the countryside and in the cities, to become more proficient in physical rehabilitation programmes and the socio-professional development of victims!
AWAMA also wants to increase the community's awareness of the dangers these weapons represent, injuries incurred and the possibilities for treatment. The women's lobby is important, in that many of the victims of land mines are women going about their household chores, especially in countries such as Mozambique, where peace is an established fact.

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PeaceLink 1997 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement