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Weapons Contamination: Addressing Key Challenges to Meeting Clearance Deadlines under the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) and

Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM)

Addis Ababa Event Sponsored by:

5 – 7 March 2013

African Union / ICRC workshop

on weapons contamination

Presented by: Daan Redelinghuys

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Overview of MAG

HMA

PSSM

SALW

AVR

MRE

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MAG Global Projects

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SURVEY (Land Release)

IDENTIFY THE EXTENT OF MINE/CLUSTER MUNITIONS/UXO

PROBLEM:

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Overview of Chad • Three decades of conflicts has left vast stretches of Chad

contaminated with ERW

• MAG in Chad since 2004 (intermittently)

• 1999-2001 Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) estimated 670km² of Suspect Hazardous Areas (SHAs) excluding the northern Tibesti region

• The precise extent of contamination remains to be quantified

• 2010 MAG starts nationwide Survey, to clearly define the mine/UXO problem in Chad, allowing the Government to make a comprehensive mine action plan

• 2010 to 2012 MAG deployed Multi-Task Teams in Northern and Eastern Chad to verify, release SHA’s and clear the DA’s identified through the survey

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Survey Objectives

• Primary Objectives:

- Determination of source of contamination

- Define and locate SHA’s

- Collect technical data

- Direct impact of contamination on surrounding areas

- Save all information in the IMSMA database (GIS)

• Secondary Objectives:

- Strong coordination and comprehensive planning at national level are required, for completion to be achieved in a systematic and timely manner

- Support the Chadian Government to set priorities in order to achieve the obligations of the Ottawa Treaty.

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Methodology

• Interviews local authorities and traditional leaders

• Interview village leaders

• Collect information on accidents

• Confirmation of SHA’s by guides

• Confirmation or reduction of the perimeters (polygon) of areas through non-technical and technical surveys (Land Release)

• Identify, to the highest possible accuracy, the location, exact ratios and characteristics of hazardous areas which then shall be decontaminated through future operations.

• Mark and record boundaries of SHA, CHA and released land

• Capture data on IMSMA (GIS)

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• Qualitative:

- Produce valuable and effective data

-The database of the CND (mine action centre) is supplemented and reinforced

- National priorities can be developed on this basis

- The data of the project determine the priority areas for action

• Quantitative:

- All areas listed in the project have been evaluated

- All reports and information captured on the IMSMA (GIS) database

Impact

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• Practical use of IMSMA (GIS)

• Geographical difficulties

• Limited information

• Limited Security

• Resources

• etc. etc. etc.

Survey Difficulties

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Key Achievements•2010 to 2012 technical and non-technical surveys were completed

- The teams marked 49,884,169m² of SHA, cleared 837,173m² of DA’s, destroyed 238 AP/AT mines, and destroyed 8,813 items of UXO;

- and identified a further 55 new DA’s, 35 of which were cleared and completed.

•The results from the surveys will be integral in assisting the Chadian government to define new national priorities for mine action.

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Recommendations•Continue survey operations in the other regions of Chad as well as the areas not yet covered by MAG;

•Taking into account the definition of priorities, increase the effect of mine clearance programs for the most vulnerable populations of the North;

• Define priorities in order to guide the establishment of a national strategy according to the needs on the ground.

•Secondary recommendations at:

- Project level (priorities identified by the survey project),

- Program level (priorities for mine action in Chad).

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UXO Areas

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Mined Areas

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Area RegionMined Area

(m²)

UXO Area

(m²)

North Borkou 23,027,839 2,173,313

  Ennedi 16,437,000 76,668

  Tibesti 18,628,242 805,555

East Ouaddi 0 10,840

  Salamat 0 634

  Sila 1,502 6,689

  Wadi Fira 0 55,974

West Hdjer Lamis 0 6,180

  N’Djamena 0 707

Total   58,094,583 3,136,560

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Populated Areas

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Area Region Accidents Deaths

North Borkou 2 2

  Ennedi 0 0

  Tibesti 15 21

East Ouaddi 1 3

  Salamat 0 0

  Sila 0 0

  Wadi Fira 1 3

West Hdjer Lamis 0 0

  N’Djamena 0 0

Total   19 29

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In Conclusion

•How can the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) and Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) frameworks be better harnessed to provide adequate and appropriate support to national authorities?

•How do we ensure that treaty frameworks support planning in states affected by mixed contamination (AP mines, CM, other ERW)?

•What is the role that regional organisations have to play in supporting the achievement of completion objectives?

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The success of this mission was possible thanks to:

The Japan-funded programme

Republic of Chad Ministry of Economy and the PlanHaut Commissariat National DeminingNational Mine Action Centre

United Nations Development Programme