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Laying Landmines to Rest?
IRIN Web Special on Humanitarian Mine Action
(with special focus on the 2004 Nairobi Summit of a Mine Free World)
AFGHANISTAN: Interview with deputy foreign minister on mine clearance
Mohammad Haidar Reza
Credit: IRIN
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A huge mine clearance programme has been running in Afghanistan for more than a decade now, involving several thousand people and many local and international organisations. Despite clearing mines and UXOs from more than 300 sq km of land, Afghanistan remains one of the heavily mined countries in the world with more than 800 sq km still to clear.
In an interview with IRIN, deputy minister of foreign affairs and chairman of the national demining consultative group, Mohammad Haidar Reza, said that the country would be free of mines within ten years but that US $200 million was required to clear high priority areas by 2007. He added that stockpiles of mines remained throughout the country, but that some were still in the hands of regional warlords.
QUESTION: What is the extent of the mining problem in Afghanistan?
ANSWER: It would be very difficult to give a figure for the number of remaining mines and UXOs, but in terms of casualties, more than a year ago the average number of mine-related incidents per month was more than 300. Thank god this year that figure is about 100 people per month, which is still very very high. In terms of areas contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance, it is estimated around 815 sq kms.
Q: Why is the ministry of foreign affairs chairing the consultative group?
A: After the signing of the Ottawa Convention in 2002, Afghanistan became a full member of the convention and therefore there was a kind of political responsibility on the shoulders of Afghanistan. And the ministry of foreign affairs was put in the lead to look after the demining activities. Right now I chair this consultative group and it is going to continue for the foreseeable future until we have a national mine authority in place.
Q: Afghans have been critical that the demining process has not proceeded rapidly enough.
A: Now there are about sixteen NGOs that are operational [in demining] in Afghanistan. Allow me to say that these people have done a tremendous job. Recent studies that have been done, for example a team from the European Commission was here and they did a kind of survey of the whole [demining] operation. The overall finding shows that demining in Afghanistan is one of the most successful operations in the whole world.
Q: How will the new mine actions authority, which is a government body, affect mine clearance programmes across the country?
A: One thing which is important, although the UN is coordinating demining operations, the actual work is done by NGOs and by the Afghans themselves. So when the government takes over from the UN, it will be still these NGOs and the Afghans doing the demining work.
Q: How much will demining activities cost next year?
A: The budget for 2005 has been anticipated at something between US $75 and $80 million. But only one third of it has been received, another one third is in pledges and the last third we still have to raise. It is important to mention that once the transition takes place, we will make sure to fund the demining activities through the national development budget of the government in the future.
According to the strategic plan, Afghanistan will be free of mines by the year 2012. Based on this plan, we are going for priority areas. In the next five years, we are mainly emphasising high and medium priority areas and for this period we are anticipating something around $ 210 million will be necessary to carry out demining activities in Afghanistan.
Q: What factors are hampering demining activities?
A: The extent of problem in itself is a challenge. Also, lack of resources is another challenge and third is the number of people that right now are working in the demining.
Currently 8,200 people are working as deminers in all 16 NGOs. The ministry of defence is talking about 800-2,000 people that they will have in their demining department when it takes over from the NGOs. So I wonder if the number of people we have is enough. But with a good planning I hope we will be able to look after the high priority areas.
Q: How do you priorities?
A: In consultation with the ministries we find out what is exactly top priority. For example, the electricity is planned to come from Uzbekistan via the northern provinces to the capital, Kabul. Just recently we were in discussion with the ministry of water and power to look at where exactly the transmission lines will be laid to deploy teams in the mined areas on this route.
Q: In terms of service delivery for landmine victims it seems very little is happening, why?
A: As far as victim support is concerned, the Ottawa convention states it is the responsibility of each state to assist the victims. I wouldn't't agree that we are not assisting them. The government is trying to assist the victims as much as possible. Just now, there is a substantial amount that has been given to victims through the Ministry of Martyrs and disabled and or through ministry of health and other institutions within the government.
But also thanks to other colleagues, for example ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross] they are doing a marvellous job in terms of prosthesis production, physiotherapy and so on. It is true that because of limited resources the government cannot take care of every need.
Q: Does the government maintain stockpiles of land mines?
A: Throughout Afghanistan, we have around 250 stockpiles of land mines. In Kabul there was a pilot destruction, which was very successful. Based on the Ottawa treaty we have to destroy all of our stockpiles by the beginning of 2007. This, technically speaking, is a huge task logistically. It requires time and resources to bring all the mines to secure destruction points. It is also a bit sensitive in some places and we have to deal with it carefully. Some of these stockpiles are with government military institutions such as the ministries of defence and interior and some are under the control of local commanders.
Q: Are land mines still being used as offensive weapons in Afghanistan?
A: This is a difficult question. I would say the major worry that we had a couple of years ago is no longer there. But with pockets of problems that take place from time to time in different parts of the country, especially in the south, no one would deny for sure that this will not happen again.
The insurgents that cross the border and come inside Afghanistan, now the chances are there that they will plant the mines. So this is something difficult to predict. But with the passage of time and regional cooperation, and especially in this case with our friends in Pakistan we will resolve this.
[ENDS]
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