Five States Parties to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention have recently submitted instruments of withdrawal, citing national security and military necessity, while at least one other has taken steps to “suspend” the Convention.
These developments raise important questions about whether anti-personnel mines retain any meaningful military utility in contemporary conflict. In this post, Erik Tollefsen, Head of the ICRC Weapon Contamination Unit and Pete Evans, Head of the ICRC Unit for Arms Carriers and Prevention examine this question from an operational perspective. They argue that advances in technology and the realities of modern warfare have significantly reduced the military relevance of anti-personnel mines, while their humanitarian consequences remain severe.
Read more…
Source: ICRC Blog
Sign up for the Counter-IED Report Newsletters
The latest news and insights delivered right to your inbox
Related:
- Sudan Calls On Parties of Ottawa Treaty to Overcome Challenges
July 1, 2020
The Chairman of the 18th meeting of the States Parties to the Ottawa Treaty, Ambassador Osman Abu Fatima Adam, the Acting Chargé d’Affairs to the Permanent Mission of Sudan in Geneva, addressed Tuesday, the intersessional meetings that will last until July 2. The meeting was held via video conference technology due to the corona pandemic, with ...
- Casualties from landmine/UXO in Cambodia down 42 pct in H1: report
June 25, 2020
Cambodia reported 36 landmine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) casualties in the first half of 2020, down 42 percent compared with 62 over the same period last year, said an official report on Thursday. During the January-June period this year, nine people were killed, down from 11 deaths over the same period last year, said the report ...
- Afghanistan: Six Civilians Killed in Mine Blast in Jawzjan
June 24, 2020
Six civilians were killed on Wednesday in a roadside mine blast in Jawzjan province, local official said. Marouf Azar, spokesman for Jawzjan governor, said the incident occurred in Farok Qala village of Muradyan district when a rickshaw was hit by mine. Two children and woman are among the dead and one other child was wounded in the ...
- Cambodia: New project to advance Kingdom’s mine-free goal
June 24, 2020
The Mine Advisory Group on Monday inked an agreement with the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority to facilitate the operation of a two-year project on information management development in mine-clearance action. The assistance aims to support the Kingdom in making headway towards its goal of being a mine-free nation by 2025. During the signing ...
- New Zealand gives $3.8M to Cambodia for clearance of landmines
June 21, 2020
New Zealand has awarded Cambodia a NZ$5.9 million ($3.8 million) grant to assist mine-clearing operations for six years in Battambang, Banteay Meanchey and Pailin provinces. The grant coincided with Pailin authorities clearing 10 MD82B landmines in Pramay Kha commune in Pailin town on Saturday. Senior Minister in charge of Special Missions and secretary-general of the Cambodian Mine ...
- Angola: INAD destroys 49 explosive devices
June 16, 2020
At least forty-nine undetonated explosive devices were collected and destroyed in Huila province by the National Institute of Demining (INAD) during the last six months, 12 more than in the same period of 2019., Speaking to Angop on Monday, Tomás Calundungo, head of the INAD Provincial Services Department in Huila, said the devices were collected in ...
- Landmines spell silent threat in Libyan former war zone
June 16, 2020
The smell of gunpowder still lingered in the battle-scarred south of Libya’s capital when Hicham Suleiman, a teacher in his 50s, cautiously returned to his home. He left his car some 400 metres (yards) from his house and continued on foot, anxious about booby traps hidden by retreating forces, like the one that days earlier had ...
- US urges Libya ceasefire as landmines kill 7 in capital
June 10, 2020
Washington called for a ceasefire in Libya and urged warring parties to protect its oil sector on Wednesday as the unity government said landmines had killed at least seven people in the capital. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s call came as the UN said it had held “productive” talks separately with officers from the unity government and rival forces ...
- Cambodia: Siem Reap mine-clearing missions accomplished
June 9, 2020
Siem Reap officials and the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) announced that with the help of the Peaceland Organisation, Trapeang Thma Village in Khun Ream Commune, Banteay Srei district, is now free of landmines. More than 100 mines and UXO were destroyed over 10 months. Banteay Srei district governor Khim Finan told The Post ...
- Norway continues to support demining activities in Cambodia
June 6, 2020
The Government of Norway through Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) confirmed its commitment to continue supporting Cambodia’s mine clearance efforts by providing $5 million for the next four years. The assistance was made known by Mr. Zlatko Vezillic, Programme Manager for NPA’s Cambodia’s Mine Action and Disarmament programme while paying a farewell visit to Cambodian Senior Minister ...
- Landmine blast kills 7 laborers in Afghanistan
June 2, 2020
A landmine blast in Afghanistan’s restive northern Kunduz province killed at least seven farm laborers, an official confirmed on Tuesday. The governor’s spokesman Esmatullah Muradi told Anadolu Agency the incident took place in the Jungle Bashi area of Khan Abad district last evening where an improvised explosive device planted by the Taliban hit a convoy of ...
- Landmine explosion kills farmer in Cambodia
May 16, 2020
A farmer was killed following an accidental mine explosion in Oddar Meanchey province. The victim was said to have been plowing on farmland in the province’s Anlong Veng district when the tragedy happened. Heng Ratana, director-general of the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC) said yesterday the accident took place at 2:30 pm on Wednesday when the ...
- Coping with coronavirus in a war zone
May 15, 2020
Bombs, bullets, the constant threat of kidnap – and Covid-19. In Libya, a country torn apart by civil war, with a shattered health system, a man from Kent is one of the last international charity workers staying on to lead a team of 40 volunteers. “My life here is just one long threat assessment,” Liam Chivers ...
- Japan contributes US$ 209K to UNMAS for mine action project in South Sudan
May 6, 2020
Since 2011, Japan has contributed over the US $17 million to humanitarian mine action in South Sudan, preventing physical harm to civilians, improving access to basic services, and helping people rebuild their lives in the wake of conflict. The Government of Japan has contributed the US $209,090 to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), for ...
- Armenian Military Engineers Cleared 37.6 Acres Of Syrian Land Since Feb 2019 – Authorities
May 5, 2020
Armenian military engineers have demined 15.2 hectares (37.6 acres) of territory in Syria since February 2019, the Armenian Center for Humanitarian Demining and Expertise said on Tuesday. On February 8, 2019, an Armenian humanitarian mission of 83 people began work in Syria’s Aleppo city. It was set to demine territories outside the combat zone, inform the population about mines and provide medical assistance to the residents ...