Poland and the Baltic states said on Tuesday that they want to withdraw from an international treaty banning anti-personnel mines, citing Russia’s growing military threat. In a joint statement, the defence ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland said they “unanimously recommend withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention”.
The 1997 treaty — which prohibits the use, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines — has been ratified or acceded to by more than 160 countries. Russia has not joined the agreement, and its full-scale invasion of Ukraine has turned the war-torn country into the most mine-laden nation in the world, according to reports.
Read more…
Source: Euronews
Sign up for Counter-IED Report Newsletter
Related:
- Somalia: Three killed, one injured in explosion in Lower Shabelle
November 18, 2024
In Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region, a civilian vehicle triggered a landmine, resulting in the death of three individuals and leaving another wounded, local officials reported Monday. According to the local administration’s statement, the incident unfolded in the Doonka region, on the road between the districts of Wanlaweyn and Afgooye, as the vehicle traveled from Afgooye. The ...
- Afghanistan: Mine Clearance Organization warns of IED contamination
November 12, 2024
The Mine Clearance Organization recently announced that over 65 square kilometers of land in Afghanistan is contaminated with improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The organization has called on the global community to increase political and financial support for clearing these devices from Afghanistan’s lands. According to the Mine Clearance Organization, more than 65 square kilometers across 26 ...
- Key findings from the Clearing the Mines 2024 report
November 12, 2024
As of today, 58 States and two territories remain contaminated with anti-personnel mines, and the need for focused and unwavering commitment to get all of them over the finish line by completing clearance is as important as ever. In 2023, global mine clearance of 237 square kilometres was the highest ever recorded, with 192,563 AP mines ...
- Laos’ Hidden Suffering: Landmines And UXO Killing More Innocent Children
November 12, 2024
In the rugged and scenic mountains of remote villages in Laos, children and farmers contend with a legacy of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) threatening their lives for over 40 years. These leftover war remnants from the horrific Vietnam War have become an occupational hazard as well as a threat to the lives of innocent local ...
- Historic mine ban treaty at risk as clearance rates plummet amid escalating global conflict
November 11, 2024
The HALO Trust, the international landmine clearance organisation, has called for global recommitment to the Landmine Ban Treaty following a 10 per cent drop in the number of anti-personnel mines cleared in 2023. The steep fall in landmines cleared is reported in Mine Action Review’s “Clearing the Mines” report, which will be published today by a ...
- Cambodia: Landmine claims farmer’s life in Oddar Meanchey
November 11, 2024
Yet another life was lost to a landmine when it exploded beneath a farmer’s tractor in Trapaing Prasat district on Saturday. Prime Minister Hun Manet expressed regret over the accident, said Ly Tuch, First Vice-President of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), yesterday. The CMAA continues to work with local authorities to spread ...
- Azerbaijani serviceman injured by landmine in Goranboy District
November 11, 2024
An Azerbaijani serviceman was injured after stepping on a landmine in the Goranboy district on November 10. The incident occurred near the village of Gulustan, where the mine was reportedly planted by Armenian armed forces. The Ministry of Defense confirmed that the serviceman, identified as Gadim Khalig oglu Ibrahimov, sustained injuries from the antipersonnel mine. In ...
- Ukrainian mines destroy modern Russian tanks in Kursk Oblast
November 10, 2024
Russian troops have suffered significant losses during assaults due to minefields established in the Kursk Oblast by Ukrainian forces, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Ukraine’s operation in Russia’s Kursk Oblast launched on 6 August 2024, aimed to counter Russian aggression and disrupt planned offensives. Ukrainian forces advanced up to 35 ...
- The European Union and Cambodia standing together for a mine-free future
November 7, 2024
Cambodia is at peace today, but for 40,000 Cambodian amputees, the past wars are still with them every day, visible on their bodies. Mobility, dignity, family and economic integration are all affected by the scourge of mines. The EU and its Member States are major donors for mine action assistance worldwide, supporting universalisation, survey and clearance ...
- Lao children the most common victims of unexploded ordnance accidents, statistics reveal
November 5, 2024
More than 60 percent of the people who were injured or killed this year when unexploded forms of munition were accidentally detonated were children, officials reported at a meeting held in Vientiane last week. The meeting was attended by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Phoxay Khaykhamphithoune, United Nations Development Programme Representative Mrs Martine Thérer, and ...
- UN: 444 million square meters in Libya still contaminated with mines, war remnants
November 4, 2024
The United Nations (UN) has emphasized that Libya faces major challenges related to mines and war remnants, which threaten the lives of civilians and hinder development, and that getting rid of them requires tremendous work, noting that there are more than 444 million square meters still contaminated with mines and war remnants. The Chief of the ...
- Nigeria: Landmine explosions kill seven in Borno
November 3, 2024
At least seven loggers were reportedly killed and several others injured after their vehicle hit landmines in Konduga Local Government Area, Borno State, on Saturday. The incident took place around 11 a.m. between Masunfanari and Dogo Wire village along the Maiduguri-Damboa road. A security source told Daily Trust that the pickup truck struck an improvised explosive ...
- Somalia: Pioneering Mine Action for Safer Communities in Puntland
November 2, 2024
Celebrating the contribution of women in the mine action sector! Meet Fatuma, SEMA Operations Officer, who is leading mine clearance in Puntland State to raise awareness about the risks of landmines and enhance humanitarian access to mine affected areas. The Somali Explosives Management Authority (SEMA) plays a crucial role in supporting mine action efforts in Somalia, ...
- Cambodia: Higher number of landmine, ERW victims in 10 months of this year
November 1, 2024
Landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERWs) afflicted 39 victims in the ten months of this year, higher than last year with 32 victims. However, the government is committed to removing this bane from society for the betterment of all. Lang Kosal, Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) spokesman, said that of the 39 ...
- Syria: Five seriously injured in mine explosion in Shehba
November 1, 2024
Five people were seriously injured in a mine explosion in the canton of Afrin-Shehba on Friday. According to security forces, the victims, who belong to the same family, are four adults between the ages of 20 and 50 and a two-year-old child. They suffered injuries of varying severity and are being treated at the Avrîn ...
- Laser vibration sensing technology can detect landmines faster than previous techniques
October 31, 2024
Enough landmines are buried underground worldwide to circle Earth twice at the equator, but the identification and removal of these explosives is costly and time-consuming. Vyacheslav Aranchuk, principal scientist in the National Center for Physical Acoustics, presented his research on laser multibeam vibration sensor technology at the Optica Laser Congress and Exhibition, held last week in ...
- International community fails to address Azerbaijan’s mine problem – ANAMA chairman
October 30, 2024
The international community is not giving adequate attention to the mine issue in Azerbaijan, Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijani Mine Action Agency (ANAMA) Vugar Suleymanov said. Speaking at a business meeting with donors and partners of the Karabakh Revival Fund and ANAMA, he emphasized the prevalence of double standards in this matter. “Azerbaijan allocates ...
- China-backed training enhances fight against landmines in Somalia
October 30, 2024
The Somali Explosives Management Authority (SEMA) on Tuesday launched a three-day capacity-building training, focusing on enhanced administration and human resource management to strengthen its fight against explosive devices. Funded by the Chinese Embassy in Somalia, the initiative seeks to boost SEMA’s administrative and operational effectiveness in the crucial areas of landmines and explosive remnants of war ...
- Angola: Trained rodents detect mines for people to farm again
October 27, 2024
“If you come across a snake, it’s best not to get nervous, but to stay calm and wait for it to pass.” The instructions given by paramedic João Eduardo are alarming, especially in latitudes where certain species of viper, cobra, or the feared and deadly black mamba live. However, they sound like an asterisk in a ...
- Somalia: Explosion in Mogadishu kills three, injures others
October 26, 2024
A landmine explosion in Mogadishu’s Karaan district killed three civilians and wounded multiple others on Saturday, local sources told Garowe Online. The IED blast occurred in the El Ali Gedi area, with the sound reverberating through nearby areas, though the intended target of the attack remains unknown. Karaan district security personnel investigated the incident but have ...
- Cambodia still has 1,700 Square kilometres of landmines, affecting 1 million citizens
October 20, 2024
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said that Cambodia still has 1,700 square kilometres of land contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance, affecting around 1 million citizens living in suspected areas. The premier spoke on Saturday during his meeting with 4,742 Cambodian Red Cross Youth volunteers at Sokha Phnom Penh Hotel. “In nearly 30 years, we have ...
- AI’s Role in Mine Action, A Glimpse Into the Future
October 17, 2024
Attending the recent Innovation Session: Artificial Intelligence for Mine Action in Geneva the previous week, hosted by the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), was both humbling and inspiring. As experts from across the globe gathered to share insights, it became clear that the intersection of cutting-edge technology and humanitarian work is no longer a ...
