Nigeria: Boko Haram IED attacks killed 121 civilians, soldiers and CJTF personnel in 16 months

At least 121 civilians and security personnel have reportedly died from Boko Haram Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosions in Borno and Yobe states, data compiled by Daily Trust has revealed. According to the data, 77 civilians, 27 soldiers and 17 Read More …

Ukraine on track to withdraw from Ottawa anti-personnel mines treaty

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday he had signed a decree to pull Ukraine out of the Ottawa Convention banning the production and use of anti-personnel mines as a necessary step in view of Russian tactics in their 40-month-old war. Read More …

Israel-Iran Attacks Span Fourth Day With No Deal in Sight

Hostilities between Israel and Iran entered a fourth day on Monday with no sign of easing, stoking fears of a wider war in the oil-rich region. Iran fired several waves of drones and missiles over the last 24 hours, while Read More …

Landmines imperil the EU’s moral compass

The European Union has long stood at the forefront of the fight against anti-personnel landmines. Its early and active support for the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty reflected a shared European belief: that these weapons are inherently inhumane, fundamentally indiscriminate, and Read More …

Fifty years after the Vietnam War, bombs and landmines still cover an area ‘the size of Tasmania’

They found one while digging the foundations of a new hotel. Another was discovered in the middle of a park. A family spotted one in their garden. And Ho Van Lai and his cousins found several in the sand dunes, Read More …

Finland’s planned exit from landmine ban draws sharp criticism from Amnesty

The Finnish government’s decision to prepare for withdrawal from the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel landmines risks weakening international law and damaging Finland’s global reputation, Amnesty Finland said on Monday. The treaty, which prohibits the use, production, storage and transfer of Read More …

‘Safe futures start here’: UN calls for global action to eliminate mine threat

More than 100 million people worldwide are at risk from landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) Secretary-General António Guterres said on Friday, in his message for the International Day for Mine Awareness. “Even when the guns Read More …

Bolivia: An explosion at a standoff between rival gold miners kills at least 5 people

A powerful explosion killed at least five people, including a pregnant woman and 1-year-old baby, during a standoff between rival groups of gold miners early Thursday in northwestern Bolivia, police said, a rare instance of territorial disputes between the nation’s Read More …

Which countries are quitting a key landmine treaty and why?

NATO members Poland, Finland and all three Baltic states have queued up over the past few weeks to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel landmines, in the face of what they say are growing military threats from Russia. The Read More …

Spanish Blue Helmets in UNIFIL Hold Conferences on Unexploded Munitions to Promote Safety in Southern Lebanon

As part of Spain’s ongoing commitment to the Lebanese people, the Spanish blue helmets of the UNIFIL contingent in the Eastern Sector—led by Spain—continue their awareness-raising efforts. This time, through a series of educational conferences aimed at increasing knowledge of Read More …

Finland: Move to leave convention banning anti-personnel mines could put civilian lives at risk

Reacting to news that the Finnish government has initiated the process of withdrawing from the Ottawa convention, a landmark treaty prohibiting the use of anti-personnel mines, Esther Major, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Research in Europe, said: “The Finnish government’s Read More …

Colombia: Violent turf war in Bogotá’s San Bernardo leaves three dead, nine injured

An explosion rocked Bogotá’s San Bernardo neighborhood on the night of Wednesday, March 12, leaving three dead and nine injured. Authorities confirmed the incident was caused by a grenade, which detonated near the Bicentenario station of TransMilenio, at the intersection Read More …

Lithuania’s departure from the Convention on Cluster Munition creates dangers for its population and global norms

Lithuania will formally withdraw from the Convention on Cluster Munitions, an unprecedented move with potentially profound consequences for the protection of civilians in Lithuania and elsewhere. This date ends the convention’s required six-month delay after Lithuania submitted its official intent Read More …

DR Congo: 11 killed, 65 injured in explosions after M23 rally in Bukavu

Several explosions killed at least 11 people and injured 65 others on Thursday in Bukavu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), shortly after a political rally in support of the rebel March 23 Movement (M23). The latest Read More …

France: Two people fight for life and 10 more injured after man throws grenade into Grenoble bar

Two people fighting for their lives are among the at least 12 who were injured after a grenade was thrown into a packed bar by a man brandishing a Kalashnikov rifle in Grenoble. In a “criminal act of unprecedented violence”, Read More …

Netherlands: 15 arrested in explosive attack crackdown

A large-scale police operation across the Netherlands has resulted in the arrest of 15 individuals, ranging in age from 14 to 25, for their involvement in a series of explosive attacks. The suspects were apprehended in connection with at least Read More …

Netherlands: Fear of explosions grows as attacks surge across the country

The increasing number of explosions across the Netherlands is driving fear among residents, with thousands seeking support from victim assistance organizations. The number of attacks involving explosives has escalated significantly in recent years. Police data shows that incidents nearly doubled Read More …

Leveraging new technology for a mine-free future

The devastating legacy of armed conflict – often marked by the indiscriminate use of landmines, improvised explosive devices and other explosive ordnance – poses a significant humanitarian challenge. Innovation in mine action With over 25 years of experience, UNOPS has Read More …

Children at Risk: The Dangerous Impacts of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas

Conflicts across the globe illustrate the devastating humanitarian consequences when urban areas become theatres of war. The use of explosive weapons in these environments carries numerous implications for civilians, including children. What is being done at the international level, and Read More …

Don’t condemn the US decision to give anti-personnel mines to Ukraine

In Ukraine, it’s not just the frontline that’s a minefield. The decision of the United States to offer landmines to Ukraine, a signatory of the landmine ban treaty, creates as much of a diplomatic minefield as a military one. Landmines Read More …