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Headlines and press coverage about landmines and efforts to eliminate them 






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07 September 2010

Azerbaijan


Mine clearing action to be taken on Azerbaijani-Georgian border
[News.Az] Director General of Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) Nazim Ismayilov said since its establishment ANAMA had been carrying out mine clearing operations in those regions. According to Director General, Quick Reaction Group of the ANAMA will start operations in Aghdam region this month. Preparations are being made for the mine clearing operations on Azerbaijan-Georgia border – Ceyranchol.

Egypt
Report: Egypt seizes anti-aircraft weapons bound for Gaza
[Haaretz] Egyptian troops on Tuesday seized nine weapons consignments bound for the Gaza Strip that included anti-aircraft weapons, according to Israeli and Palestinian news reports. In a series of raids across the Sinai Peninsula, which borders Hamas-controlled Gaza, troops recovered machine guns, ammunition, over 170 anti-aircraft shells, 90 artillery shells and anti-tank landmines, the reports said.

Georgia
Explosive Remnants of War Coordination Center ERWCC E-Newsletter Issue 5 August 2010 [E-mine] The Explosive Remnants of War Coordination Center in Georgia has published their most recent newsletter. Highlights include stories on the Mine Risk Education (MRE) project with UNICEF signed on August 2nd, a workshop on Emergency & Disaster management, the continuing of quality control operations in Gori, and a training conducted in Iraq on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for the implementation of “Iraq Landmine Impact Survey”.

Iraq
Iraq Kurdistan Regional Mine Action Agency Newsletter
[E-mine] The Iraq Kurdistan Regional Mine Action Agency (IKMAA] have published their latest newsletter, The Deminer Post #6. Highlights include stories on Celebration of the Summer School Project, High level GICHD delegation visits and training issues.

Switzerland
Nations meet in Geneva to plan implementation of ban treaty
[CMC] States should act urgently to meet their obligations under a new international treaty banning cluster bombs, the Cluster Munition Coalition said today, as nations gathered in Geneva to plan the Convention’s upcoming First Meeting of States Parties. “Governments created a powerful treaty outlawing cluster bombs, now they must deliver the goods,” said Thomas Nash, CMC Coordinator. “If we carry on the strong cooperation between states, civil society, and international organisations that led to the ban, we can make a real difference in preventing civilian suffering.”

Coalition: Cluster bomb threat must end
[UPI.com] Countries must act now to end the cluster bomb threat, a coalition said Monday after nations met in Geneva, Switzerland, to plan implementing a ban treaty. "Governments created a powerful treaty outlawing cluster bombs, now they must deliver the goods," said Thomas Nash, Cluster Munition Coalition coordinator, said in a release.



2 September 2010

Angola
Over 2000 explosive devices destroyed
[AngolaPress] At least 2.631 various explosives were destroyed from January 2009 to July 2010, in the central Huambo Province, in the ambit of the demining actions being conducted by some institutions. Speaking to ANGOP, the local co-ordinator of the Inter-sectorial Demining and Humanitarian Assistance Commission, Loti Nolika, said that in the same period 6.60 million square metres of land were cleared out.

Cambodia
'Microphone' bomb kills four Cambodians
[smh.com.au] A drunk Cambodian man accidentally detonated an old grenade that he was using as a pretend microphone, killing himself and three other men and wounding three women, police say.

The rocket-propelled grenade, a remnant of the country's decades of war, exploded on Sunday near a small gathering in Pursat province in western Cambodia, local police chief Pich Sopheap told AFP by telephone. "The explosion occurred after a drunken man used an unexploded B-40 grenade as a microphone while he was singing and later hit it against a wooden stick," said Pich Sopheap.

Remnants of war: Explosion kills four at Pursat party
[phnompenhpost] "The victim, 30-year-old Chea Thy, was joking by holding a B40 explosive like a microphone," Pich Sopheap said. Locals said Chea Thy had a habit of playing with unexploded munitions, Pich Sopheap added.

Croatia
Croatia: Joint application of Croatian and Hungarian partners for the EU funds
[Reliefweb] On September 1, 2010 in Pecs, Hungary, the 3rd meeting was held between Croatian and Hungarian partners that will apply for IPA CBC HU-HR programme. Croatian Mine Action Centre has together with Barany county police administration continued on development of project documentation. Joint project called "Rehabilitation of land mine contaminated sites in Drava-Danube area" will be submitted to public tender by September 15, 2010 for IPA CBC Programme Hungary-Croatia funds.

England

Blast victim takes up challenge
[PA] A British man who lost an arm and a leg while supervising mine clearance in Mozambique is due to start a 1,000-mile challenge to raise funds for Barnardo's.

Mine victim runner aims to raise £1m
[Scotsman.com] A BRITON who lost an arm and a leg while supervising mine clearance in Mozambique has begun a 1,000-mile challenge to raise funds for Barnardo's. Chris Moon, who lost his right arm and leg in 1995, left Edinburgh yesterday. The route of his Post Office 1000 Challenge will take him from Scotland to Northern Ireland, through Manchester, Liverpool, Northampton and finishes in London on 30 September. Mr Moon from Strathaven, Lanarkshire, said: "This is about being strong enough not to break. This is probably one of the toughest things I have done.

Laos

Laos and the legacy of Vietnam
[Guardian] 10 September 1996: the date is etched in blue ink in Bounmi's notebook. On that day, Bounmi, then 14, was digging a large hole for a fish pond for his family. All of a sudden, his shovel hit a bomb, buried in the earth decades before he was born, and it exploded. Bounmi was rushed to the nearest medical facility. His life was saved, but he lost his left arm. Americans Bounmi's age learn about the Vietnam war, if at all, from history books or movies, generally the events of the war are, for us, a thing of the past. For Bounmi, and other victims of unexploded bombs in Laos, the war never really ended.

Pakistan
Aid agencies face growing hostility from Pakistani flood victims
[Deutsche-Welle] Enduring starvation and disease, flood survivors are beginning to resent the slow pace of foreign aid in Pakistan. In addition, Pakistanis face the danger of unexploded landmines, washed up by the waters.

Pakistan: ICRC steps up assistance for flood victims
[ICRC] Mines and unexploded ordnance carried by floodwaters into areas that had been considered free of weapons have so far caused 11 casualties in four reported incidents. The ICRC and the Pakistan Red Crescent have been raising awareness of the danger of unexploded munitions in the areas concerned.

Sudan
SUDAN: Freedom and development
[Reuters] People in Girgir El Nogta village saw much hardship during the civil war and remained afflicted by the legacy of the conflict during their new-found peaceful era. Unexploded ordnance (UXO) litters the landscape in Girgir El Nogta, located to the north of Kassala town in one of the most contaminated areas in the north-eastern state of Kassala.

Sri Lanka
One more new NGO takes to demining in North at Army request
[MinistryofDefense] The current demining projects in the north were to have more and more teeth as one more Non Governmental Organization (NGO) joined the bandwagon in order to expedite and further expand ongoing humanitarian demining roles, following an initiative taken by Security Forces Headquarters, Kilinochchi. The latest and the newest NGO, Delvon Assistance for Social Harmony (DASH) with a team of about 29 deminers a few days ago inaugurated its maiden project in areas surrounding the strategic Elephant Pass at the request of the Army deminers, pioneers in the sphere of demining since the government is prioritizing the reopening of the defunct Elephant Pass saltern.

Switzerland

Call for Absolute Ban on Land Mines in Europe
[australia.to] GENEVA - The Council of Europe's Human Rights Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg has urged all European states to ratify the Mine Ban Treaty and the new treaty banning cluster munitions. The six of the 46 Council of Europe member states that have still not ratified the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty in spite of its paramount importance for Europe are: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Finland, Poland and Russia.

Tajiistan
UNDP and TMAC transferred Explosive Ordnance Disposal tools and equipment to the Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense of Tajikistan (CoES)
[E-mine] Today, UNDP Tajikistan and Tajikistan Mine Action Centre (TMAC) transferred Explosive Ordnance Disposal tools kits and vehicles to the Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense of Tajikistan (CoES) following UNDP and TMAC Project "Building Mine/UXO Capacity within CoES".



30 August 2010

Afghanistan
Landmine Removal Underway Historic Afghan City of Ghazni
[TheEpochTimes] Efforts are underway to clear 9 of 48 known minefields in the east central Afghan city of Ghazni before the city is officially designated the Islamic center of civilization. The removal began earlier this month funded by the Canadian Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Action, managed by U.N. Mine Action Service. The nongovernmental Afghan humanitarian organization OMAR, will clear the nine fields in preparation for the 2013 designation by the Islamic Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), according to a press release by the U.N.

Bangladesh
Cluster munitions ban comes into effect
[MuslimNews] The Convention on Cluster Munitions became binding under international law on August 1. The date was marked with celebratory football matches, film screenings and photo exhibitions in 80 countries. Though the Convention contains signatures from 108 countries, only 38 have ratified their membership. Nonetheless, the Cluster Munitions Coalition (CMC) described the Convention as "the most significant disarmament and humanitarian treaty in over a decade."

Cambodia

 Fragments exhibition in aid of 'Cambodia Self Help Demining' comes to Hôtel de la Paix
[Etravelblackboard] From 23 September - 3 November 2010, the pioneering Arts Lounge at Siem Reap's renowned Hôtel de la Paix will host the Asia debut of Fragments, an evocative collection of sculptural works by renowned artist Blake. Inspired by landmine survivors, the exhibition will raise vital funds for mine clearance and survivor support in Cambodia - where up to six million landmines are thought to have been laid during three decades of civil war.

Iraq

The sculptures made out of Iraqi weapons
[Guardian] On a blistering day last month, Zahim Jehad was fossicking around a scrap yard in Basra amid hundreds of live artillery shells. After photographing rusting rounds he took the pictures to Iraq's environment ministry, buoyed by hope he could once again start transforming the lethal relics into sculptures.

Spiders are a favourite, and easily put together by springs and parts of rockets, while the hulking Man of War seems to have a part from every small weapon imaginable. "We sold around 350 pieces," says Zahim. "And we will sell more again. The trouble is that Iraqis don't yet understand NGOs. But when I went to the authorities two weeks ago, I said I could not only deactivate these weapons, but make them into art. They were interested, but we haven't had a response from them – yet."

Five million land mines threaten the lives of people in Maysan
[Baghdadnews] Sources confirm that there are more than five million mines left over from the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988) and the Iraq-U.S. war (2003). The Chairman of the Health and Environment Committee of the provincial council said: "The council allocated an amount that is not in accordance to the large number of existing landmines in the territory in order to remain within the budget confines for clearing mines in the city of Amarah. It is estimated that the city of Amarah has five million landmines and other remnants of war.  He added that the unexploded mines are found everywhere in the province. He also said that radioactive contaminations have affected several citizens as well. The Chairman of the Committee on Health and the Environment asks for both Private and International Organizations to help in launching a humanitarian campaign in Maysan to help them remove deadly mines from their lands.
This article was Translated by Dana Akil - UNMAS Intern

Lebanon
Thirteenth report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701
[voltairenet] The Lebanese Mine Action Centre continues to coordinate humanitarian clearance operations in southern Lebanon through the Regional Mine Action Centre in Nabatiye. The United Nations Mine Action Coordination Centre continues to liaise between UNIFIL and the Regional Centre in respect of operations, accreditation and quality assurance. During the reporting period, four new cluster-bomb strike locations were identified and recorded, bringing to 1,121 the total number of locations to date.

Lithuania

"Open Spirit 2010" underway
[TheBalticTimes] The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense has launched one of the Baltic Sea largest mine clearing operations in years, with warships from 10 different countries taking part in the operation.
"The objective of 'Open Spirit 2010' is to reduce the threat caused to safe navigation by naval mines and other unexploded ammunition remaining on the Baltic seafloor from WWI and WWII," a ministry press release said.

Slovenia
Arab League Donates to Demining Fund.
[STA] Bled, 30 August (STA) - Secretary general of the League of Arab States Amre Moussa has donated US$50,000 to the Slovenia-run International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF) for the rehabilitation of children from Gaza in Slovenia.

Sri Lanka
Mine clearing operations a success in North & East
[MinistryofDefense] In a recent report released the Sri Lanka National Mine Action Center (SLNMAC) concluded that as at June, 2010 a total area of 1,541,880,972sqm in North and East as cleared-off, while an area of 2,468,119,028sqm remaining to be swept by the Army engineering corps.

27 August 2010

Canada
Canada arrests 3 in Qaeda bomb plot, 1 India-born
[TheEconomicTimes] An India-born man and a Pakistani contestant of Canada's version of "American Idol" were among three people arrested as part of a major al-Qaeda terror plot to bomb targets within and outside the country. The trio were charged with conspiring to build bombs for attacks in Canada and raise money to fund IED attacks on Canadian troops in Afghanistan.
Fourth suspect arrested in terror case, prosecutor says
McGill grad third arrest in terror case
[TheGazette] Two Ottawa men and a man from St. Thomas, Ont., are accused of conspiring with others in Iran, Afghanistan, Dubai and Pakistan to build improvised explosive devices for attacks in Canada and raise money to fund IED attacks on Canadian troops in Afghanistan.

Colombia

Back to school with Juanes
[ColombiaReports] Colombian music icon and activist Juanes has managed to make it cool to go back to school by selling notebooks with a message. The pop star and founder of Mi Sangre, a foundation which helps child landmine victims in Colombia, formed an alliance with paper company Scribe to sell notebooks promoting peace. "We radically reject any expression of violence and that is what makes us true combatants, more intelligent, and stronger, more warriors in a fight that is freed with ideas, thought, and intellect; not arms, on the earth we cultivate with our own hands," Juanes said.

Lebanon
Cluster Bombs Hit Tractor in Yohmor al-Shqif, Driver Escapes Unharmed
[Naharnet] Two cluster bombs left over from the 2006 Israeli aggression on Lebanon hit a tractor on the outskirts of the southern town of Yohmor al-Shqif on Wednesday. The driver escaped unharmed.

The National News Agency said the Lebanese army and demining team Mine Action Group (MAG) immediately arrived to the scene to clear it from other cluster bombs.

Malawi
Landmines kill 2 Mozambicans in Malawi
[TheSouthernTimes] A leftover of landmines from the 16-year Mozambican civil war last weekend killed two Mozambican boys in Malawi's central region district of Ntcheu on the Malawi-Mozambique border, eye witnesses have said.

Pakistan

Pakistan flood victims face drifted
[Alarabiya] Pakistan's worst flooding in 80 years, after devastating dozens of cities and towns across the country, now poses an extra danger to millions of stranded people and dozens of relief missions with landmines drifted from troubled northern tribal areas and the disputed Kashmir region. Authorities in Islamabad said that scores of landmines drifted by floods from restive tribal areas and Kashmir posed serious threats to people living in the lowland, especially on the plains of Punjab.

Turkey

Azerbaijani experts participate in mine clearing operations in Turkey
[APA] Baku. Rashad Suleymanov – APA. Mine clearing operations in antique Turkish town of Karkamish in Gaziantep province on Turkish-Syrian borders will be completed in November, 2010, Murat Keklik, CEO, Nokta Investment and Construction Company told APA. He said they were conducting mine clearing in Karkamish jointly with the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Actions (ANAMA), who won the last year's tender attended by US, Italian, Israeli and German companies.



26 August 2010

UNMAS 
 
Annual Report 2009
[E-mine] 20 Donors contribute $90.7 million to Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Action.

Afghanistan

UN backs mine removal efforts in historic Afghan city
[UNNewsCentre] The United Nations entity tasked with coordinating landmine removal efforts said today it is supporting the efforts of a local organization that is removing mines from the Afghan city of Ghazni, ahead of a planned designation of the city as an Islamic centre of civilization.

The project, which is being carried out by OMAR, an Afghan humanitarian mine action non-governmental organization (NGO), is funded by Canada through the Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Action, which is managed by the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS).

Sudan
Landmines threaten the lives of people in Southern Sudan
[Reuters] Despite the war ending between the Northern and Southern parts of Sudan five years ago, the Southern town of Malakal is still in danger. More than half of the field have landmines which ought to be removed. These landmines were planted by the Liberation Army forces that were deployed during the 22 year war. After the end of the war, civilians rushed back to their homes—most of which are on landmine fields. This in turn complicates the Mine Action Office's task (United Nations) in Sudan.
[This article has been translated by Dana Akil, Intern in UNMAS]

SUDAN: MAG has positive impact for returning refugees
[Reuters] Luka remembers that when he looked back, for what would be the last sight of his homeland for nine years, there were around 300 people running behind them. Once they safely reached Uganda, they found a new home at the Salari Refugee Camp, where their six other children were born. 'Full of landmines' Though the 21-year civil war ended in 2005, the family hesitated before returning to Sudan as they were told that the area was "full of landmines" and unexploded ordnance (UXO) from the conflict. They organised a 'recognition visit', where representatives from families at the refugee camp travelled to their places of origin to check if resettlement would be possible. "UNHCR [the UN Refugee Agency] showed us some photos and videos," Luka told us, "but we needed to see it with our own eyes."


25 August 2010

Angola
Church leader calls for respect for landmine warning signs
[Angop] The leader of Evangelic Baptist Church in Angola, reverend Daniel Ntoni Nzinga, appealed to the population to abide by the landmine warning signs, placed in suspect infected places.

US official praises demining in Bie province
[Angop] Kuito - The program manager in the office of weapons and abatement in the US State Department, Darren Manning, on Tuesday considered positive the demining operations in Kunhinga municipality, central highland Bie province.

Pakistan
PAKISTAN: MAG works with national partner to help flood victims
[Reuters] Following the devastation caused by the extreme flooding in Pakistan, MAG has been working with our national partner SPADO to limit the dangers people face from landmines and other deadly items of unexploded ordnance (UXO) dislodged by the floods.

Sri Lanka
India has sent seven demining teams to Sri Lanka: Krishna
[SifyNews] India has deployed seven demining teams in civil war ravaged areas of Northern Sri Lanka, besides number of other assistance projects for the people affected by the conflict, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

24 August 2010

Afghanistan
MACCA Newsletter July 2010
[E-mine] New Mine Risk Education initiatives to expand reach of messages throughout the country. MACCA Newsletter July edition in English, Pashto and Dari.

Albania
Jab Swart : The Albanian Mine Action Programme
[PRinside.com] The Albanian government, working in conjunction with various governments and organisations, is slowly working its way towards establishing a stronger national mine action programme and, eventually, a mine-free Albania.

Burundi
Survey begins in the Kibira forest area
[Reliefweb] Thanks to funding from the Swiss Government, the Burundian Civilian Defence and MAG are finally able to survey the last areas suspected to be contaminated by landmines and/or unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the area around the Kibira Forest in north-west Burundi.

Egypt
"Decent Life" Project For The Care Of Victims-Victim Assistance- Of Mines In Egypt
[moheet] Dr. Ibrahim Al-Za'farani—director emergency relief—made a public apology at the conference on Mines victims and a promise to make every effort to end their suffering. This was said during a press conference held by the Committee on Relief and Emergency Federation of Arab Doctors in the presence of mine victims (Western Desert in Egypt). Both Ambassador Fathy El Shazly (Project manager for the rehabilitation of victims-World War II mines Ministry of International cooperation), and Dr. Hisham Alsoli are responsible for the internal offices and emergency relief committee. Za'farani commented on the efforts made by the Ministry of International Cooperation in dealing with artificial limbs for a number of mine victims from World War II in Matrouh. He said: "We owe the Ministry of International Cooperation for its contribution in the installation of artificial limbs for 16 cases and we hope to continue relieving the suffering of these victims. This is their right, and our duty to do so."

[This article has been translated by Dana Akil, Intern in UNMAS. Thank you Dana!]

Iraq
Environmental Survey: Landmines Spread Across Thousands of Kilometers
[almadapaper.net] The Ministry of Environmental affairs (Iraqi) revealed that approximately one thousand and seven hundred and thirty square kilometres of Iraq is contaminated with Landmines. Osman explained that it is difficult to determine the exact number of mines in these areas. [This article has been translated by Dana Akil, Intern in UNMAS. Thank you Dana!]

MAG Iraq report - July 2010
[Reuters] In July, MAG Iraq Mine Action Teams (MAT) completed clearance operations in 10 prioritised clearance tasks in Dohuk, Sulimaniyah and Kirkuk governorates, directly benefiting more than 4,781 individuals and supporting village rehabilitation, agricultural and socio-economic development in the region.

Laos 


Old Bombs Shatter Laotian Women's Lives
VIENTIANE, Laos (WOMENSENEWS)--Five years ago, 24-year-old Yue's husband, Lue Ha, hit a bomb while foraging for medicinal herbs in the jungles of northern Laos. The accident blinded him. Since then, Yue, who only goes by one name, says, "Ooh, there are many things that have changed." She feels "like two or three persons in one," having to care for her husband and two young children. "The greatest difficulty is everything in the family became mine--husband's job became mine. Children's job became mine…I just tried to grow very little rice for the family. And I also did a little embroidery to sell and earn money."

Lebanon
MAG Lebanon report - July 2010
[Reuters] The primary focus of clearance remains the development of livelihoods through access to agricultural areas, including growing vegetables and orchards. Additionally houses are being repaired or built and a new school is being built in Zawtar West as a result of MAG clearance activities.

Malawi
Landmine kills two children in Ntcheu (Aug.24, 2010) by Justice Mponda
[MalawiVoice] Two children have been killed and a man seriously injured after a suspected landmine exploded in Sela village, which shares borders with Mozambique, in Dowa, over the weekend.

Pakistan

PESHAWAR: Three children and a woman were injured by floating explosive devices in the militancy-affected areas of Dera Ismail Khan and Tank districts over the past four days.
[AFP] Flood survivors gather in the Navy medical camp in Fareed Abad. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed that three children were injured in Dera Ismail Khan on Friday by a home-made bomb that detonated when one of them touched it. Earlier, a woman was struck by another explosive device. The injured people had been admitted to the ICRC field hospital in Peshawar. The committee said the device appeared to have been moved by floodwaters.

Bomb kills seven at tribal elders' meeting in Kurram
Landmine explosion resulted in seven people (at triball elders' meeting in Kurram) being killed. In this article they explain it remains unclear whether the blast was an intended attack or if the ordinance had exploded accidentally. Kurram has for three years been an area known for violence between Shia and Sunni Muslims.
Bomb kills 7 at tribal elders' meeting in Pakistan
[AFP] A bomb has exploded inside a school during a meeting of elders in a remote tribal region in northwest Pakistan killing seven tribesmen including a teacher

Sri Lanka
Army Troops & De-mining Organizations recover a large assortment of explosives items etc
[Reliefweb] De-mining operations continued yesterday (23) in the WANNI, MANNAR, KILLINOCHCHI, MULLAITIVU and the EAST . In the WANNI, Army Troops conducting clearing operations in the 56 Army Division area recovered 48 "Rangan 99 " AP mines from MAHILANKULAM yesterday (23) while the Horizon De- mining Organization recovered 01 x anti tank mine from the same area.

Hollywood 

Nanny McPhee Returns (Universal Pictures, PG)
[playbackstl] Then things pick up and I found myself alternately charmed, amused, and moved by this story of wartime England and even impressed by the efficient methodology by which the film sneaks in life lessons whose virtues are above reproach. The kids have lots of adventures, from rounding up escaped piglets to venturing to the War Department to track down news of their missing father. I'm pleased to say that the girls get their share of the action and Meggsie, who is seldom seen without her tool belt, snips the critical wires which defuse a bit of unexploded ordnance and save everyone from being blown to kingdom come.

23 August 2010

Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Demining, north of Kabul
[Reliefweb]  The Mine Action Programme of Afghanistan (MAPA) destroyed about 11,500 mines and 380,000 explosive remnants of war in 65 communities across the country this year, and educated almost half-a-million Afghans, 42 per cent of whom were women, about mine safety. MAPA is coordinated by the Mine Action Coordination Centre of Afghanistan (MACCA), with support from the United Nations. Photo: Eric Kanalstein / UNAMA


Azerbaijan


Slovakia sells five BOZENA mine clearance flail machines to Azerbaijan
[News.az]  Way Industry company of Slovakia has sold five BOZENA mine clearance flail machines to Azerbaijan in the past six years, director of Bozena department of the company Valer Repko said.  Two of the mine clearance flail machines sold to Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) are BOZENA 5, three are BOZENA 4.  "We are very satisfied about the cooperation with ANAMA especially due to their high professionalism and excellent technical care especially regarding after-sale service and maintenance support. We have delivered more than 190 BOZENA machines to 23 countries but ANAMA technical staff is one of the best in the world within mine action community," Repko said.


Lebanon


Lebanon: UN official welcomes move to ratify ban on cluster munitions
[UNNewsCentre] The top United Nations official in Lebanon today welcomed the decision of the country's Parliament to approve the ratification of the international convention prohibiting the manufacture, use and stockpiling of cluster munitions.


Yemen


Aden: Founding the Association for Mines victims

[Almotamar] The first Constituent Assembly branch of the Yemen Mine Survivors association was formed. It is composed of four members and chaired by Omar Ali. The hotel "Mercure" was selected in Aden, Yemen. The Oversight Committee includes three members, led by Nasser Ahmed Fertot.

Click here to read the original article in Arabic
[This article has been translated by Dana Akil, Intern in UNMAS.  Thank you Dana!]


18 August 2010

Iraq 



4 unexploded mines

[moheet] Iraq is considered one of the most "polluted" countries by landmines. A part of this dates back to the war with Iran.. Several civilians have been harmed. They estimate 25 million landmines in Iraq. And it is for this reason that landmines are considered a real danger for civilians' lives (esp. South Iraq). The Iraqi government started a campaign to remove mines with the help of geologists, engineers and the United Nations mission in Iraq. Engineer Eisa al Araji, and official in the Ministry of Environment , confirmed that international/local efforts need to be made in order to develop a program that addresses this problem (disclosing a strategy developed by numerous international parties to help his country in getting rid of mines). He is now working with dozens of experts and specialists in this realm to remove mines and remnants of war in different parts of Iraq in accordance to the conventions held by the Iraqi government with international parties.

United Kingdom


Hero soldier who lost 3 limbs in Afghan blast opens £2m sunshine villa to help wounded colleagues recuperate
[dailymail.co.uk] Severely-injured troops will recuperate at a specially-built luxury £2million sunshine villa thanks to the tireless determination of a British hero who lost three limbs in Afghanistan. Royal Marine Mark Ormrod was among the most critically-wounded servicemen to survive the war.

Sudan
SUDAN / MALAKAL LANDMINES (Video)
[Unifeed] Malakal was a key battlefield during the war between the North and the South, which ended with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005. But more than half the town's minefields have yet to be cleared and Malakal remains one of the most affected places in the entire Southern Sudan. UNMIS

16 August 2010

Burundi
Burundi only EA state to ratify cluster arms pact
[theeastafrican] As the Convention on Cluster Munitions comes into force this month, Burundi will occupy pride of place as the only East African state to have ratified the international pact. Burundi and six other African nations join 30 countries from across the world that have already ratified the convention.

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka working towards being free from the threat of the land mines
[Asiantribune] A Technical Working Group (TWG) on Mine Risk Education (MRE), Victim Assistance and Advocacy, was held on 10th and 11th of August in Ampara with the participation of the Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social Services, Sri Lanka Army Humanitarian De-Mining Unit (HDU), Social Departments of North and East Provincial Councils, partner NGOs and with the facilitation from the UNICEF.

Sudan
Kenyan Demining team destroys 90 kg of mines in west Wau
[ReliefWeb] Kenyan Demining team destroyed, on Friday 13 August 2010, 90 kilograms of Anti-Tanks and Anti-Personnel mines and unexploded ordnances at Atandi village, west of Wau in southern Sudan. The commander of the Kenyan team, Major Cleophas Mundui, said mines and unexploded ordnances were cleared by trained dogs. In a similar context, UN Mine Action Office in Wau disclosed that about 100 danger areas ranging from stockpiles to mine infested areas, have been cleared from mines and unexploded ordnances from January to June this year.

United Kingdom
Preston Brook recruitment firm joins war on unexploded weapons
[runcornandwidnesweeklynews] based recruitment specialists are backing a drive to end the scourge of battle ravaged land. Executive search business RMG has joined forces with North West business leaders in the Mag-net network - an offshoot of the Mines Advisory Group (Mag), which clears current and former conflict zones of the unexploded remnants of war. These include landmines, rockets, missiles, mortars and grenades. It also deals with abandoned guns and ammunition. The network group aims to raise the profile of Mag in the business community through bimonthly business networking opportunities and charity events.


12 August 2010

Lebanon


Removing cluster bombs from soil
[CNN] Bombs buried in the soil along Lebanon's southern border with Israel were ferreted out. Small U.N. team from the French battalion assigned to remove cluster bombs. Team estimates it's scanned about 18 percent of the area blanketed in cluster bombs


United States


United States Supports Conventional Weapons Destruction in Guinea-Bissau
[USDepartmentofState] The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs is providing $1 million in support of Guinea-Bissau's efforts to rid itself of landmines as well as excess and deteriorating arms and munitions. "Our sustained efforts to help clear the explosive hazards remaining from Guinea-Bissau's struggle for independence and from its civil war demonstrate America's friendship and genuine concern for the well-being of its people," remarked Andrew J. Shapiro, the Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs. "Our mine action and conventional weapons destruction programs are truly humanitarian and transcend political differences."



10 August 2010

Afghanistan
Afghan civilian toll points to Isaf mission dilemma
[BBC] According to the UN's special representative in Afghanistan, Staffan de Mistura, "the human cost of the conflict is escalating in 2010 and civilian casualties are increasing substantially". Women and children in particular are bearing the brunt, with an extraordinary 155% rise in the numbers of young people dying in insurgent bomb blasts.


Angola
Over 200,000 anti-personnel landmines removed
[Angop] About 290, 242 anti-personal mines were removed and destroyed from 2006 up to the first quarter of 2010 in the country.
Usd 8.0 million spent in landmine victims assistance
[Angop] The Angolan Government has disbursed Usd 8.0 million to assist landmine disabled people for the period 2010-2011, reads a paper distributed to Angop today by the National Inter-sectorial Commission for Demining and Humanitarian Assistance (CNIDAH).

Israeli Technology Clears Landmines in Angola
[themedialine.org] Digital photography helps detects land mines in Angola. Airborne sensors developed in Israel are helping to detect land mines in Angola, one of the most heavily mined countries in the world.


Bahrain

Ban cluster bombs!
[GulfDailyNews] PRESSURE is growing on Bahrain to join the movement against controversial cluster bombs. The Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions, became international law on August 1, but so far only 37 countries have ratified it.


Cambodia
Bomb blast kills man, injures wife, daughter
[Phnompenhpost] A 48-YEAR-OLD man was killed and his wife and daughter were injured in Pursat province's Kravanh district yesterday when they attempted to use a bomb to catch fish, a local official said. According to a report from the Cambodian Mine/UXO (unexploded ordnance) Victim Information System, 72 people were killed by explosive remnants of war and mines in the first four months of this year.

Comoros 
 
Comoros ratifies and Djibouti signs cluster bomb ban treaty
[CMC] Two African states took action on the Convention on Cluster Munitions in the days before 1 August 2010, when the Convention entered into force and became binding international law. Comoros ratified the Convention on 28 July at the United Nations, becoming the 38th country fully on board the treaty, and Djibouti signed the Convention on 30 July.


Germany
LGT launches three new sustainability funds in Germany
[Citywire] LGT Capital Management has broadened its product range in Germany with three sustainability funds, reports the German paper fondsprofessionell. All three funds have the same systematic investment process. First phase screening cuts out any names which meet clearly defined negative criteria, such as business related to tobacco, gambling, pornography or weapons. The same goes for government bonds from countries which did not sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or have not banned all anti-personnel landmines. By using these criteria, LGT already excludes bonds from the United States, Russia, and France.

Laos

Laos Takes Center Stage in Cluster Bombs Treaty
[irrawaddy] After being relegated to the shadows for decades by its more powerful neighbors, Laos is finally taking the lead role in a global campaign to ban the use of cluster bombs. It is a role that the poverty-stricken Southeast Asian nation of 6.3 million people easily qualifies for. After all, it is the country most affected by the deadly payload it has borne since the US military intervention in the region nearly four decades ago.

View From Laos: U.S. Ducks Cluster Bomb Ban as Laotians Still Die From Buried U.S. Explosives
[ABC] The young woman brushes her metal detector over coarse, dry grass in a field near a primary school. Against the sound of children playing, the machine beeps as she searches for unexploded bombs dropped by American aircraft four decades ago.

Pakistan

Pakistan: floodwaters increase dangers posed by unexploded munitions
[ICRC] Three young children were seriously wounded in Dera Ismail Khan today by a homemade bomb that detonated when one of them touched it.

06 August 2010

Angola
National Summit on Landmines Begins Monday
[AngolaPress] The first national summit on landmine action takes place from 9 to 10 August this years at Convention Centre of Belas in Luanda in an initiative of the National Inter-Sectoral Commission for Demining and Humanitarian Assistance (CNIDAH) supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Angola. According to a press note from UNDP released to Angop on Friday, the summit aims to bring together the key national and international actors on landmine action in Angola in order to analyze and present the status of current situation of the country in reduction of landmines and explosive devises. The event aims to contribute to the fulfilment of obligations of international conventions ratified and promulgated by Angola including the Ottawa convention.

Germany 

World War II bomb found near major Hamburg bridge
[TheLocal.de] A 250-kilogramme World War II-era bomb was discovered at a recycling centre close to an important cable-stayed bridge in Hamburg today, forcing authorities to evacuate the area for recovery efforts. It remains unclear how the large American aerial bomb wound up in a pile of metal scrap at the recycling centre just 800 metres from the heavily trafficked Köhlbrandbrücke, a fire department spokesperson said. Experts from the city's ordnance disposal unit planned to defuse the bomb in late afternoon, but first had to evacuate the surrounding 300-metre area and create a 1,000-metre warning area where residents and workers were instructed to remain indoors during the operation. This case was unusual because unexploded war ordnance is usually found underground during construction work, the fire department spokesperson said.

Sri Lanka
US Helps Sri Lanka to Demine Further
[SifyNews] The US will contribute Rs. 581 million ($5.4 million) more for demining in Sri Lanka until the next summer. These funds follow on the Rs.742 million ($6.6 million) contribution from the US to four international demining agencies working in the island's north. Tens of thousands of mines were laid by the military and the Tamil Tigers during their long conflict that ended in May last year with the crushing defeat of the Tigers.

United States 
 
One Mother's Thoughts on Cluster Bombs
[WillamettWeek.com] Watch a video interview and read the opinion piece of a mother who lost her 21-year-old soldier son, Travis (pictured) to a cluster bomb in Iraq. Lynn Bradach has become an active advocate of the cluster ban and has campaigned around the world for five years in support of the ban. Ms. Bradach has also recently been interviewed by Handicap International (link to video) where she discusses joining the Ban Advocates group and her latest efforts to urge the US to sign onto the treaty.

Mine Action Employment Opportunities
[E-mine] MINURCAT Mine Action Programme Manager / Duty Station:Abeche, Chad / Organization: UNOPS / MINURCAT Mine Action Unit / Deadline For Applications: 27 August 2010 


05 August 2010

Australia

Australian Bank Criticized Over Bomb Finance
[AustraliaNetworkNews] In the same week that the Convention on Cluster Munitions has come into effect, Australia's ANZ bank is being pressured to stop financing companies that produce the munitions. ANZ provides credit to Lockheed Martin, which has produced cluster munitions, and a company that makes fuses used in the bombs. Australia has signed up to the ban - the Convention on Cluster Munitions - but has yet to ratify it and pass national laws. Campaigners hope the bank will take action on moral grounds rather than wait to be forced by legislation.

Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan Disables Almost 4,000 Landmines in July
[news.az] Azerbaijan's National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) cleared 3,035,564 square metres of land of mines last month. A total of 3,987 unexploded shells, including 24 anti-tank mines and four anti-infantry mines, were found and neutralized in July. The mines were laid during the Armenian-Azerbaijani war over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. A cease-fire was declared in 1994.

Thailand
 
Vets Treat Elephant Landmine Victim In Thailand
[npr.org] Veterinarians were treating the latest land mine victim from the Thai-Myanmar border Thursday, a 22-year-old female elephant whose foot was severely wounded by the explosion. Mae Ka Pae, as she is called, is the 13th mine casualty to be treated at the innovative Friends of Asian Elephant hospital near this city in northern Thailand since it began operating in 1993. The elephant was injured at the frontier, which is strewn with land mines from fighting between the Myanmar government and ethnic minority rebels. She joins two other elephants, Motala and Mosha, who remain hospitalized but have recovered well enough to wear prosthetic legs.

United States
U.S. Still Undecided on Joining Landmines Treaty
[Reuters] The United States has still not decided whether it will sign a 1997 global treaty to ban land mines but said on Tuesday it has invested heavily to help mitigate the impact the weapons have around the world. Releasing the State Department's annual review on the destruction of conventional weapons, a senior official acknowledged that a review of U.S. landmines policy -- which has been ongoing since last year -- is not yet complete. The United States has not signed the Mine Ban Treaty or a global treaty banning cluster munitions, despite what it says are world-leading efforts to provide assistance for the clearance of landmines as well as the destruction of unsecured weapons and munitions. "Just because we haven't signed those treaties doesn't mean we don't understand the humanitarian effects of those type of munitions," said Brigadier General Thomas Masiello, deputy assistant secretary for political and military affairs. In its annual weapons destruction report, the United States mentioned the danger of unexploded landmines and other weapons in post-conflict battlefields and said in active war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan they can be transformed into improvised explosive devices. "National governments, agencies and domestic and international organizations must have the funding, training and flexibility to mitigate these threats," the report said, though it did not explain why the United States did not sign on to the international treaties.

04 August 2010

Cambodia 

Cambodia in Clasp of Cluster Bombs
[AlJazeera] A report on Cambodia's non-signatory status for the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Al Jazeera Stephanie Scawen reports from the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, on why the government has not signed the treaty to clear their land of the mines. Ms. Scawen speaks with cluster bomb victims, Cluster Munition Coalition activists and members of the Cambodia Mine Action Center.

Cambodia: Demining Efforts Trip Over Donor Fatigue
[Globalissues.org] Another report on Cambodia's CCM status. Cambodia has come under criticism for not signing on to the cluster munitions convention despite being one of its early proponents. But officials say they must conduct further research to figure out how the convention will affect the country's military, how much contaminated land it can realistically clear — and how much time and money that will take. Said Leng Sochea, deputy secretary-general of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA): 'If we sign it, it means we bind our hands.'

Convention on Cluster Munitions 

Ghana and Canada Commemorate Ban of Cluster Munitions
[GhanaWeb] Ghana and Canada on Tuesday jointly observed United Nations ban on cluster munitions with the beating of heavy African "fontomfrom" drums to signify the triumphant coming into force of the law on Sunday, August 1. Justifying the need for Ghana to ratify the Convention in spite of the fact that the country had not purchased, stockpiled, manufactured, contaminated and affected by cluster munitions, Col. Asare, Chairman of National Commission of Small Arms said the nation must ratify it to deter non-state parties from using cluster munitions. He said "We need to ratify the Convention in view of the suffering endured by civilians during and long after cluster munitions have been used in warfare and the lack of an adequate response to this phenomenon, we need to ratify it to pro-actively prevent future suffering by mankind from the use of these weapons." Mr. Michael Gort, Canadian Charge d'affairs, said the entry into force of the Convention was an important humanitarian achievement and stressed that Canada had initiated legislative moves to ratify the Convention by the end of the year.

Ethiopia
Germany Renews its Contribution to Demining in Ethiopia
[UNDP/EMAO] On behalf of the German Government, Mr. Till Blume, Chargé d'Affaires of German Embassy donated 100 units of mine / metal detectors worth EUR 216,000 to the Ethiopian Mine Action Office (EMAO) in support of Ethiopia's ongoing demining programme. The German donation especially contributes to EMAO's efforts to enhance its capacities for effective and efficient technical operations of integrated demining.

Serbia
Mine clearance in Pasuljanske livade training ground
[SerbiaMinistryofDefence ] The cooperation of the SAF, Emergency Situations Department of the Ministry of the Interior and the Russian state-agency Emerkom resulted in a successful clearance of mines at Pasuljanske livade training ground. These mines and unexploded ordnance were left in the wake of the ammo dump explosion in Paracin. Additionally, three German bombs from WWII were found and destroyed. After combing the terrain, detecting unexploded ordnance and its transport, at Pasuljanske livade training ground, more than 70 bombs, grenades and other unexploded ordnance were disposed of.

United States
US Releases 'To Walk The Earth In Safety'
[USDeptofState] The United States Department of State have released their annual humanitarian mine action report highlighting program achievements and strides taken towards weapon and munitions destruction. Click on the link above to download the report.

Mine Action Employment Opportunities
[E-mine] Armed Violence Reduction and Risk Education Technical Advisor / Duty Station: Lyon, France / Organization: Handicap International/ Deadline For Applications: 20 August 2010 
 

03 August 2010

European Union
 EU Recognizes CCM Entry into Force
[Euroalert] The European Union highlighted that universalisation and full implementation of the Treaties and Conventions in the multilateral system are at the heart of its actions in the area of non proliferation and disarmament. The European Union is deeply concerned with the tremendous humanitarian, socio-economic and development challenges still posed by the use of cluster munitions. At the date of the Convention's entry into force, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission, Catherine Ashton, stressed that continued efforts are needed in order to increase the number of ratifications, a commitment that the European Union will support in its action.

Georgia
Explosive Remnants of War Coordination Center July Newsletter
[ERWCC] The Explosive Remnants of War Coordination Center in Georgia has published their most recent newsletter. Highlights include stories on a workshop held for the OASIS program which will be used in Georgia and Pakistan, as well as quality control operations in the recently cleared Gori region.

India
Experts Ask Govt to Ratify Treaty to Ban Use of Cluster Bombs
[DeccanHerald] Experts today asked the government to ratify an international treaty to ban use of cluster bombs, saying the ammunition is an ''indiscriminate'' weapon which has a bearing on civilian population. At a press conference organised by Control Arms Foundation of India, they said if one can have a war without the use of cluster munitions (cluster bombs), why should not one go for that. India is among the 34 countries that produce or are still producing cluster bombs and among 87 countries that has stockpiles. Binalakshmi Nepram, Secretary General of CAFI, said they expect the government to sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions, and India should also attend the first meeting of States Parties to the Convention which will be held in November in Lao PDR.

Iraq
Iraq Kurdistan Regional Mine Action Agency Newsletter
[E-mine] The Iraq Kurdistan Regional Mine Action Agency (IKMAA] have published their later newsletter, The Deminer Post #5. Highlights include stories on a Mine Risk Education summer school project, a handover ceremony as well as a major tourism initiative.

Italy

Pope Praises International Ban on Cluster Bombs
[CatholicNewsService] Pope Benedict XVI praised the 108 nations that have adopted a treaty banning the stockpiling and use of cluster bombs and encouraged other nations to follow suit "for the defense of human dignity and human life." Speaking Aug. 1 at the papal summer villa in Castel Gandolfo, the day the Convention on Cluster Munitions went into effect, the pope said the weapons, which release a cluster of small bombs over a wide area, "provoke unacceptable damage on civilians." After reciting the Angelus with visitors, the pope expressed the Vatican's satisfaction with the treaty and his personal concern for "the numerous victims who have suffered and continue to suffer" serious damage "because of these insidious weapons."

Lao PDR

As Cluster Bomb Ban Takes Effect, the View from Laos
[ChristianScienceMonitor] A young woman brushes her metal detector over coarse, dry grass in a field near a primary school. Against the sound of children playing, the machine beeps as she searches for unexploded bombs dropped by American aircraft four decades ago. On average, one person a day is injured or killed in some part of the country by unexploded ordnance. Ping Souvanton's brother was one of those victims. She now works for Mines Advisory Group, and leads the all-female team clearing this field outside the school in central Laos. A few years ago, while farming with his parents, Ms. Souvanton's 9-year-old brother struck a "bombie" with his hoe. He died in the explosion. "It makes me angry," she says in an interview at the school site. "Even though the war is over, the bombs still kill people." Figures show a dramatic contrast between the amount the US spent bombing Laos and the amount spent clearing away their lethal legacy. The US currently contributes about $5 million per year to cleanup efforts. Every single day for nine years it spent about $17 million (in today's dollars) bombing Laos, according to Legacies of War. "I hope the US will do the right thing and address this problem once and for all," Ms. Khamvongsa, executive director of Legacies of War, says.S

Slovakia
Ban on Cluster Bombs Will Have Serious Financial Implications for Slovakia
[RadioSlovakiaInternational] Slovakia is one of the four EU states that still haven't signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM).The Slovak Defence Ministry recommends that Slovakia take part in the CCM that came into effect on Sunday, but only when the country is able to meet the commitments included in it. A former producer and exporter of cluster munitions, Slovakia still has stockpiles of this weapon, which are supposed to be replaced by 2020 at the latest. "The defence minister, in co-operation with the economy minister and foreign affairs minister, will submit an action plan proposal to a government session by June 30, 2012," said ministry spokesperson Richard Sumeghy.


02 August 2010 

UN hails entry into force of global pact banning cluster munitions
[UNVideos] Video. United Nations officials have expressed their delight at Sunday's entry into force of the international convention banning the manufacture, use and stockpiling of cluster munitions, calling it a "major advance for the global disarmament and humanitarian agendas

Cambodia

CNN Hero: Aki Ra
Cambodian man clears land mines he set decades ago
[CNN] Siem Reap, Cambodia (CNN) -- Maneuvering slowly through grassy Cambodian terrain, a caravan of 20 men and women is on a search-and-rescue mission. Dressed in military fatigues, they are guided by a fearless leader who calculates every step and ensures the safest path for his comrades.

Georgia
Georgia marks entry into force of Convention on Cluster Munitions
[Trend] Georgia, Tbilisi, Aug.2 / Trend, N. Kirtskhalia / The world marked entry into force of the convention on cluster munitions. Georgia, along with 75 countries of the world, held an event, condemning its use. In all countries, the main component of these events was musical actions. One common video will be made from the clips, shot in different countries, which will be demonstrated on various TV channels, Internet sites and in social network.

Israel

New Method Tested to Clear Landmine Fields
[IDF] IDF Central Command will examine the option of clearing landmine fields. There are currently about 25,000 anti tank landmines and approximately half a million antipersonnel mines in the Jordan Valley. In the coming weeks, IDF's Central Command will test a new method for clearing fields of landmines through the use of flammable materials, as opposed to explosives. For the first time in IDF history, the engineering forces will test a special material that will burn away the explosive powder of the landmine and enable the army to declare certain areas free of landmines in an easier way that does not endanger the soldiers' lives. If the experiment is deemed successful, the authorities will look into using this new method of clearing landmine fields in more complex areas that are closer to civilian populations.

Japan
U.N. chief welcomes entry into force of treaty to ban cluster bombs
[KyodoNews] NEW YORK, July 30 -- (Kyodo) _ U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon on Friday welcomed the entry into force Sunday of an international treaty to ban the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster bombs. "This new instrument is a major advance for the global disarmament and humanitarian agendas," Ban said in a statement released ahead of the Aug. 1 entry into force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The U.N. chief called upon those states which have yet to accede to the convention to do so without delay, while encouraging all member states to participate in the first meeting of signatory parties to be held in November in Laos. The convention, adopted in May 2008, will take effect Sunday, six months after it was ratified by the 30th state in February.
Current signatories include Britain, France, Germany, Laos, New Zealand and Mexico. The United States and Russia have not signed the treaty. Cluster munitions are air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapons that eject a number of small bomblets to kill enemy personnel or disable armored vehicles. Humanitarian groups have criticized their use because civilians have fallen victim to duds long after conflicts have ended.

South Korea
30 more NK landmines found
[TheKoreaTimes] The South Korean military Monday picked up 30 more wooden-boxed North Korean landmines, believed to have been swept down to the South by heavy rains, in their search of three consecutive days near rivers and islands close to the West Sea border with the North, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

1 killed, 1 injured in explosion near border town between S Korea, DPRK
[Xinhua] SEOUL, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- A man was killed while another injured in an explosion occurred Saturday near a border town between South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Seoul's Yonhap News Agency reported Sunday. The explosion, took place around 23:20 local time on Saturday near a border town in Gyeonggi Province, some 60 km northeast of the capital Seoul, was caused by a boxed landmine suspected of drifting south from the DPRK, Yonhap said, citing local police.

Slovakia
AI urges Slovakia to sign convention on cluster munitions
[TheSlovakSpectator] Human rights organisation Amnesty International urged Slovakia's government on Friday, July 30, to sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions which entered into force on Sunday (August 1). Among the 107 countries who are signatories to the convention is a majority of member states of the European Union, which Slovakia joined in 2004, according to Martina Mazurová, campaign coordinator of the Slovak unit of the international NGO. The European Union has called on all member states to adopt the treaty by the end of 2010.

Sudan
Sudan: Celebrating the entry into force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions
[Reliefweb] Leonie Barnes, acting Programme Manager of the United Nations Mine Action Office (UNMAO) in Sudan thanked everyone for the invitation to the event celebrating the entry into force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, held at the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs today, 1 August 2010.

Switzerland
Global Cluster Munitions Treaty Comes Into Effect
[AHN] Geneva, Switzerland (AHN) - Nearly two years after starting talks in Dublin, the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans the stockpiling, production, transfer and use of all existing cluster bombs, has come into force on Sunday in Geneva. The convention, which is adopted by 108 states but ratified by only 38 of them, also orders the clearing up of unexploded munitions. Campaigners across the world welcomed the ban.

Global cluster bomb ban comes into force
[BBC] new global treaty banning cluster munitions has come into force. The Convention on Cluster Munitions bans the stockpiling, use and transfer of virtually all existing cluster bombs, and also provides for the clearing up of unexploded munitions. It has been adopted

Yemen


Mechanism of organizing movements of humanitarian assistance discussed
[SABA] SANA'A, Aug. 02 (Saba)- Mechanism of organizing movements of the workers of humanitarian organizations and humanitarian assistance to the displaced people in Saada and Amran provinces was discussed on Monday.



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See Also:

Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free Word

GICHD Close-up (GICHD)

13th International Meeting of National Mine Action Programme Directors and UN Advisors