The victims of landmines are usually the innocent — women and children. A plea has gone out, calling on African countries to prohibit these stealthy weapons, reports Annie Mapoma
AFRICAN countries this week face mounting pressure to sign a treaty on the ban of landmines. The International Committee of the Red Cross, the Organisation for African Unity and public figures like Archbishop Desmond Tutu have gathered at a Harare conference to plead for the prohibition of the production, use and export of landmines.
While Africa is estimated to be littered with more than a third of the 100-million mines world-wide, only three countries — Benin, Niger and Tunisia — are signatories to the 1980 United Nations Convention restricting their use.
The most critical situations are in Angola — which, after a 20-year war, is now riddled with an estimated nine million landmines — Mozambique (two million) and Somalia (one million).
South Africa has not experienced a problem with landmines but has played a great part in manufacturing and marketing them.
The ICRC’s Vincent Nicod said South Africa had developed one of the world’s most sophisticated counter-mine techniques which has been used in de- mining areas in Namibia.
In response to a United Nations request, at a 1993 conference, for member states to impose a moratorium on anti-personnel mines, South Africa last year declared a suspension of export and transit of all mines.
South Africa is sending an influential delegation including Major-General Faan Grobbelaar, of Far North Command; Dr Ian Phillips, member of the Standing Committee on Defence; Mike Kekana, of Lawyers for Human Rights and Naiem Dollie, of Peace Visions to Harare.
The Defence Ministry could not be reached for comment on their position on signing the treaty.
According to Nicod, there are two main categories of landmines in use; a large anti-tank mine designed to be triggered by vehicles, and the small inexpensive anti- personnel mine designed specifically to kill or incapacitate people.
According to Human Rights Watch, more than 340 anti- personnel landmine models have been produced in at least 48 nations world-wide. Their prices range from US$3 to $75 per unit, while UN estimates clearance cost to be between $300 and $1 000 per mine.
“Although the international community seems to acknowledge the waste of human life being caused by landmines, few producer nations are keen to entertain the idea of a total ban,” said Nicod.
At a January meeting in Geneva ICRC drew up proposals, supported by a Group of Governmental experts, to be discussed at a September conference in Vienna to review the 1980 Convention.
These include:
* All anti-personnel mines must be detectable.
* Remotely delivered mines must contain a self- destructing mechanism.
* Hand or vehicle emplaced anti-personnel mines used outside guard-ed and fenced minefields should have a self-destructing mechanism.
Said Nicod: “The ICRC is concerned that the proposed restrictions on landmines are too complex and weak.”
The ICRC remains convinced that a total ban on mines is the only effective means of containing the current global disaster.