A safer world without landmines
Oct 31, 2003
ALICE Auma, 13, had lived in a protected camp in Gulu for six years. Daily, she wandered out of the camp to fetch wood and water. She had been told about land mines, she had also seen victims of the mines. As she walked out of the camp in early July 2002, little did she know that this was the day fo
By Joshua Kato
ALICE Auma, 13, had lived in a protected camp in Gulu for six years. Daily, she wandered out of the camp to fetch wood and water. She had been told about land mines, she had also seen victims of the mines. As she walked out of the camp in early July 2002, little did she know that this was the day for her to taste the pain of these silent, very patient killers.
The blast lifted her up like a bird, before she dropped back to the stony ground like a stone. She was be-wilded, her sight blurred by the thick smoke and dust. For a moment, there was no pain. Then, it struck! She felt for her body parts, from the head through the left leg. It was intact. Then she moved her hand to the right leg. It was gone!
Auma was just the latest victim of an Anti-personnel land mine. According to reports, by the national Focal Point on small arms (NFP), there were over 602 mine victims between 1991 and March 2001. In Gulu alone, at least 18 mine victims were admitted at Lacor hospital.
According to both government and NFP, most of the mines were laid by anti-government rebels like the Allied Democratic forces in western Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army in the north of the country. As early as the middle of July this year, the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces were free of anti-personnel mines. According to the National Focal Point on Small Arms, at least 5,000 mines formerly owned by the UPDF were destroyed in Nakasongola. About 350 of the mines that have been destroyed were captured from the LRA.
However, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces arms industry at Nakasongola was manufacturing mines until 1999, when they signed the Mine Ban Treaty. At least 6,782 mines that had already been manufactured were stored in various places. “I want to categorically state that Uganda stopped producing anti-personnel mines soon after signing the mine ban treaty in 1999,†says Ruth Nankabirwa, State minister for Defence.
The history of the mine dates as way back as the 17th century. But then, combatants in Europe and Asian wars of expansion did not use explosives, but used sharp pegs, strategically hidden in the ground to pierce and injure the legs of attacking enemies.
However, the modern mines using explosives came into existence shortly before the end of the 18th century. But even then, they were not used enmasse until the two great wars of the 20th century.
During the two wars, over 100 million mines were laid in both Europe and North Africa. Some of them are still covered in huge tracts of land in Egypt and parts of Morocco.
Currently, the world has got over 230 million anti-personnel mines in the hands of armies and combatants, while another 10 million are already laid, waiting to explode.
According to a UNDP research on the use of anti-personnel mines, there is a land mine explosion every after 25 minutes, any where in the world. This means that 26 go off every 12 hours.
Africa is one of the most mined continents. Among noted countries are Uganda, Angola, The DRC, Mozambique, Sierra-leone, Somalia, Rwanda and Sudan. “The mines are very common because of the wars that have been going on in these countries,†says the UNDP report.
Among the leading producers of the mines is the USA, Russia, China and India. Although there are
hundreds of other mine producers, including Uganda, Zimbabwe
and South-Africa.
The mine has never been a reliable weapon of war. It is a non-discriminative weapon, that cannot
distinguish between enemy, friend or even an innocent civilian. In many cases, it hits people
who are non-combatants, much more than the combatants themselves.
Once laid, the side
that has elected it looses control over it. Biggest problem is that it can stay in the ground for more than 50 years, so long as no one has touched it.
It is set to explode only after pressure is pressed over it.
“It is a silent killer. Unless you are told that there is a mine in this or that area, you can only identify it after it detonates,†says UNDP.
Mines render huge tracts of land useless. In the Egyptian desert, huge tracts of land have never been used because they were laid with mines during the second world war. Countries like Angola and Mozambique also have huge sections of land condoned because of landmines.
The good news is that the mine is slowly but surely being discarded as a viable weapon of war.
As of July 2001, a total of 140 countries, including Uganda, had signed to accede to the mine ban treaty. By doing so, they legally committed themselves to stop the use of anti-personnel mines.
Nagenda is away but will file his story from London next week
ALICE Auma, 13, had lived in a protected camp in Gulu for six years. Daily, she wandered out of the camp to fetch wood and water. She had been told about land mines, she had also seen victims of the mines. As she walked out of the camp in early July 2002, little did she know that this was the day for her to taste the pain of these silent, very patient killers.
The blast lifted her up like a bird, before she dropped back to the stony ground like a stone. She was be-wilded, her sight blurred by the thick smoke and dust. For a moment, there was no pain. Then, it struck! She felt for her body parts, from the head through the left leg. It was intact. Then she moved her hand to the right leg. It was gone!
Auma was just the latest victim of an Anti-personnel land mine. According to reports, by the national Focal Point on small arms (NFP), there were over 602 mine victims between 1991 and March 2001. In Gulu alone, at least 18 mine victims were admitted at Lacor hospital.
According to both government and NFP, most of the mines were laid by anti-government rebels like the Allied Democratic forces in western Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army in the north of the country. As early as the middle of July this year, the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces were free of anti-personnel mines. According to the National Focal Point on Small Arms, at least 5,000 mines formerly owned by the UPDF were destroyed in Nakasongola. About 350 of the mines that have been destroyed were captured from the LRA.
However, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces arms industry at Nakasongola was manufacturing mines until 1999, when they signed the Mine Ban Treaty. At least 6,782 mines that had already been manufactured were stored in various places. “I want to categorically state that Uganda stopped producing anti-personnel mines soon after signing the mine ban treaty in 1999,†says Ruth Nankabirwa, State minister for Defence.
The history of the mine dates as way back as the 17th century. But then, combatants in Europe and Asian wars of expansion did not use explosives, but used sharp pegs, strategically hidden in the ground to pierce and injure the legs of attacking enemies.
However, the modern mines using explosives came into existence shortly before the end of the 18th century. But even then, they were not used enmasse until the two great wars of the 20th century.
During the two wars, over 100 million mines were laid in both Europe and North Africa. Some of them are still covered in huge tracts of land in Egypt and parts of Morocco.
Currently, the world has got over 230 million anti-personnel mines in the hands of armies and combatants, while another 10 million are already laid, waiting to explode.
According to a UNDP research on the use of anti-personnel mines, there is a land mine explosion every after 25 minutes, any where in the world. This means that 26 go off every 12 hours.
Africa is one of the most mined continents. Among noted countries are Uganda, Angola, The DRC, Mozambique, Sierra-leone, Somalia, Rwanda and Sudan. “The mines are very common because of the wars that have been going on in these countries,†says the UNDP report.
Among the leading producers of the mines is the USA, Russia, China and India. Although there are
hundreds of other mine producers, including Uganda, Zimbabwe
and South-Africa.
The mine has never been a reliable weapon of war. It is a non-discriminative weapon, that cannot
distinguish between enemy, friend or even an innocent civilian. In many cases, it hits people
who are non-combatants, much more than the combatants themselves.
Once laid, the side
that has elected it looses control over it. Biggest problem is that it can stay in the ground for more than 50 years, so long as no one has touched it.
It is set to explode only after pressure is pressed over it.
“It is a silent killer. Unless you are told that there is a mine in this or that area, you can only identify it after it detonates,†says UNDP.
Mines render huge tracts of land useless. In the Egyptian desert, huge tracts of land have never been used because they were laid with mines during the second world war. Countries like Angola and Mozambique also have huge sections of land condoned because of landmines.
The good news is that the mine is slowly but surely being discarded as a viable weapon of war.
As of July 2001, a total of 140 countries, including Uganda, had signed to accede to the mine ban treaty. By doing so, they legally committed themselves to stop the use of anti-personnel mines.
Nagenda is away but will file his story from London next week