Author(s):
Chayer Amelie <amelie@icbl.org> .
Thursday 23 April 2009
The "Komalah The Kurdistan Organization of the Communist Party of Iran" and the "Komala Party of Kurdistan" declared they will not use antipersonnel landmines, Swiss-based NGO Geneva Call announced in a press release on 7 April 2009.
The Geneva Call press release states that both organizations had sporadically used antipersonnel mines in the past. The press release quoted Omar Elkhanizadeh, Secretary General of Komala Party of Kurdistan as saying, "[Komala] ceased to use antipersonnel mines a few years ago. Kurdish civilians and fighters also become victims of the mines. Therefore, we are with the International Community fighting for a world without mines." The press release also quoted Ebrahim Alizadeh, Secretary General of the Komalah The Kurdistan Organization of the Communist Party of Iran as saying, "We are particularly happy to ban antipersonnel mines which are inhuman and brutal,” but did not specify if the group had recently used mines.
The signing of the Deed of Commitment. Photo: Geneva Call
Another Iranian Kurdish organization, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) signed the Geneva Call Deed of Commitment for Adherence to a Total Ban on Anti-Personnel Mines and for Cooperation in Mine Action, administered by Geneva Call, in December 2007 (see Iran: Kurdish Armed Group Declares Non-Use of Antipersonnel Mines.) The PDKI stated that it halted all armed activities in 1997, but, according to a December 2007 Geneva Call press release, maintains a militia.
Another Kurdish armed group, Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) is also actively involved in armed insurgency in Iran.
Iranian authorities have stated to the ICBL that Kurdish insurgents have laid mines both in the past and recently, but provided no evidence.
It is not known if either faction of Komala possesses stockpiles of antipersonnel mines. Geneva Call has informed the Landmine Monitor that both Komala organizations are currently investigating with their military wings whether they possess any stockpiles of antipersonnel mines.
No Kurdish armed group in Iran has previously been identified as a mine user by the Landmine Monitor. However both Komala factions and the PDKI stated to Geneva Call that they had used mines at some point in the past. The PDKI destroyed a stockpile of 392 antipersonnel mines in August of 2008. (see Iran/Iraq: Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan Destroys Antipersonnel Mines.)
Read more about the landmine situation in Iran and Iraq in Landmine Monitor Report.
