Key developments since March 1999: Landmine Monitor has discovered that the U.S. Air Force plans to stockpile antipersonnel mines in Bahrain.
Bahrain has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty, nor is it a party to the CCW. At the UN General Assembly in October 1998, the Bahrain representative stated that Bahrain supported a landmine ban and endorsed the Ottawa Convention.[1] Officials have not spoken on the issue in the UN in 1999 or 2000, nor have they given any indication why they have not acceded to the treaty. On 1 December 1999 Bahrain joined 138 other nations in voting in favor of UNGA resolution 54/54B supporting the Mine Ban Treaty.
Bahrain is not believed to have produced or exported landmines. There is no information on whether it has a stockpile of AP mines.
However, the U.S. may be stockpiling antipersonnel mines at a location near Manama in the near future. According to U.S. Air Force plans for its war reserve ammunition stockpiles in the Persian Gulf region, U.S. Gator antipersonnel mines, as well as Claymore mines, may be introduced and stockpiled in Bahrain. U.S. Air Force documents indicate that ammunition storage facilities in Bahrain will eventually contain 142 CBU-89 Gator mine systems (each containing twenty-two antipersonnel mines) and 141 M18/M18A1 Claymore mines.[2]
Bahrain is not believed to be mine-affected. Bahrain has not contributed any funds to the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Clearance or other mine action programs.
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[1] UN General Assembly First Committee, Press Release GA/DIS/3116, 20 October 1998.
[2] U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command, Langley Air Force Base, Section E, Appendix 1, Enclosure 5 of Solicitation Number F44650-99-R0007 “Operation, Maintenance, And Support of Pre-positioned War Reserve Materiel in Southwest Asia” shows the planned on-hand balances of munitions stored at facilities.