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Key developments since May 2000: Since ethnic Albanian insurgents began fighting the FYROM government in March 2001, the press has reported at least six antivehicle mine incidents, in which four FYROM soldiers were killed and nine injured, and two EU Monitors and their interpreter were killed. Several seizures of antipersonnel mines being smuggled into FYROM from Kosovo have been reported. No progress has been made in the destruction of FYROM antipersonnel mine stockpiles.
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty on 9 September 1998 and became a State Party on 1 March 1999.
It is unclear what administrative or legislative measures, including provision of penal sanctions for violations of the Mine Ban Treaty, have been taken in accordance with Article 9 of the treaty. In May 1999, at the First Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, the Undersecretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sami Ibraimi, claimed that legal and administrative measures have been taken to prevent any activity prohibited by the Mine Ban Treaty.[1] In February 2001, though, a legal counselor at the Ministry of Defense asserted that the Mine Ban Treaty automatically became part of the constitution when it was ratified. But there are no special laws or administrative measures that would regulate activities prohibited by Mine Ban Treaty.[2]
FYROM representatives did not attend the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in September 2000, and did not participate in the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in December 2000 and May 2001. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that it had been extremely busy with other issues and its resources are limited.[3]
FYROM submitted its initial transparency report required by Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 to the United Nations on 25 May 1999, covering the period 4 December 1997 to 31 March 1999, but its annual updated Article 7 reports due 30 April 2000 and 30 April 2001 had not been submitted as of mid-July 2001. In February 2001, the Ministry of Defense had declared that these reports could be submitted without delay, as there is no change in the previous data reported.[4]
In November 2000, at the UN General Assembly, FYROM voted in favor of Resolution 55/33V, which calls for universalization and full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty. It has supported similar pro-ban resolutions in previous years. Previously, on 17 October 2000, at the First Committee of the UN General Assembly, the Macedonian representative Naste Calovski had introduced a draft resolution on maintenance of international good neighborliness, stability, and development of Southeast Europe. He noted that there were “many conventional arms, small arms and light weapons and landmines in region. A lot of arms were illegally possessed and traffic in light weapons was common. The main aim of the resolution was to support policies and measures aimed at eliminating these various illegalities.”[5]
FYROM is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) and its original Protocol II, but has not ratified Amended Protocol II. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated in December 1999 that ratification would be achieved in 2000.[6] The ratification process was reportedly being given priority and was expected to be finalized in mid-2001.[7] In December 2000, a delegation attended as observers the Second Annual Conference of States Parties to Amended Protocol II.
Regarding the lack of progress on many of these issues, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained in February 2001 that Macedonia has many urgent matters to deal with currently – EU integration, NATO membership, many other international conventions, and difficulties arising from the Kosovo crisis (which shortly after this interview developed into insurgency involving the Albanian minority in the Tetovo area of FYROM).[8]
Despite statements of full support for the Ottawa Process and the Mine Ban Treaty,[9] in practice few concrete measures towards full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty have been taken so far, and there has been an absence of replies to repeated requests for information to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Health by the Landmine Monitor researcher.
Some of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia’s mine production facilities were apparently located in FYROM, but production had ceased “even before it [FYROM] signed and ratified the Ottawa Treaty,” according to the Foreign Ministry.[10] There is no evidence of any production or export of antipersonnel mines by the FYROM.
A paper presented in May 2000 by the Ministry of Defense states that the total antipersonnel mine stockpile is 42,921, as previously reported,[11] but adds that an additional 8,353 PMA-1 fuses and PMA-1 8,353 detonators are awaiting destruction, making the total number of stockpiled “pieces” 59,617.[12] There are a number of other differences between the original Article 7 report and the later data given in May 2000, which may be changes or errors in designation of the types of mine. Clarification of the stockpile data has been sought, but to date has not been received.
Types and Quantities of Stockpiled AP Mines, as reported on 4-5 May 2000[13]
|
Type
|
Pieces
|
Pieces per case
|
Number of cases
|
Kilograms per case
|
Total in kilograms
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
PMA–1
|
8,353
|
100
|
84
|
43
|
3,612
|
|
FUSES
|
8,353
|
1,000
|
9
|
19
|
171
|
|
DETONATORS
|
8,353
|
1,000
|
9
|
25
|
225
|
|
Sub total
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
4,008
|
|
PMA-2*
|
4,080
|
150
|
28
|
25
|
700
|
|
PMA-3
|
560
|
70
|
8
|
16
|
128
|
|
PMR-2A
|
29,918
|
8
|
3,740
|
25
|
93,500
|
|
PROM-1**
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
10
|
|
TOTAL
|
59,617
|
-
|
3,878
|
-
|
98,346
|
* The Article 7 report of May 1999 included no PMA-2 mines but did include 4,030 mines designated “Magnetic plastic material PMA-3” and 50 “Antimagnetic plastic material APM.”
** Listed as 10 mines elsewhere in the May 2000 data and simply as “APM” in the Article 7 report.
The May 1999 Article 7 report stated that the government is “preparing a comprehensive program on destruction of stockpiled mines,” while reserving 50 mines for research and training purposes. In December 1999, it was stated that the destruction program “will be finalized very soon.”[14] In May 2000, Colonel Franjo Ipsa affirmed that, “We are ready to immediately destroy 2,800 landmines, type PMR-2A.”[15] But he also explained that, “For the stockpile destruction of APMs a legislative Act is needed from the Macedonian Government. Due to many activities and problems (parliament elections, presidential elections, Kosovo crisis) that the Macedonian Government faced, such act is not delivered yet.” He said that technical assistance, verification of the destroyed mines, international control and financial help from other governments with experience of stockpile destruction is needed.[16]
In February 2001, a mine expert at the Ministry of Defense stated that there is “not a comprehensive nor any other plan for the destruction of stockpiled mines in Macedonia at the moment.” He added that the FYROM will not obtain any mines from stockpiles and that training will be performed with so-called “school” mines.[17] The Ministry of Defense expressed readiness to immediately give 2,000 to 2,800 mines for destruction at the new North Atlantic Treaty Organization destruction facilities in Albania.[18]
Since ethnic Albanian insurgents began fighting the FYROM government in March 2001, there have been reports of mine use, especially antivehicle mines. The press has reported at least six mine incidents, in which four FYROM soldiers were killed and nine injured, and three EU Monitors were killed. (See the following section on landmine casualties). All these incidents involved antivehicle mines. Landmine Monitor is unaware of any statement from the FYROM government regarding whether or not its forces are using antivehicle mines or antipersonnel mines.
At the end of May 2001, the rebels announced their intention to mine the water supply to Kumanovo and a nearby chemical plant.[19]
The insurgents occupied Aracinovo village, just 10 kilometers from the capital of Skopje, for several weeks before pulling out on 26 June 2001. FYROM forces subsequently encountered landmines in the village and undertook clearance operations.[20] In addition to mine clearance in Aracinovo, the media has also reported on mine clearance activities by FYROM forces following combat with the rebels in a number of different places, including Vejce,[21] Tetovo and villages on the Shara mountain,[22] and Tanusevci.[23] It is unclear whether antipersonnel mines or antivehicle mines, or both, were involved.
On 20 March 2001, KFOR patrols seized a large quantity of weapons, including antipersonnel mines, being smuggled into FYROM from Kosovo.[24] In early June 2001, United States peacekeepers in Kosovo detained six suspected ethnic Albanian rebels fighting against the FYROM government and seized their five vehicles packed with, among other weapons, 27 antipersonnel mines.[25]
In the past, government representatives had declared on several occasions that FYROM was not mine-affected, and that all mines on the border are on Yugoslav territory.[26] Inhabitants of the village of Jazince have claimed that in 1999 the Yugoslav People’s Army planted mines at three locations two kilometers inside FYROM territory.[27] At several locations the border was ill-defined, which may explain these apparently contradictory statements. An agreement to mark the border was signed with Yugoslavia in February 2001. A February 2001 a media source claimed that Yugoslav forces mined Kodra Fura in 1999, a strategically important point on the northern border, and that FYROM soldiers avoid the area.[28] He also claimed the southern and eastern border areas are heavily contaminated with items of unexploded ordnance.
In December 2000, representatives of Slovenia’s International Trust Fund for Demining and Victim Assistance (ITF) met the FYROM Minister of Defense Ljuben Paunoski and Chief of the Army Headquarters, Lieutenant-General Jovan Andrevski. They agreed that ITF demining operations in FYROM could start in early 2001, with the memorandum on cooperation to be signed at the end of 2000.[29] However, the FYROM authorities subsequently decided not to go ahead with demining operations.[30] The ITF already has a donation of US$800,000 from the U.S. for demining work on the border with Kosovo.[31]
As noted above, since the insurgency began in March 2001, FYROM forces have engaged in mine clearance operations in a number of locations following combat. This clearance is apparently limited to securing military objectives, and not humanitarian demining operations.
With the approval of the FYROM authorities, mine clearance teams coordinated by the UN Mine Action Coordination Center (MACC) in Kosovo undertook extensive clearance operations along the border, and on some instances inside FYROM territory. According to the MACC, all minefields laid in these areas, for which information was provided by the Yugoslav People’s Army, have been cleared; however, it is possible that limited numbers of mines still remain.[32]
There were no mine awareness programs in FYROM in this reporting period (since May 2000). International organizations based in the country assisted their colleagues providing mine awareness across the border in Kosovo. Prior to the outbreak of conflict in March 2001, the Skopje office of the International Committee of the Red Cross carried out no mine awareness in FYROM because “there were no landmines reported or found on the Macedonian side of the border.”[33] However, a needs assessment took place in June 2001 in order to assess the extent of the UXO problem. Subsequently, an UXO awareness program is being developed by the ICRC in collaboration with the Macedonian Red Cross.[34]
There are no official records of mine victims, but press reports indicate incidents continuing from 1998 into 2001. One unofficial source knows of several mine victims (three military and three civilian refugees) in this period,[35] and other earlier incidents have come to light.
In 1999, the NATO spokesman in Skopje stated that three soldiers were wounded when they activated a landmine near the border with Kosovo, about four kilometers from the village of Malina.[36] Also in 1999, FYROM authorities declared that seven Kosovo Albanians were killed and 16 wounded by landmines near the border, while trying to enter FYROM illegally.[37]
In September 2000, a soldier was injured when an army vehicle hit an antivehicle mine near the Kosovo border.[38]
Since fighting began in March 2001, the press has reported at least six mine incidents, in which four FYROM soldiers were killed and nine injured, and three EU Monitoring Mission employees were killed. All involved antivehicle mines.
On 4 March 2001, two soldiers were killed and one seriously injured near the Kosovo border. The Ministry of Defense confirmed that they were fatally injured when they drove over a mine near Ramno, seven kilometers from the Albanian-occupied village of Tanusevci.[39] Following this incident, the government closed all border crossings with Kosovo.[40] The KFOR Commander was reported as stating that the increased KFOR air patrols had not yet spotted armed Albanian groups crossing the border, which was dangerous because of mines.[41]
On 28 March 2001, during fighting to expel Albanian incursions around the town of Tetovo, an army officer was killed and two soldiers were injured when their vehicle hit a landmine near the village of Tanusevci.[42]
On 10 April 2001, three soldiers were injured when a mine exploded under their vehicle near the village of Gosince close to the border with Kosovo, according to Defense Minister Georgi Trendafilov. He added that demining operations were being carried out in the area.[43]
On 5 May 2001, a Macedonian soldier lost both his legs after his vehicle hit a landmine.[44]
On 30 May 2001, a Macedonian officer was killed and two soldiers were injured when their vehicle ran over a landmine in hills north of Skopje.[45]
On 20 July 2001, two European Union monitors (a Norwegian and a Slovak) and their translator (an Albanian) were killed in northern Macedonia when their vehicle hit a mine while they were conducting a reconnaissance mission eight miles southwest of Tetovo.[46]
The Ministry of Health did not reply to faxed enquiries in January and February 2001 about victims, assistance programs, and disability rights. There appear to be no legal or administrative measures specific to mine survivors, nor any victim assistance other than emergency medical treatment.[47]
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[1] See Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 686.
[2] Interview with Ljubica Pop-Talevska, Legal Counselor at the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Defense, Skopje, 28 February 2001.
[3] Interview with a Legal Counselor (who requested anonymity) at the Multilateral Affairs Department and Political Relations Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Skopje, 28 February 2001.
[4] Interview with Col Dobrivoje Gorgevski, mine expert at the Ministry of Defense, Skopje, 28 February 2001.
[5] Draft Resolution a/c 1/55/l.47, “Five Draft Resolutions introduced in First Committee on Wide Range of Disarmament Measures,” Press Release GA/DIS/3182, 17 October 2000.
[6] Statement by Mr. Goce Petreski, Permanent Representative to the UN for the FYROM, at the First Annual Conference of States Parties to the Amended Protocol II to the CCW, Geneva, December 1999.
[7] Interview with Legal Counselor (requesting anonymity), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 28 February 2001.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Ibid.
[10] See Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 687.
[11] Article 7 report, submitted 25 May 1999, for the period 4 December 1997-31 March 1999.
[12] “The Situation with APMs in the Republic of Macedonia,” Presentation by Col Franjo Ipsa, Ministry of Defense, to the Workshop on Regionally Focused Mine Action, Thessaloniki, Greece, 4-5 May 2000.
[13] Ibid.
[14] See Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 687.
[15] “The Situation with APMs in the Republic of Macedonia,” Presentation by Col Franjo Ipsa, Ministry of Defense, to the Workshop on Regionally Focused Mine Action, Thessaloniki, Greece, 4-5 May 2000.
[16] Ibid.
[17] Interview with Col Dobrivoje Gorgevski, Ministry of Defense, 28 February 2001.
[18] Ibid.
[19] “Rebels threaten ‘ecological catastrophe’ in Macedonia,” Free B92 News, 30 May 2001.
[20] “Macedonian army ends mine sweeping near Skopje,” Xinhua (Tirana), 2 July 2001.
[21] “Three Macedonian Soldiers Injured in Mortar Attack,” Xinhua (Tirana), 29 April 2001.
[22] “Macedonian police say Tetovo blast caused by mine disposal operation,” MIA News Agency (Skopje), 22 April 2001; “FYROM Begins Clearing Terrain near Tetovo ‘Fortress’ of Landmines, Weapons,” MIA, Tetovo, 26 March 2001.
[23] Brian Murphy, “Troops, Rebels Clash in Macedonia,” Associated Press (Tetovo), 16 March 2001.
[24] “Weapons Found in Kosovo Mule Train,” Free B92 News, 21 March 2001.
[25] “Peacekeepers Seize 19 Suspected Macedonia Rebels,” Reuters, Pristina, 11 June 2001.
[26] Article 7 Report, submitted 25 May 1999; “The Situation with APMs in the Republic of Macedonia,” Presentation by Col Franjo Ipsa, Ministry of Defense, to the Workshop on Regionally Focused Mine Action, Thessaloniki, Greece, 4-5 May 2000.
[27] Vecernji list (Croatian daily newspaper), 13 August 1999.
[28] Interview with Robert Mitevski, Editor of 7 Dena (FYROM weekly newspaper), Skopje, 27 February 2001.
[29] “ITF Operations in Macedonia on the Macedonia/Kosovo Border,” ITF Bulletin, December 2000.
[30] Interview with Eva Veble, Deputy Director for International Affairs, ITF, Geneva, 8 May 2001.
[31] Email from Eva Veble, Deputy Director for International Affairs, ITF, 28 February 2001.
[32] Email from John Flanagan, Program Manager, MACC, 23 July 2001.
[33] Email from ICRC Skopje, 1 March 2001.
[34] Information provided by the ICRC, 11 July 2001.
[35] Interview with Robert Mitevski, 7 Dena, 27 February 2001.
[36] “Kosovska kriza” (Kosovo Crisis), Vjesnik (Croatian daily newspaper), 22 April 1999.
[37] “Kosovska kriza” (Kosovo Crisis), Vjesnik, 28 April 1999.
[38] “Kosovo Round-up,” Free B92 News, 18 September 2000.
[39] “Temperatures Rise in Skopje,” Free B92 News, 4 March 2001.
[40] “Macedonia Closes Kosovo Border,” Free B92 News, 4 March 2001.
[41] “We’ll Increase Co-Operation with Macedonia, Says Cabigiousu,” Free B92 News, 4 March 2001.
[42] “Macedonian Officer Killed in Landmine Explosion,” Agence France Presse (Skopje), 28 March 2001.
[43] “Three Macedonian Soldiers Injured by Landmine,” Agence France Presse (Skopje), 10 April 2001.
[44] Anatoly Verbin, “Macedonia Troops Shell Rebels, Politicians Meet,” Reuters (Vakcince), 5 May 2001.
[45] “Macedonian soldier killed in landmine blast,” Agence France Presse (Skopje), 30 May 2001; “Macedonian Army Captain Killed by Landmine Planted by Albanians,” Macedonian Radio/BBC, 31 May 2001.
[46] “EU Monitors Killed in Macedonia,” Guardian (UK newspaper), 21 July 2001; “Three-member EU Team Killed in Macedonia,” Reuters, 20 July 2001.
[47] For details of victim assistance and mine awareness in Macedonia during the 1999 Kosovo crisis, see Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 688-689.
