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Oman has not acceded the Mine Ban Treaty. Oman attended the Third Meeting of States Parties in Nicaragua in September 2001 and for the first time participated in the weeklong intersessional meetings in Geneva in May 2002, but made no statement in either forum. In November 2001, Oman voted in favor of UN General Assembly Resolution 56/24M supporting the universalization and implementation of the treaty.
Oman is not party to Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), but it attended the Second CCW Review Conference and the third annual meeting of States Parties to Amended Protocol II in December 2001 as observer.
Oman has never produced or exported antipersonnel mines, but it has imported and used them in the past. In 2001 Oman stated that it has a limited number of stockpiled mines for training purposes.[1] In addition, the United States stockpiles at least 6,248 antipersonnel mines at airbases in Oman.[2]
Oman has a mine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) problem as a legacy of an internal conflict with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman and the Gulf (PFLOG). The great majority of mines and UXO are located in Dhofar region in southern Oman. The Royal Oman Army (ROA) has stated that it marked, mapped, and cleared some of its minefields after the conflict ended, but that PFLOG did not.[3] Climatic conditions have caused some of the mines to move from their original locations. The ROA is reported to have plotted suspected mined areas and established seven zones of suspected mined areas based on historical records of battlefield areas, unit positions, and landmine incident reports.[4]
The United States allocated US$1.19 million in demining assistance to Oman in 2000 for survey and information management capabilities, training deminers and medical personnel to international standards, and demining and protective equipment. In 2001, another US$1.02 million was allocated as follows: a demining training program (US$750,000), demining equipment (US$161,200), personal protection gear (US$78,500), logistic support (US$21,100), and mine disposal technologies (US$11,750). From January-April 2001, U.S. Special Operation Forces trained 75 ROA personnel in minefield survey, detection and marking, information management, mine awareness, quality assurance, and first aid. The U.S. Department of State also provided the ROA with five mine detecting dogs and trained eight handlers between January and November 2001.[5]
Oman reportedly allocated an estimated US$1.6 million annually to demining since 1984, before doubling the contribution to an estimated US$3.2 million in recent years. In May 2001, ROA deployed its deminers to the Safrait area in the Dhofar region.[6]
According to the Omani government, landmines and UXO have killed twelve people and wounded 84 since the end of the Dhofar conflict in 1975. Almost 50 head of livestock have become landmine casualties. In March 2001, two people received serious injuries in an UXO incident but no further information is available on the area where the incident occurred or the victims.[7]
The government claims that the Armed Forces and other State authorities provide assistance and rehabilitation to mine and UXO victims.[8]
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[1] Ministry of Defense Response to Landmine Monitor Questionnaire, 27 February 2001. See Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p. 1038.
[2] See Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p. 1038, and Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 956.
[3] U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, “To Walk the Earth in Safety: The United States Commitment to Humanitarian Demining,” November 2001, p. 43.
[4] Steve Soucek and Darrell Strother, “Humanitarian Demining in Sultanate of Oman,” Journal of Mine Action, Issue 5.3, Fall 2001, p. 49.
[5] U.S. Department of State, “To Walk the Earth in Safety,” November 2001, p. 43.
[6] Steve Soucek and Darrell Strother, “Humanitarian Demining in Sultanate of Oman,” Journal of Mine Action, Issue 5.3, Fall 2001, p. 50.
[7] U.S. Department of State, “To Walk the Earth in Safety,” November 2001, p. 43.
[8] Ministry of Defense Response to Landmine Monitor Questionnaire, 27 February 2001.
