| <RUSSIAN FEDERATION | SINGAPORE> |
Key developments since May 2001: Saudi officials confirmed for the first time that the country stockpiles antipersonnel mines. They also confirmed that the United States also stockpiles mines in Saudi Arabia, but stated that the U.S. cannot use them on Saudi territory.
Saudi Arabia has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. While it did not attend the Third Meeting of State Parties in September 2001, Saudi military officials participated in the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in January and May 2002. During the May meeting, the Saudi representatives told Landmine Monitor that their country is interested in the Mine Ban Treaty and its progress, and also in new demining technology.[1] They confirmed the previously stated policy of support for the humanitarian spirit and purpose of the Mine Ban Treaty, while insisting on the need for antipersonnel mines due to long land borders and unstable neighbors.[2] In a 1 July 2001 letter to the UN Secretary-General, the King of Saudi Arabia wrote that “the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia accords the greatest attention to the issue of the prohibition of proscribed and highly injurious weapons, including landmines.”[3]
Saudi Arabia was absent from the vote on pro-ban UN General Assembly Resolution 56/24M in November 2001. It was also absent during the vote on similar resolutions in 2000, 1999, and 1998, but voted in favor of pro-ban resolutions in 1997 and 1996.
Saudi Arabia is not party to Conventional on Conventional Weapons (CCW), but it did attend the CCW’s second review conference in Geneva in December 2001.
Saudi Arabia states that it has never produced or exported antipersonnel mines.[4] It previously imported an unknown number of mines from the United Kingdom and the United States; for example, the U.S. provided 88,286 antipersonnel mines in 1974 and 1975.[5]
In February 2002, for the first time Saudi officials confirmed to Landmine Monitor that Saudi Arabia still maintains a stockpile of antipersonnel mines, though no details were provided on number or types of mines.[6] Two Saudi officers were slated to participate in the stockpile destruction training course in Switzerland in June 2002.[7]
Saudi officials also acknowledged that the United States stockpiles antipersonnel mines in Saudi Arabia. Saudi mines are stockpiled at Saudi military bases, while U.S. mines are stockpiled at U.S. military bases on Saudi territory. Landmine Monitor has previously reported that the U.S. stockpiles 49,610 CBU-89 Gator antipersonnel mines in Saudi Arabia.[8] Saudi officials told Landmine Monitor that the U.S. cannot use its mines on Saudi territory, even for securing the U.S. bases, in accordance with an agreement between the two countries regarding military matters.[9]
The Saudi military states it has never used antipersonnel mines to secure the country’s long borders, even during the 1990-1991 Gulf War period.[10] Saudi officials told Landmine Monitor that mines could be used for military reasons in case of need in war or conflict time. They added that no mine destruction has taken place in Saudi Arabia but they have destroyed unexploded ordnance (UXO) that have been found in the past.[11]
Saudi Arabia is not mine-affected. After the 1990-1991 Gulf War, the Saudi Army cleared mines and UXO in the areas where there were allied forces or military operations in Saudi territories. The engineering corps of the Saudi Army has a unit in every region.[12]
In May 2001, Saudi Arabia announced it would provide $3 million over three years to Yemen’s National Demining Program.[13] The funding has been allocated to demining, mine risk education, and victim assistance. In October 2001, a team from the Saudi engineering corps visited Lebanon to assess what kind of mine action assistance could be provided.[14] In May 2002, Saudi Arabia donated 40 complete protective suits with helmets and 50 AN/19-2mine detectors to Lebanon upon request from the Lebanese government.[15]
| <RUSSIAN FEDERATION | SINGAPORE> |
[1] Interview with Brigadier General Hamad Alrumaih, Geneva, 1 February 2002.
[2] This policy was outlined in a December 2000 letter to the UN Secretary General. See Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp. 1039-1040.
[3] Letter dated 1 July 2002 from the King of Saudi Arabia addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Document CCW//AP.II?CONF.3/2, 30 November 2001.
[4] Interviews with Saudi representative to Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee meetings, Geneva, 7-11 May 2001.
[5] See Landmine Monitor Report 1999, p. 910.
[6] Interview with Brigadier General Hamad Alrumaih and Captain Masfer A.S.Alhusain, Geneva, 1 February 2002.
[7] Interview with Brigadier General Hamad Alrumaih, Geneva, 29 May 2002.
[8] See Landmine Monitor Report 1999, p. 910.
[9] Interview with Brigadier General Hamad Alrumaih and Captain Masfer A.S.Alhusain, Geneva, 1 February 2002.
[10] Interview with Brigadier General Hamad Alrumaih and Captain Masfer A.S.Alhusain, Geneva, 1 February 2002.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Interview with Brigadier General Hamad Alrumaih, Geneva, 29 May 2002.
[13] “US$3 million for De-mining,” Yemen Observer (online edition), 19 May 2001.
[14] Interview with Brigadier General Hamad Alrumaih and Captain Masfer A.S.Alhusain, Geneva, 1 February 2002.
[15] Email from Brigadier General Hamad Alrumaih, 6 June 2002.
