Key developments since May 2005: Ethiopia became a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty on 1 June 2005. Ethiopia has not yet submitted its initial Article 7 transparency report, which was due by 28 November 2005. In October 2005 and May 2006, the UN arms embargo monitoring group for Somalia reported that the government of Ethiopia had provided unspecified types of landmines to factions in Somalia; Ethiopia strongly denied the allegations. In 2005, Ethiopia reported that more than 11 square kilometers of land was demined (area reduction of seven square kilometers of land and clearance of 4.3 square kilometers), destroying 184 antipersonnel mines, 98 antivehicle mines and 6,607 items of unexploded ordnance; according to the UN Development Programme, some six square kilometers was returned to civilian use in 2005. Norwegian People’s Aid began operating in Ethiopia in November 2005; it developed a mine detection dog and area reduction/technical survey capacity in Ethiopia. In April 2006, the European Commission pledged at least €8 million (US$10 million) to mine action in Ethiopia over three years. There were at least 31 new casualties in 2005, more than in 2004, but data collection remained inadequate.
The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997, ratified on 17 December 2004, and became a State Party on 1 June 2005. Ethiopia has not yet reported on any steps it has taken to implement the treaty domestically, including penal sanctions, as required by Article 9 of the Mine Ban Treaty.
As of 1 July, Ethiopia had not submitted its initial transparency report required by Article 7; it was due by 28 November 2005.
Ethiopia attended the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in Zagreb, Croatia in November-December 2005, but did not make any statements. It participated in the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in June 2005 and in May 2006, and made statements on mine clearance at both meetings.
The Ethiopian chapter of Landmine Survivors Network held an event on 1 March 2006 to commemorate the Mine Ban Treaty’s entry into force, attended by 75 people. At the event, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Mohammed Malin said, “Landmine survivors can become productive citizens and can be integrated into the society if we all do our best with the sense of partnership.”[1]
Ethiopia has not engaged in the extensive discussions that States Parties have had on matters of interpretation and implementation related to Articles 1, 2 and 3. Thus, Ethiopia has not made known its views on issues related to joint military operations with non-States Parties, mines with sensitive fuzes or antihandling devices, and the permissible number of mines retained for training.
A representative for the Oromo Liberation Front informed Landmine Monitor that it was not currently using landmines, stating: “We don’t use landmines because we cannot obtain them. If the government forces were using them, then we would have them.” He admitted to past use by the group.[2]
In May 2006, the UN group monitoring the arms embargo on Somalia reported that in January 2006 the government of Ethiopia provided “landmines” to Mohamed Dheere, warlord and head of Jowhar administration in Somalia.[3] An earlier report from the group in October 2005 stated that Mohamed Dheere bartered landmines and small arms for ZU-23 anti-aircraft guns from Ethiopia.[4] Neither report specified antipersonnel or antivehicle mines.
On 3 July 2006, the Minister of Foreign Affairs replied to Landmine Monitor’s inquiries about the UN reports. He stated, “It is indeed sad and regrettable that the Monitoring Group on Somalia alleged Ethiopia in the provision of landmines to one of the administration heads in Somalia.... The Government of Ethiopia strongly rejects this baseless allegation and calls on the Monitoring Group to cease from reporting such unfounded and misleading stories. As far as our information goes, we have not heard from any quarter on the use of landmines by the warring factions in Somalia. Notwithstanding the unsubstantiated report of the Group, I would like to reiterate Ethiopia’s steadfast commitment to the objectives and purpose of the Ottawa Convention.” He also stressed “Ethiopia’s commitment to a mine-free world and the desire of my Government to work together with the international community to eradicate these deadly weapons.”[5]
The Ethiopian government has not responded to Landmine Monitor’s questions regarding a November 2003 UN report that concluded Ethiopia had supplied landmines to warring groups in Somalia.[6] In September 2004, various faction leaders in Somalia accused Ethiopia of providing landmines to militias.[7] Ethiopia has denied earlier charges of mine shipments into Somalia.[8]
Ethiopia has stated that it does not produce antipersonnel mines, and has not imported antipersonnel mines since the overthrow of the Mengistu regime in 1991.[9]
The size of Ethiopia’s stockpile of antipersonnel mines remains unknown as the country has not yet submitted its initial Article 7 report or made other declarations. The Mine Ban Treaty requires that all stockpiled mines be destroyed as soon as possible, but no later than 1 June 2009.
While not openly acknowledging the use of antipersonnel mines during the border conflict with Eritrea from 1998-2000, in April 2002 Ethiopia provided the UN with detailed maps of mines laid by Ethiopian forces in Eritrea during the conflict.[10] There have been no reports of new use of antipersonnel mines by either government forces or non-state armed groups since 2000.[11]
However, each year since 2003 there have been incidents caused by newly laid antivehicle mines in the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) separating Ethiopia and Eritrea, according to the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) Mine Action Coordination Center (MACC). The UN has said it does not know who has planted the mines.[12]
According to UN reports, during the last four months of 2005, five people were killed and 22 injured by newly laid antivehicle mines in two incidents in Sector West of the TSZ.[13] In January and February 2006, there were five incidents involving newly laid antivehicle mines in Sectors West and Center of the TSZ, resulting in an unknown number of casualties.[14] The MACC received a report of an antivehicle mine incident that occurred on 22 May 2006 in the Omhajer area in Sector West. One person was killed and another injured. The victims reportedly tampered with the explosive item.[15]
Previously, the UN reported 15 antivehicle incidents in the TSZ caused by newly laid mines in 2003, two incidents in 2004, and four incidents in March and April 2005.[16]
Ethiopia is affected by significant numbers of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) spread across many areas, resulting from a series of internal and international armed conflicts dating back to 1935. The major periods of war in Ethiopia were: the Italian invasion (1935-1936), the Ogaden war between Ethiopia and Somalia (1977-1978), the border war with Sudan (1980), internal conflict (1975-1991) and the Ethiopian-Eritrean war (1998-2000).[17]
The war with Eritrea resulted in significant contamination of Tigray region and, to a lesser extent, Afar and left approximately 364,000 people displaced.[18] The Somali region is contaminated by mines and UXO remaining from the Ogaden war with Somalia. In 2005, there were unconfirmed reports that mine-laying continued on a small scale as part of banditry and fighting between warlords.[19]
A nationwide Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) completed in 2004 determined that more than 1.9 million people live in landmine-impacted communities. A total of 1,492 communities were positively identified as contaminated with landmines and UXO.[20]
National Mine Action Authority: The Mine Action Supervisory Board was set up under a Council of Ministers regulation in 2001 to oversee the work of the Ethiopian Mine Action Office (EMAO).[21] The Board includes representatives of the ministries of defense, foreign affairs, finance, and transport and communication, as well as the director general of EMAO.[22] It is said to have met “frequently” (it was supposed to meet once a month), notably to approve the plans and budgets of EMAO.[23]
Mine Action Center: The primary role of the Ethiopian Mine Action Office, under the responsibility of the Department of Federal Affairs,[24] is implementation rather than coordination of mine action. Under the Council of Ministers regulation that mandated its creation, it does not have a formal mandate to coordinate mine action.[25] In August 2005, however, EMAO forwarded a draft strategic plan for mine action to the prime minister’s office; the plan contained a recommendation that EMAO be given a formal mandate for coordination of mine action and quality assurance of clearance operations. As of April 2006, the plan had not been finalized. Priorities for demining are generated by the regional authorities, but the final decision is taken by EMAO, subject to the approval of the Mine Action Supervisory Board.[26]
EMAO has its headquarters in Addis Ababa and a regional office in Mekele, the capital of Tigray region; another regional office may be opened in the Somali region to support operations there.[27]
Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) planned to begin construction in mid-2006 of a mine detection dog training center at Entoto Mountain near Addis Ababa, as part of a larger EMAO training center to be constructed on the site. The land will first require clearance of UXO as the site is a former military training area.[28]
In 2005, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) continued to assist EMAO with mine clearance and mine action capacity-building.[29] In 2006, the UNDP team consisted of a senior technical advisor, an operations advisor and an information systems advisor.[30] A quality assurance advisor completed his contract in 2005 and the post was not renewed. European Commission (EC) funding pledged in early 2006 would be channeled, in part, through UNDP and would include the continued provision of technical advice to EMAO.[31]
EMAO uses version 3 of the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) for the storage of data from the LIS. Owing to enhanced Geographic Information System and satellite imagery capacities, UNDP was keen to see IMSMA’s latest version 4 installed.[32] There is, however, no comprehensive or systematic data collection mechanism in Ethiopia to accurately record mine and UXO casualties.[33]
National standards for mine clearance operations were adopted in 2001, based on the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS).[34] They were due to be revised in 2006 based on recent experience in the country. In addition, NPA drafted standards for technical survey, which were being considered by EMAO. Standards for mine detection dogs will wait until national expertise has been built up; in the meantime, NPA uses its own standing operating procedures, which have been approved by EMAO.[35]
EMAO has a “strategic corporate plan,” the goal of which is to make “Ethiopia safe for the people to be able to live free from the threat of landmines and explosive devices.”[36] To achieve this goal, the draft strategic plan identified these objectives:
In April 2006, it was announced that the European Commission (EC) would provide €8 million (some $10 million) to Ethiopia to support mine action in the north of Ethiopia over the next three years.[38] Also in April, Ethiopia hosted the European Union’s (EU) Mine Action Coordination Meeting for Africa in Addis Ababa.[39] The objective of the meeting was “to further enhance the international response to the presence of landmines and explosive remnants of war” in the region.[40]
Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Ethiopia must destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but no later than 1 June 2015. Ethiopia has not indicated formally whether it expects to meet the deadline, although it has already made serious efforts using national funding sources to set up an effective mine action program. In early 2006, EMAO sought to attract additional “self-funded” international capacity for demining.[41]
No evaluations were conducted of the mine action program in Ethiopia in 2005. In January 2006, however, NPA conducted an evaluation of its mine detection dog program in Ethiopia; the results were positive.[42] A review of overall NPA planning and operations in Ethopia was undertaken in February 2006; the results of this review were also positive. In April 2006, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) undertook preliminary consultations on a future external evaluation of NPA’s approach to demining in the country. Details of the form and nature of the evaluation remained to be agreed as of May 2006.[43]
There were two demining bodies in Ethiopia at the end of 2005, EMAO and since October 2005, NPA. EMAO does not currently have a process for the formal accreditation of mine action operators but a project document defines NPA’s relationship with EMAO and the organization’s responsibilities. It requires that NPA facilitate a transition to local ownership of the “current aspects” of its program by the end of 2007.[44]
The Ethiopia mine action program has manual and mechanical clearance assets and, following a year-long test of their suitability for Ethiopian environmental conditions, mine detection dogs (MDD).[45] EMAO’s operational capability in 2005 consisted of three MDD teams belonging to Armor Group, which stopped work in October, three ground preparation machines and six manual clearance companies.[46] EMAO pointed out that it pays the salaries of all mine action personnel, from headquarters staff to deminers. After December 2006, EMAO hoped that the government would continue to cover the headquarters costs and the remainder would be covered by the EC-funded project.[47]
NPA contributed additional MDD teams (15 dogs with seven expatriate handlers), which became operational in December 2005, and NPA started training Ethiopian handlers to replace the expatriate handlers. By the end of March 2006, the first six Ethiopian MDD handlers were accredited for operations. As of May, two expatriates remained to supervise them. An MDD coordinator was also training a counterpart within EMAO.[48] NPA MDD teams are accredited for operations by EMAO.[49] The dogs and their handlers are always accredited together as a team; sometimes EMAO’s accreditation uses the support of the UN operations advisor.[50]
As of April 2006, the mine action program had six mine clearance companies, six MDD teams and three ground preparation machines.[51] NPA planned to expand its MDD activities with five more dogs by September 2006.[52] UNDP expected there to be 25 MDDs by the end of 2006.[53]
The status of the LIS, which had been uncertain since the completion of survey work in early 2004, became clearer in late April 2006. The experts’ mission planned for October 2005 to verify data in selected communities did not take place, ostensibly for lack of funding.[54] The director general of EMAO pointed out, however, that such a mission would be seeking to verify information up to four years after it was originally collected. As a result, EMAO had decided to accept the survey “as is” and would request certification but would express its reservations to the UN Certification Committee about the quality of some of the community surveys, notably in the Somali region.[55] EMAO believes that the number of recent casualties reported by certain communities was exaggerated and that some dangerous areas were missed.[56]
As a result of concerns about the quality of the information generated, EMAO has not used the LIS for priority setting, but merely as a baseline for planning in affected areas.[57] Given the high cost of the survey (some $4 million) and the delay in its use, questions have been raised as to its cost-effectiveness. However, EMAO worked with the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) through June 2006 to have the survey certified “with minor comments” and planned to use it extensively.[58] According to a member of NPA’s headquarters staff, who was the operations manager for the LIS, although some communities probably exaggerated the number of recent casualties and size of suspected hazard areas, the survey could prove useful for planning demining operations in Ethiopia.[59] As of mid-July 2006, the survey had not been certified.[60]
In 2005, the first EMAO technical survey teams deployed to northern Ethiopia and, in October, to the Somali region in the southeast.[61] In 2006, NPA planned to assist EMAO in strengthening capacities for risk assessment and area reduction through enhanced technical survey. A new standing operating procedure was developed for approval by EMAO prior to the start of training in June 2006.[62] NPA intended to incorporate MDDs as part of its technical survey methodology, with the aim of bringing as much land back into use as quickly and as affordably as possible.[63]
NPA technical survey teams will use the LIS data as a baseline in areas of national priority. Community liaison (task impact assessment, TIA) personnel, an integrated part of the survey team, will collect data from the community on suspected hazardous areas and their impact. Land considered low risk following an in-depth analysis of existing data confirmed by various sources (for example, no incidents recorded and the land in use) will be cancelled as “area without obvious risk (AWOR)” and formally released.[64] In higher risk areas, where there has been “mine-lifting” or a recorded incident, technical survey will check the presence and extent of danger, followed by clearance if required.[65]
In 2006, an EMAO team carried out “land use survey,” to assess whether and how land is being used after clearance operations.[66] It was intended that such surveys would become systematic.[67] NPA planned to strengthen EMAO’s capacity to implement systematic post-clearance impact assessments thorough its training in task impact assessment and inclusion of TIA in technical survey.[68]
There is no permanent marking of mined or UXO-contaminated areas in Ethiopia. Certain areas that are being demined, however, such as mounds amid flat land, are marked for later clearance.[69]
The two demining companies newly established in late 2005 were deployed to “very densely mined areas” in Humera and Somali regions in December to initiate clearance operations. These companies are almost twice the size of the existing companies.[70]
The EMAO mine action program has three Bozena mini-flails, which have resulted in significantly improved productivity.[71] They are mainly used for ground preparation, although by 2006 they were also being deployed for area reduction, especially in areas between the Eritrean and Ethiopian frontline trenches. If the machine passes over an area and does not detonate a mine or UXO, only one dog (instead of the previous two) will be sent over the area to verify that it is not contaminated.[72]
In 2005, EMAO reported clearance of 4,365,710 square meters of land, destroying 184 antipersonnel mines, 99 antivehicle mines and 6,613 UXO; this includes clearance carried out by NPA in December only. However, while EMAO claimed to have demined (cleared and reduced/cancelled) a total area of almost 11.5 square kilometers during 2005, UNDP reported that more than six square kilometers of land was returned to civilian use in Ethiopia in 2005.[73]
Between December 2005 and the end of April 2006, 313,024 square meters of land were cleared by NPA MDD teams. According to NPA, this is “at the high end of NPA’s estimated range of clearance potential.”[74]
Quality assurance is the responsibility of one officer in each demining company. In addition, team leaders are required to verify about 10 percent of the clearance that is carried out.[75]
There were no reports of widespread informal (“village”) demining, although there has apparently been some clearance of antivehicle mines to extract their explosives.[76]
In separate incidents in 2005, two deminers suffered minor injuries.[77] There were no demining accidents from January to April 2006. All deminers in Ethiopia are insured. EMAO uses a local insurance company.[78]
EMAO reported that it had no evidence that any of its deminers had died of AIDS but it may conduct some awareness among its staff. The organization received a circular from the government in 2006 on its responsibilities for dealing with HIV/AIDS.[79]
In 2005, mine risk education (MRE) was limited in Ethiopia compared with previous years. The main focus was Sudanese refugees prior to their return. UNICEF, with the NGO Rehabilitation and Development Organization (RaDO), piloted a development-oriented “village profile approach.”
Organizations involved included EMAO, UNMEE, Bureau of Labor and Social Affairs in Tigray, and RaDO. UNICEF provided technical and financial support to these organizations. In 2005, the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) with RaDO started providing MRE for Sudanese refugees prior to their return.[80]
UNHCR and RaDO signed an agreement to provide MRE in September 2005 for an initial three-month period in two refugee camps; this was renewed for 2006 to cover all five camps for Sudanese refugees.[81] The project aimed to reach the over 90,000 Sudanese refugees with safety messages. It established a community structure consisting of taskforce members at camp and village/zonal level, representing community leaders, youth and women’s associations, church leaders, the refugee central committee as well as implementing partners. RaDO used drama clubs, circus groups, leaflets, posters, T-shirts and capes.[82]
RaDO has been engaged in MRE activities in Tigray and Afar in northern Ethiopia since 1999 and 2001, respectively, with financial and technical support from UNICEF. The project was officially handed over to local authorities on 31 August 2005.[83] In Afar, the handover did not succeed and due to the low number of casualties UNICEF decided to terminate the project. A meeting of EMAO, UNICEF and the government of Afar concluded that the government, with EMAO assistance, would develop a plan of action showing commitment and ownership regarding MRE in Afar.[84]
UNICEF has requested a joint plan of action from all its partners, so that MRE can be implemented in a coordinated manner, and followed recommendations of the 2005 GICHD evaluation by developing roles and responsibilities of the government organizations involved in MRE.[85] With its implementing partner RaDO, UNICEF started a village profile project on a pilot basis in 11 villages along the border with Eritrea; villages with and without previous or ongoing demining were chosen. The objective was to discuss the communities’ mine action challenges in a development context, and at the same time collect data on casualties and their assistance needs.[86]
UNMAS held a four-day training of trainers on landmines and UXO in Addis Ababa on 18-21 October 2005 at the request of UNICEF; 13 participants, mainly Ethiopian nationals, were trained to deliver landmine safety briefings; they prepared a plan of action and drafted a country-specific curriculum.[87] Following the training, the UN Department for Safety and Security incorporated safety messages into its local field security briefings. A more comprehensive one-hour briefing package is provided to staff working in mine-suspected areas.[88]
National standards for MRE have been translated into the Somali, Afar and Tigray languages. However, it remains unclear whether they have been officially adopted by EMAO.[89]
EMAO community liaison officers operated with the mine clearance teams in Tigray, Afar and Somali. EMAO reported that 29,041 people received MRE in 2005 and 31,267 people in the first quarter of 2006.[90] The Bureau of Labor and Social Affairs (BoLSA) in Tigray said that about 35,080 people received MRE. Evaluations were conducted at the community level to integrate MRE with Bolsa Tigray’s regular activities.[91]
In March 2005, an evaluation of MRE in Ethiopia by GICHD concluded that it was one of the world’s “more mature mine risk education programs,” but coordination should be strengthened and management skills reinforced; efforts to prepare for possible emergencies should be increased.[92]
In 2005, $2,604,980 of mine action funding was donated by six countries, a small increase from 2004 ($2,343,900 donated by four countries and the EC).[93] Donors in 2005 were:
The UN reported a World Bank loan of $4,769,000 for expansion of EMAO operational capability.[100]
In April 2006, the EC Delegation in Ethiopia announced that it will provide mine action funding of €8 million (some $10 million) to Ethiopia over a three-year period. The EC funds will be channeled through UNDP and EMAO for demining in the Tigray and Afar regions.[101]
The UN sought $6,280,674 for mine action in Ethiopia in 2006, of which around $5.2 million was for demining.[102] It was hoped that some of the funds remaining from the 1998 World Bank loan to Ethiopia, which was converted into a grant in March 2006, could be allocated to mine action. Funding requirements for the program were expected to be around $5.3 million in 2007 and to increase in 2008.[103]
In 2005, Landmine Monitor recorded at least 31 new mine/UXO casualties (five killed, 13 injured and 13 unknown). At least five of the casualties were children under 18 years old and one was a woman; seven were military.[104] This is a small increase from 27 mine/UXO casualties in 2004.[105]
However, with no systematic data collection mechanism, limited information-sharing between stakeholders and a lack of political will to improve either, these figures do not represent the extent of the problem.[106] Information collected by the UN, outside the TSZ data collected by the UNMEE MACC, was not made available to Landmine Monitor.
From January 2005 to May 2006, RaDO reported at least 39 new mine/UXO casualties in Tigray and Afar, including two women, five girls and 11 boys. At least 10 people were killed, 16 injured and the status of 13 was unknown.[107] As of May 2006, preliminary data collected by RaDO from 11 villages selected for its MRE pilot project, indicated that 19 mine/UXO casualties occurred between May 2005 and May 2006 in Tigray; nine people were killed and 10 injured, including one woman, two girls and 11 boys. However, RaDO is aware that more incidents occur in areas suspected to be highly mine-affected, but are unable to confirm this, as no data is available. As part of its capacity-building program, RaDO handed responsibility of casualty data collection to the Tigray Bureau of Labor and Social Affairs (BoLSA) in 2005.[108] BoLSA has not been able to generate data and it is unclear if data is collected.
Additionally, Landmine Monitor media analysis found eight casualties in 2005 that were not included in RaDO records. Casualties reported in the media in 2005 include: four people injured in an antivehicle mine explosion by Humera near the Temporary Security Zone on 28 April; this was the third incident in that area in 2005.[109] On 22 November, four Ethiopian soldiers were killed and three injured when their vehicle hit a reportedly newly laid mine 15 kilometers south of the TSZ.[110]
Landmine/UXO casualties continued to be reported in 2006, with at least 14 casualties (10 killed and four injured) by June 2006; 11 were children and one was a woman. RaDO identified 10 casualties (nine killed and one injured) from three incidents in 2006.[111] On 3 April 2006, two boys, two girls and a young woman were killed when tampering with UXO in Mereb Leke, Tigray. On 16 May, four brothers were killed in Ahferom, Tigray, while tampering with UXO.[112]
The UNMEE MACC recorded at least 19 new mine/UXO casualties in the TSZ and adjacent areas, including four killed and 15 injured as of 6 June 2006. At least seven of the casualties were children.[113] The UNMEE MACC specified that at least four casualties occurred south of the TSZ on Ethiopian territory. Landmine Monitor media analysis, as of 7 June, found that several explosions have been reported in Ethiopia since January, however only one seems to have been triggered by a mine, which did not cause any casualties.[114]
Sources reported that, in 2005 and 2006, EMAO was not able to collect casualty data because of a lack of political will, coordination, a clearly defined mandate and division of tasks between the federal and local level, which resulted in the non-granting of donor funding. Information that is already contained in IMSMA is tightly controlled and implementing partners do not have free access to the information.[115]
It is not known how many mine/UXO casualties there are in Ethiopia, as there is no nationwide data collection mechanism nor is it clear who has the mandate to collect data. Limited casualty data is collected via the health network and NGOs. According to the national government, EMAO has the mandate to collect, coordinate and analyze mine casualty data using IMSMA. Data collection in Afar and Tigray, the most mine-affected regions, has been prioritized. However, implementation of the surveillance system “is in its infancy and requires capacity building.”[116] The UN mine action team in Ethiopia stated that no agency has the mandate to collect nationwide casualty data; responsibility is left to each of the nine ethnically-based administrative regions (astedader akabibi) who each manage their medical and security data collection based on their priorities. There is no funding at the central level and data collection will only start “when the government decides that it is a priority worthy of scarce funds,” among many other priorities to fight the humanitarian crisis.[117]
The UNMEE MACC reported that from 2000 to 2004, 114 Ethiopians and Eritreans were killed and 293 injured in 261 mine incidents reported in the UNMEE mission area of the TSZ. The majority of casualties were shepherds.[118] Approximately 30 people have been killed by newly laid mines since 2003.[119]
The LIS provided significantly higher mine casualty data than previously available. It recorded 16,616 landmine/UXO casualties, including 9,341 people killed and 7,275 injured.[120] A 2004 survey indicated that 83 percent of mine/UXO casualties were male, with women a higher proportion of casualties in pastoral regions (20 percent in Somali and 24 percent in Afar) than in agricultural ones (eight percent in Tigray). As a percentage of casualties, children are more or less similar in Somali (32 percent) and Tigray (34 percent), with a noticeably lower percentage in Afar (23 percent).[121]
After announcing its ratification of the treaty at the First Review Conference, Ethiopia was identified as one of 24 States Parties with significant numbers of mine survivors, and with “the greatest responsibility to act, but also the greatest needs and expectations for assistance” in providing adequate services for the care, rehabilitation and reintegration of survivors.[122] Ethiopia participated in the Workshop on Advancing Landmine Victim Assistance in Africa, in Nairobi on 31 May-2 June 2005; the workshop aimed to help States Parties fulfill the Nairobi Action Plan’s victim assistance aims.
Ethiopia prepared some of its victim assistance objectives for the period 2005-2009 for the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in November-December 2005, including: establishing a continuous surveillance system for accurate data collection and conducting a needs assessment of survivors; making medical treatment available by informing people about the existing services; improving access to physical rehabilitation, psychosocial support and economic reintegration by establishing or strengthening clinics and services; updating, developing and enforcing laws protecting the rights of people with disabilities, including mine survivors; and developing a strategic plan for mine victim assistance in cooperation with relevant agencies and organizations.[123]
Ethiopia did not present an update on progress towards meeting its Nairobi Action Plan commitments at the Standing Committee meetings in May 2006. As of July 2006, it had not submitted an Article 7 report, where information on victim assistance may be provided on voluntary Form J.
One mine survivor from Ethiopia participated at the Nairobi workshop in May-June 2005, at the Sixth Meeting of States Parties and the Standing Committee meetings in Geneva in May 2006
As of April 2006, there was no comprehensive victim assistance strategy in Ethiopia, as there is no focal point in the government responsible for the issue. EMAO did not have a victim assistance component in its mine action program. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is responsible for the disability issue, but victim assistance is not a separate issue and there are no special provisions for mine survivors or war-disabled. There is a project dealing with war victims, but civilians affected by mines are not included in this.[124] In 2006, UNICEF, in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Ministry of Education and several NGOs, aimed to improve coordination in the disability sector and develop a database including services available and referral systems for professionals and beneficiaries.[125]
There are a limited number of health services in Ethiopia, mainly situated in the urban centers. It is estimated that more than 50 percent of the people live more than 10 kilometers away from the nearest facility, and in many rural areas the transportation network is weak. Due to lack of funding, there are only 0.2 hospital beds per 1,000 people and hospitals lack medical supplies.[126] In Ethiopia, few hospitals are capable of performing emergency surgery and most health posts in the mine-affected areas do not have the capacity to provide emergency care to mine casualties.[127] According to Landmine Survivors Network (LSN), only 10 percent of mine casualties have access to basic healthcare and rehabilitation, and access to more complex post-trauma care is even lower as there are only two orthopedic surgeons in the country.[128]
People who cannot afford medical services can, in principle, obtain these services free of charge if they have a certificate of poverty. Most mine survivors are eligible to obtain this, but it is time-consuming to obtain and many people are on the waiting list. Additionally, having the certificate is not a guarantee of free medical care, as there are insufficient resources.[129]
The World Bank has approved a $215 million grant for the Protection of Basic Services Program, which supports local authorities to provide essential services, including healthcare and education. It is estimated that the plan will pay the salaries of more than 16,000 health staff, and provide funds to civil society groups to monitor service delivery.[130]
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) continued to support the Ethiopian Red Cross Society. In 2005, ICRC trained Ethiopian medical staff, increased support to ambulance and first aid services, and provided access to free medical care, supplies and relief to victims of internal conflict. In Boromodaitu, in mine-affected Afar province, 56 health workers were trained and refresher courses were held for those trained in 2004; 42 hospital staff were trained in casualty management in Addis Ababa, 33 first aid coordinators and 1,036 ambulance staff received refresher courses, and in the mine-affected Tigray province conflict preparedness workshops were held at all Red Cross branches. In 2005, ICRC supplied 59 health centers with first aid materials, equipped 88 ambulances, provided medical supplies to treat 700 war-injured, and evacuated 13 conflict casualties.[131]
Reportedly, the government has constructed several basic health centers in districts in central Tigray and south Wollo (Amhara state); a new hospital was built in Sodo (Southern Nations state) by the US-based Saint Luke Foundation.[132]
There are approximately 360,000 people with disabilities in need of physical rehabilitation services; 22,000 of them are war veterans.[133] There are several centers providing physical rehabilitation and orthopedic devices at national and regional levels; some are government-run and others are operated by NGOs. The Rehabilitation Affairs Department of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is responsible for coordinating rehabilitation services for people with disabilities; the Bolsa is in charge of operational coordination at the regional level.[134]
Access to rehabilitation is limited as many people cannot afford transportation, registration, food and accommodation costs, even if the services are free of charge.[135]
The Emergency Demobilization and Reintegration Project included the strengthening of regional prosthetic and orthotic centers and the establishment of a national rehabilitation center, with funding from a World Bank loan. In 2004, the enlargement and renovation of five regional physical rehabilitation centers was completed and materials and supplies were provided. Nineteen prosthetic/orthotic technicians participated in an upgrade training between June and December 2005, in cooperation with ICRC.[136] The project was scheduled for completion by December 2006.[137] Construction of the National Rehabilitation Center, which will provide training on prosthetics, orthotics and physical therapy, was scheduled to be completed by September 2006, and equipped, staffed and operational by the end of January 2007.[138]
In 2005, ICRC provided support to the six government-run regional rehabilitation centers and gave ad hoc support to two more centers in Addis Ababa.[139] ICRC implements the Patients Support Services (PSS) program for war victims; in 2005, 411 people benefited in Mekele and 229 in Addis Ababa. The ICRC-supported centers assisted more than 10,193 people, produced 1,804 prostheses (48 percent for mine survivors), 2,517 orthoses (three percent for mine survivors), and distributed 2,637 pairs of crutches and 111 wheelchairs in 2005. ICRC worked on improving the quality of physiotherapy at the Arba Minch and Addis Ababa centers, rather than implementing its initial plan of setting up physiotherapy departments in four centers. ICRC also subsidized the training of six technicians in prosthetics and orthotics in Tanzania.[140] In 2005, ICRC’s financial input, including the upgrading training programme, amounted to ETB4,778,366 ($559,451).[141]
The Addis Ababa Prosthetic Orthotic Center, consisting of a referral center for physical rehabilitation, an orthopedic workshop and a physiotherapy department, assisted 6,779 people; the center produced 503 prostheses (180 for mine survivors) and 1,779 orthoses (24 for mine survivors), and distributed 37 wheelchairs and 2,500 crutches in 2005.[142] The center draws part of its funding via a cost-recovery system and income-generating activities, as well as in-kind donations.[143]
The main technical base and prosthetic training center of the ICRC Special Fund for the Disabled (SFD) is located at the Addis Ababa Prosthetic Orthotic Center.
The Dessie Regional Rehabilitation Center provides physical rehabilitation services to people with disabilities free of charge. In August 2005, the center moved to a more accessible location and improved its infrastructure, leading to an increase in people assisted. The ETB3 million ($351,240) center was officially inaugurated in June 2006.[144] In 2005, the center assisted 384 people (74 children), and produced 173 prostheses, 198 orthoses and 1,305 crutches; 79 prostheses (two for children) and 24 orthoses were for landmine survivors. [145]
As the Amhara region has the highest number of people with disabilities in Ethiopia (estimated 281,000), the Dessie center could not meet the demand for rehabilitation and it was decided to construct a new regional center in the provincial capital Bahir Dar. Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) was tasked with establishing the center, and on 15 August 2005, the Bahir Dar Physical Rehabilitation Center opened to provide physiotherapy, prostheses, wheelchairs and other assistive devices for people with disabilities living in remote parts of the Amhara region. The center has significantly improved access to services for people with disabilities in the region. There is also a community follow-up unit. By June 2006, an extension project, including a training area, dormitory and a kitchen, was completed to provide accommodation to patients and their families from outside Bahir Dar, thereby allowing them to benefit from the services offered by the center.[146] VVAF provided technical, managerial, financial and material support for the center, but planned to gradually hand the center over to Bolsa beginning in October 2006.[147] In 2005, the workshop produced 56 prostheses, 58 lower-limb orthoses, three upper-limb orthoses, 211 pairs of crutches, and distributed 43 wheelchairs, 26 tricycles and three walking frames free of charge.[148]
Cheshire Services supports workshops in Menagesha (25 kilometers west of Addis Ababa), Dire Dawa and Awassa,[149] runs a children’s rehabilitation center in Menagesha, and also runs an outreach unit servicing 37 posts nationwide. It also implements a micro-credit scheme in Dessie rehabilitation center. The rehabilitation center can assist 70 people at a time and provides 4,500 to 5,000 mobility devices for children with disabilities as well as 100 to 130 surgical interventions to children per year. In 2005, 4,325 people received orthopedic shoes (159 mine survivors), 1,565 orthoses (no mine survivors), 2,349 crutches (112 for mine/UXO survivors), and 4,793 received tricycles (169 for mine/UXO survivors).[150] Within the premises of the new Dessie Regional Rehabilitation Center, the Cheshire Foundation, in cooperation with the South Wollo Physically Disabled Association, started a micro-finance project in August 2005.
The Harar Regional Rehabilitation Center provided prosthetic and orthotic services to 328 people and produced 256 prostheses (218 for mine/UXO survivors), 34 orthoses (three for mine/UXO survivors), and 428 crutches in 2005.[151]
Mekele Orthopedic, Physiotherapy Center of the Tigray Disabled Veterans Association supported 1,244 patients, and among them 60 new patients were fitted with prostheses and 919 with orthoses in 2005. The center produced 384 prostheses (175 to mine/UXO victims), 199 orthoses (three to mine/UXO victims), 32 wheelchairs and 545 crutches.[152]
The Arba Minch Rehabilitation Center assisted 602 people and produced/ distributed 274 prostheses (141 for mine survivors), 186 orthoses (four for mine survivors) and 341 crutches.[153]
The government-run Micili Land prosthetic center in Addis Ababa receives ad hoc support from ICRC and assisted 274 people, produced 20 prostheses (18 for mine/UXO survivors), eight orthoses (all for mine/UXO survivors) and 43 crutches in 2005.[154]
ICRC also assisted patients in the course of its training program in Addis Ababa from November 2005 to June 2006; 676 people were assisted, 354 new patients were fitted with prostheses (41 mine/UXO victims) and 262 were fitted with orthoses.[155]
Addis Development Vision (ADV) assisted 537 people in accessing medical care and rehabilitation, including 15 landmine survivors in 2005. It provided three prostheses, two orthoses, nine crutches and a wheelchair to mine survivors. Additionally, 152 people received developmental rehabilitation and 149 parents were trained in caring for children with disabilities; 91 people with disabilities received vocational training, 225 disabled children received education and 3,014 people received health education.[156]
Menchen fur Menchen supported a new physical rehabilitation center in Jimma; Doctors With Africa provided physical therapy.[157]
Provision for psychosocial support and economic reintegration are limited in Ethiopia, and access to these services is further limited by conflict, extreme poverty and the geography of the country. There reportedly is only one psychiatric hospital and about 10 psychiatrists in the country.[158] Vocational training centers and micro-credit institutions exist, but access criteria are strict. Most vocational training graduates need ongoing material support after graduation. Access to micro-credit schemes for mine survivors is limited due to the high interest rates. The lack of job opportunities is the main challenge for the reintegration of survivors.[159]
The Landmine Survivors Network program in Ethiopia uses community-based outreach workers, who are also amputees, to work with individual survivors to assess their needs, offer psychological and social support, and educate families about the effects of limb loss. In 2005, LSN provided peer-support to 533 amputees and 231 people, including 169 landmine survivors, received some form of direct assistance; services are free of charge. It reached 213 new survivors in 2005 and 152 people were able to make a sustainable and adequate living with LSN support. LSN also supplied 51 prostheses, four wheelchairs and three crutches for mine survivors. However, there is a waiting list. LSN works closely with the Addis Ababa Prosthetic Orthotic Center, hospitals conducting amputation surgery, Federation of Persons with Disabilities, Sport Federation for Persons with Disabilities, and Christian Relief and Development Association.[160]
In 2005, ICRC continued to provide socioeconomic assistance in mine-affected regions, but not always specifically targeted at mine survivors. In Afar, ICRC provided farming associations with irrigation systems and training in animal health and cash crop cultivation. In a pilot project, 2,400 people received seeds and tools to cultivate maize to use as animal fodder. In Tigray, with ICRC financial support, the Ethiopian Red Cross assisted 30 mine survivors to attend school and 100 with starting a small business. ICRC provided water wells, seeds and materials in other regions of Ethiopia.[161]
RaDO works in Somali and Sudanese refugee camps and surrounding areas, providing psychosocial support, physical rehabilitation services, and orthopedic and other assistive devices to mine survivors and other disabled people. RaDO also provides counseling services to landmine survivors in Tigray. In 2005, RaDO assisted people in five Sudanese refugee camps; most of the people are Southern Sudanese and a smaller group are Somalis, but Ethiopians living in the area also receive treatment. In 2005, 940 people received assistance; 92 new people with disabilities and war victims were identified and assisted. RaDO provided 749 orthopedic appliances and repaired 141, and 24 refugees were referred to the Prosthetic Orthotic Center in Addis Ababa; 151 family members of children with severe disabilities received training on childcare and 156 disability awareness sessions were organized. In 2006, RaDo worked in the Somali refugee camp of Kebribeyah, and assisted 190 people with disabilities, including 10 newly identified people with disabilities; 98 orthopedic devices were distributed and 39 repaired; and 30 disability awareness sessions were conducted and 31 family members of severely disabled children were trained. RaDO is funded by UNHCR and Stichting Vluchteling Nederland.[162]
Handicap International (HI) provides support to disabled people’s organizations, such as the Self Support Disabled Group, which provide income generation opportunities to people with disabilities. As of April 2006, this organization can function without financial support but continues to receive technical support from HI.[163]
There are reportedly about 70 NGOs working with people with disabilities in Ethiopia, including Prosthetics-Orthotics National Professional Association, Handicap National-Action for Children with Disabilities, Ethiopian National Association of the Blind, Ethiopian National Association of the Deaf, Ethiopian National Association of the Physically Handicapped, Amhara Development Association and Tigray Development Association.[164]
Ethiopia has legislation to protect the rights of people with disabilities, including mine survivors; however, there is reportedly no mechanism to enforce the legislation and the government devotes few resources to rehabilitation and assistance. People with disabilities indicate access to employment as the main challenge.[165]
The Ethiopian Federation of Persons with Disabilities is an umbrella organization of the five national disability associations. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the federation coordinate disability issues at the national level.[166]
LSN advocates for the rights of people with disabilities, and participates in and sponsors awareness-raising.[167]
UNICEF and the international NGO interPART assisted Bolsa in developing the Integrated Regional Disability Strategy of Tigray, which was scheduled to be presented at a workshop in August 2006.[168]
Cheshire Services organized the Children’s Fun Run for approximately 900 children with disabilities on 29 January 2006 in Addis Ababa as an awareness-raising event.[169]
There are approximately six million people with disabilities in Ethiopia.[170]
[1] “Nation Marks Landmine Ban Treaty Day,” Ethiopian Herald, 2 March 2006.
[2] Landmine Monitor (MAC) interview with Fido T. Ebba, Diplomacy Division, Oromo Liberation Front Foreign Affairs, Washington DC, 10 July 2006.
[3] “Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1630 (2005),” S/2006/229, 4 May 2006, p. 13.
[4] “Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1587 (2005),” S/2005/625, 4 October 2005, p. 46.
[5] Letter No. 3-1/43/16/06 from Minister of Foreign Affairs Seyoum Mesfin to Stephen Goose, Landmine Monitor Ban Policy Coordinator, 3 July 2006.
[6] “Report of the Panel of Experts on Somalia Pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1474 (2003),” delivered to the President of the Security Council on 4 November 2003 (S/2003/1035), paras. 136-137, pp. 31-32. A UN panel member told Landmine Monitor that it was uncertain if the mines were antipersonnel or antivehicle, and if the transfers were from the government or other sources.
[7] Geneva Call, “Landmines in Somalia, Report of the Geneva Call Follow-up Mission to Puntland, Hiran and Bakol Regions, 15-27 September 2004,” Geneva, 2005, p. 9. Landmine Monitor received allegations of arms shipments from Ethiopia to Somalia in 2004 and 2005, but none specifically mentioned antipersonnel mines.
[8] Landmine Monitor Report 2002, pp. 549-550; Landmine Monitor Report 2003, p. 517.
[9] Ethiopia first made this statement in 1997. Statement by Dr. Fecadu Gadarmu, Ambassador to Canada, Signing Ceremony for the Mine Ban Treaty, Ottawa, 3 December 1997, p. 2.
[10] Email from Phil Lewis, UNMEE MACC, 23 April 2002.
[11] Previous Landmine Monitor reports have discussed the use of antipersonnel mines during the border conflict by both sides. In addition, insurgents opposed to the government of Ethiopia, particularly the Oromo Liberation Front and the Ogaden National Liberation Front, have reportedly used landmines in the past.
[12] Interview with Bob Kudyba, Operations Officer, UNMEE MACC, Asmara, 20 February 2006; interview with Tedla Gebreselassie, MRE Coordinator, UNMEE MACC, Asmara, 23 February 2006. Ethiopia and Eritrea have accused each other of involvement in the incidents. The Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement/Islamic Salvation Movement apparently claimed responsibility for one of the incidents in 2003. Geneva Call, “Armed Non-State Actors and Landmines,” November 2005, p. 49.
[13] UN Security Council, “Report of the Secretary-General on Ethiopia and Eritrea,” S/2006/1, 3 January 2006, para 35.
[14] UN Security Council, “Report of the Secretary-General on Ethiopia and Eritrea,” S/2006/104, 6 March 2006,
para 21.
[15] UNMEE MACC, “Weekly Update,” 13 June 2006.
[16] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 339.
[17] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 356; UN, “Country Profile: Ethiopia,” 28 December 2005, www.mineaction.org, accessed 20 January 2006.
[18] Ibid.
[19] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 356.
[20] UN, “Country Profile: Ethiopia.”
[21] Council of Ministers Regulation No. 70/2001.
[22] Interview with Etsay G. Selasie, Director General, EMAO, Addis Ababa, 20 April, and email 29 June 2006. Although EMAO considers itself to be the national mine action authority in Ethiopia, International Mine Action Standards describes a national mine action authority as being typically an interministerial body responsible for management of mine action.
[23] Interview with Etsay G. Selasie, EMAO, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006; interview with Scott Pilkington, Senior Technical Advisor, UN Mine Action Advisory Team, UN Development Programme (UNDP), Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006.
[24] Interview with Scott Pilkington, UNDP, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006.
[25] Council of Ministers Regulation No. 70/2001; see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 357.
[26] Interview with Etsay G. Selasie, EMAO, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006.
[27] Ibid.
[28] Interview with Valerie Warmington, Program Manager, NPA, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006; email from Valerie Warmington and Jan Erik Stoa, Operations Manager, NPA, 24 May 2006.
[29] See UN, “Country Profile: Ethiopia;” UN, “2006 Portfolio of Mine Action Projects,” New York, pp. 172-174.
[30] UNDP, “Technical Assistance to Ethiopian Mine Action, Progress Report on Activities and Accomplishments of 2005,” 2006, p. 1.
[31] Interview with Scott Pilkington, UNDP, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006.
[32] Ibid.
[33] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 357.
[34] Ibid.
[35] Interview with Etsay G. Selasie, EMAO, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006; interview with Valerie Warmington, NPA, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006.
[36] UN, “Country Profile: Ethiopia;” UN, “2006 Portfolio of Mine Action Projects,” New York, p. 173.
[37] Ibid, pp. 172-173.
[38] UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, “Ethiopia: EC funds mine clearance,” IRIN (Addis Ababa), 5 April 2006.
[39] “EU Mine Action Coordination Meeting for Africa,” Addis Ababa, 3-7 April 2006.
[40] EC, “April 4 – The European Commission Arranges Regional Seminar in Addis Ababa in Order to Highlight the Problem of Landmines in Africa,” Press Release, Addis Ababa, 4 April 2006.
[41] Interview with Etsay G. Selasie, EMAO, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006.
[42] Interview with Valerie Warmington, NPA, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006.
[43] Email from Valerie Warmington and Jan Erik Stoa, NPA, 24 May 2006.
[44] Interview with Etsay G. Selasie, EMAO, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006; email from Valerie Warmington, and Jan Erik Stoa, NPA, 24 May 2006.
[45] UNDP, “Technical Assistance to Ethiopian Mine Action, Progress Report on Activities and Accomplishments of 2005,” 2006, p. 1.
[46] UN, “Country Profile: Ethiopia.” A total of 305 additional manual deminers were trained in 2005, adding two companies to the four already operating.
[47] Email from Etsay G. Selasie, EMAO, 29 June 2006.
[48] Interview with Valerie Warmington, NPA, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006.
[49] Interview with Etsay G. Selasie, EMAO, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006; interview with Scott Pilkington, UNDP, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006.
[50] Email from Valerie Warmington and Jan Erik Stoa, NPA, 24 May 2006.
[51] EMAO, “International Day to Highlight Issues Related to Landmines,” Press Release, Addis Ababa, 4 April 2006.
[52] Interview with Valerie Warmington, NPA, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006; UN, “Country Profile: Ethiopia.”
[53] Interview with Scott Pilkington, UNDP, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006.
[54] Ibid; interview with Etsay G. Selasie, EMAO, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006; see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 358.
[55] Interview with Etsay G. Selasie, EMAO, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006; email from Mike Kendellen, Director for Survey, Survey Action Center, 10 July 2006.
[56] Interview with Scott Pilkington, UNDP, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006; interview with Etsay G. Selasie, EMAO, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006.
[57] Interview with Etsay G. Selasie, EMAO, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006.
[58] Email from Etsay G. Selasie, EMAO, Addis Ababa, 29 June 2006.
[59] Telephone interview with Adam Combs, Mine Action Team, NPA, Oslo, 30 May 2006; email from Etsay G. Selasie, EMAO, Addis Ababa, 29 June 2006.
[60] Email from Justin Brady, Planning Officer, UNMAS, 17 July 2006.
[61] UNDP, “Technical Assistance to Ethiopian Mine Action, Progress Report on Activities and Accomplishments of 2005,” 2006, p. 2.
[62] Email from Valerie Warmington and Jan Erik Stoa, NPA, 24 May 2006.
[63] Interview with Scott Pilkington, UNDP, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006; interview with Valerie Warmington, NPA, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006.
[64] Interview with Valerie Warmington, NPA, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006, and email from Valerie Warmington and Jan Erik Stoa, NPA, 24 May 2006.
[65] Interview with Valerie Warmington, NPA, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006. “Mine-lifting” refers to recorded mines having been removed, often by military personnel, but without formal humanitarian mine clearance.
[66] Interview with Etsay G. Selasie, EMAO, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006.
[67] Ibid, and email, 29 June 2006.
[68] Email from Valerie Warmington and Jan Erik Stoa, NPA, 24 May 2006.
[69] Interview with Etsay G. Selasie, EMAO, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006.
[70] Ibid.
[71] Ibid.
[72] Ibid; interview with Scott Pilkington, UNDP, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006; see Landmine Monitor Report 2005,
p. 357.
[73] UNDP, “Technical Assistance to Ethiopian Mine Action, 2005 Annual Report,” undated but 2006, Foreword.
[74] Interview with Valerie Warmington, NPA, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006, and email from Valerie Warmington and Jan Erik Stoa, NPA, Addis Ababa, 24 May 2006.
[75] Interview with Etsay G. Selasie, EMAO, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006.
[76] Ibid.
[77] Thus, the claim by UNDP that there was no accident or injury to demining personnel during operations in 2005 appears not to be correct. UNDP, “Technical Assistance to Ethiopian Mine Action, Progress Report on Activities and Accomplishments of 2005,” 2006, p. 2.
[78] Interview with Etsay G. Selasie, EMAO, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006.
[79] Ibid.
[80] Email from Sofie Lauritzen, UNHCR, Juba, Sudan, 28 April 2006.
[81] Ibid.
[82] Email from Yiberta Tadesse, Director, RaDO, 14 June 2006.
[83] Ibid.
[84] Email from Orlaith Gallagher, UNICEF, 19 July 2006.
[85] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 360; email from Orlaith Gallagher, UNICEF, 6 May 2006.
[86] Email from Orlaith Gallagher, UNICEF, 6 May 2006.
[87] Information provided by Sebastian Kasack, former MRE officer and landmine safety trainer, UNMAS, 22 June 2006.
[88] Email from Sorrien Scott, Regional Field Security Coordination Officer Ethiopia/Djibouti, UN Department for Safety and Security, Addis Ababa, 15 June 2006.
[89] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 357; email from Orlaith Gallagher, UNICEF, 18 April 2006; no update could be obtained from EMAO.
[90] Email from Berhane Achame, MRE officer, EMAO, 13 July 2006.
[91] Email from Kefyalew Kinfemichael, Bolsa Tigray, 27 April 2006.
[92] GICHD, “An Evaluation of the Mine Risk Education Program in Ethiopia,” Geneva, July 2005.
[93] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 360.
[94] Mine Action Investments database; email from Paula Sirkiä, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, 16 March 2006. Average exchange rate for 2005: €1 = US$1.2449, used throughout this report. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2006.
[95] Germany Article 7 Report, Form J, 27 April 2006; Mine Action Investments database.
[96] Email from Ellen Schut, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 7 April 2006; email from Brechtje Paardekooper, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 18 April 2006.
[97] Email from Annette A. Landell-Mills, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 21 June 2006. Average exchange rate for 2005: US$1 = NOK6.4412. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2006.
[98] Email from Andrew Willson, Department for International Development, 20 March 2006. Average exchange rate for 2005: £1 = US$1.820. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2006.
[99] USG Historical Chart containing data for FY 2005, by email from Angela L. Jeffries, Financial Management Specialist, US Department of State, 8 June 2006; email from Michael Moore, LSN, 29 May 2006.
[100] UN, “Portfolio of Mine Action Projects, Revised End of Year Update,” 2005, received by email from Katrine Hoyer, Associate Expert, UNMAS, 11 July 2006.
[101] “Ethiopia: EC Funds Mine Clearance,” IRIN (Addis Ababa), 5 April 2006; “EU to Fund Land mine Clearance in Ethiopia,” Agence France-Presse, 4 April 2006.
[102] UN, “2006 Portfolio of Mine Action Projects,” New York, p. 172.
[103] Interview with Scott Pilkington, UNDP, Addis Ababa, 20 April 2006.
[104] Emails from Yiberta Tadesse, RaDO, 13 and 15 June 2006; “Four injured by landmines along border with Eritrea,” IRIN (Addis Ababa), 28 April 2005; “Four soldiers killed in blast,” IRIN (Addis Ababa), 29 November 2005. Casualties reported by the US Department of State have not been included in the total, as it is impossible to verify if they are duplications; undated casualties recorded by RaDO between May 2005 and May 2006 have also not been included, as they might have occurred in 2006; The UNMEE MACC casualties have not been included in the total as no information was obtained as to whether the casualties occurred in Eritrea or Ethiopia.
[105] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, pp. 360-361.
[106] Information gathered through interviews and email correspondence with representatives of the UN, government, NGOs and ICRC between 16 May 2006 and 20 June 2006.
[107] Emails from Yiberta Tadesse, RaDO, Addis Ababa, 13 and 15 June 2006; see Landmine Monitor Report 2005,
p. 361.
[108] Ibid.
[109] “Four injured by landmines along border with Eritrea,” IRIN (Addis Ababa), 28 April 2005.
[110] “Four soldiers killed in blast,” IRIN (Addis Ababa), 29 November 2005.
[111] These casualties are included in the total number collected between May 2005 and May 2006.
[112] Emails from Yiberta Tadesse, Director, RaDO, 13 and 15 June 2006.
[113] Email from the UNMEE MACC Information Section, Asmara, 7 June 2006.
[114] “Six killed in new mystery blasts in Ethiopia,” Agence France-Presse (Addis Ababa), 20 April 2006.
[115] Information gathered through interviews and email correspondence with representatives of the UN, government, and NGOs between 16 May 2006 and 20 June 2006; GICHD, “An Evaluation of the Mine Risk Education Program in Ethiopia,” Geneva, July 2005.
[116] “Final Report of the Meeting of States Parties / Zagreb Progress Report,” Part II, Annex V, “Victim Assistance objectives of the States Parties that have the responsibility for significant number of landmine survivors,” Zagreb, 28 November-2 December 2005, p. 161.
[117] Email from Scott Pilkington, UNDP, 14 June 2006.
[118] “Four injured by landmines along border with Eritrea,” IRIN (Addis Ababa), 28 April 2005; “114 killed by landmines on Ethio-Eritrean border since 2000,” Xinhua (Addis Ababa), 18 January 2005.
[119] “Four injured by landmines along border with Eritrea,” IRIN (Addis Ababa), 28 April 2005.
[120] See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 895-896.
[121] UNICEF/EMAO, “Landmines and Unexploded Ordnance Needs Assessment Survey: Findings and Recommendations Afar, Somali and Tigray Regions,” June 2004, p. 9.
[122] UN, “Final Report, First Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction,” Nairobi, 29 November-3 December 2004, APLC/CONF/2004/5, 9 February 2005, p. 33.
[123] “Final Report of the Meeting of States Parties / Zagreb Progress Report,” Part II, Annex V, Zagreb, 28 November-2 December 2005, pp. 161-164.
[124] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire by Bekele Gonfa, Director, LSN, Addis Ababa, 30 April 2006.
[125] Email from Orlaith Gallagher, UNICEF, Addis Ababa, 14 June 2006.
[126] World Health Organization, “Health in Crisis, Ethiopia Country Profile,” February 2006, pp. 1-2.
[127] See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 896.
[128] Lisa Söderlindh, “Conflict: Getting rid of landmines ‘in years instead of decades’,” Inter Press Service, 7 April 2006.
[129] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire by Bekele Gonfa, LSN, Addis Ababa, 30 April 2006.
[130] World Bank, “Press Release: World Bank Group Approves Plan to Protect Basic Services, Improve Governance,” 25 May 2006; “UK Announces New Scheme to Support Ethiopia’s Poorest,” The Reporter (Addis Ababa), 27 May 2006.
[131] ICRC, “Annual Report 2005,” Geneva, June 2006, pp. 83-87.
[132] “18 health facilities become operational in Kelala Woreda,” Ethiopian News Agency (Dessie), 25 April 2006; “Health Posts Benefiting Over 60,000 People Go Operational,” The Ethiopian Herald (Addis Ababa), 7 June 2006; “General hospital in Sodo inaugurated,” Ethiopian News Agency (Sodo), May 2006.
[133] Email from Jozef Nagels, Head of Orthopedic Program, ICRC, Addis Ababa, 23 May 2006; ICRC, “Annual Report 2005,” Geneva, June 2006, p. 84.
[134] Email from Jozef Nagels, ICRC, 15 June 2006.
[135] Email from Jozef Nagels, ICRC, 23 May 2006.
[136] ICRC, “Physical Rehabilitation Programme - Annual Report 2005,” Geneva, July 2006, p. 22.
[137] Email from Abebaw Alemayehu, Senior Urban Development Specialist, World Bank, Addis Ababa, 19 June 2006.
[138] Information from Ingo Wiederhofer, Senior Operations Officer Sustainable Development Department, World Bank, Addis Ababa, 16 June 2006.
[139] ICRC, “Annual Report 2005,” Geneva, June 2006, p. 86; see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 362.
[140] ICRC, “Physical Rehabilitation Programme - Annual Report 2005,” Geneva, July 2006, p. 22. The statistics are a cumulative total of the workshops supported by the ICRC.
[141] Email from Jozef Nagels, ICRC, 23 May 2006. Average exchange rate for 2005: ETB1 = US$0.11708, used throughout this report, www.oanda.com.
[142] “Statistics for Physical Rehabilitation Programme Activities, Jan-Dec 2005,” provided by Jozef Nagels, ICRC, 15 June 2006.
[143] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire by Yohannes Berhanu, General Manager, Prosthetic Orthotic Center, Addis Ababa, 12 June 2006; see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 362.
[144] “Dessie town gets new orthopedic physiotherapy services center,” Ethiopian News Agency (Dessie), 5 June 2006.
[145] “Statistics for Physical Rehabilitation Programme Activities, Jan-Dec 2005.”
[146] Email from William Brown, Program Administrator, Post-Conflict Rehabilitation Programs, VVAF, Washington DC, 13 June 2006.
[147] Telephone interview with Larrie Warren, Director, Post-Conflict Rehabilitation Programs, VVAF, Washington DC, 16 June 2006.
[148] Email from William Brown, VVAF, Washington DC, 13 June 2006.
[149] Email from Jozef Nagels, ICRC, 15 June 2006.
[150] Email from Fasil Ayele, Program and Resource Development Officer, Cheshire Services, Addis Ababa, 16 June 2006.
[151] “Statistics for Physical Rehabilitation Programme Activities, Jan-Dec 2005.”
[152] Ibid.
[153] Ibid; see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 362.
[154] “Statistics for Physical Rehabilitation Programme Activities, Jan-Dec 2005.”
[155] Information provided by Jozef Nagels, ICRC, 16 June 2006.
[156] Emails from Adane Alemu, Director, ADV, Addis Ababa, 15 and 17 June 2006.
[157] Email from Jozef Nagels, ICRC, 15 June 2006.
[158] US Department of State, “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices-2005: Ethiopia,” Washington DC, 8 March 2006.
[159] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire by Bekele Gonfa, LSN, Addis Ababa, 30 April 2006.
[160] Ibid.
[161] ICRC, “Annual Report 2005,” Geneva, June 2006, pp. 85-87.
[162] Emails from Yiberta Tadesse, RaDO, 13 and 15 June 2006.
[163] HI, “Soutien aux Associations de Personnes Handicapées/Une Ténacité payante (Support to Disabled People’s Organizations/ Tenacity Pays off),” 11 April 2006.
[164] See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 897-899; Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p. 556.
[165] US Department of State, “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices-2005: Ethiopia,” Washington DC, 8 March 2006.
[166] See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 899.
[167] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire by Bekele Gonfa, LSN, Addis Ababa, 30 April 2006.
[168] Emails from Orlaith Gallagher, UNICEF, 14 June and 19 July 2006.
[169] Email from Fasil Ayele, Cheshire Services, 16 June 2006.
[170] US Department of State, “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices-2005: Ethiopia,” Washington DC, 8 March 2006.