Key developments since May 2005: The Namibian Defence Force continued to conduct limited survey operations in Kavango and Western Caprivi regions in 2005 but did not find any mines. The Namibian Police destroyed five mines and 3,300 unexploded ordnance across the country during 2005. In March 2006, Namibia stated that it was “mine-safe,” but that it was not ready to declare itself mine-free until the completion of ongoing surveys. In 2005, 12 people were injured by mines and unexploded ordnance.
The Republic of Namibia signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997, ratified it on 21 September 1998, and the treaty entered into force on 1 March 1999. The Mine Ban Treaty is part of national law under the Namibian Constitution.[1] Namibia has said that draft implementation legislation was “under consideration” in each of its past three Article 7 annual transparency reports, including April 2006.[2] However, a defense official told Landmine Monitor in May 2006 that it may not be necessary since the government believes that it has completed its obligations under the treaty.[3]
Namibia submitted an annual updated Article 7 report on 26 April 2006, for calendar year 2005. On 9 September 2005, it submitted an Article 7 report for 2004.[4]
Namibia attended the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in Zagreb, Croatia in November-December 2005, where it gave a statement on universalization. It also participated in the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva in June 2005 and May 2006.
Namibia 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, except to make a statement on mines retained for training to the Standing Committee on General Status and Operation of the Convention. The country’s silence on these issues of concern is disappointing since the ICBL has raised concerns about Namibia’s joint operations with Angolan forces using mines in 2000 and 2001.[5]
Namibia is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.
Namibia stated that it has never produced or exported antipersonnel mines.[6] It says that it obtained mines as “left-overs during the liberation struggle.”[7] There have been no serious allegations of use of antipersonnel mines by Namibian forces since the April 2002 peace agreement in Angola.[8]
In 2004, Namibia reported that by May 1998, it had destroyed 21,857 of 31,856 stockpiled antipersonnel mines and was retaining 9,999 mines.[9] Prior to this, Namibia had made no official declarations about its stockpile, even though its treaty deadline for stockpile destruction was 1 March 2003.
Namibia described the 9,999 retained mines as “a very limited number of anti-personnel mines...for research and development, training in mine detection, mine clearance and destruction techniques.”[10] In June 2005, Namibia stated that it had destroyed 3,848 of the retained mines during training activities, leaving 6,151 mines. It also indicated that the number of retained mines would continue to decrease in the future.[11] In its Article 7 report submitted on 26 April 2006, Namibia reported that a total of 3,899 antipersonnel mines were retained at the end of 2005.[12] Namibia has not explained the decrease in the total.
Namibia has not yet reported in any detail on the intended purposes and actual uses of its retained mines—a step agreed to by States Parties in the Nairobi Action Plan that emerged from the First Review Conference in November-December 2004. Namibia did not use the new expanded Form D for reporting on retained mines that States Parties agreed to at the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in December 2005.
During Namibia’s war of independence between 1961 and 1990, protective minefields were laid around military bases and powerline pylons in Kunene and the northern regions. Nuisance mines were also laid by the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Uniâo Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola, UNITA) elements in the Kavango and Western Caprivi areas in 1999.[13] In 1999, an assessment mission by the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) concluded that the “landmine situation in Namibia constitutes neither a humanitarian emergency nor a major obstacle for development,” and that the “mine problem in Namibia is finite, well known and could be solved relatively quickly given the appropriate resources and coordination.”[14] Mines Advisory Group also carried out an assessment in 1998, which indicated the need for training, clearance and explosive ordnance disposal.[15]
In March 2006, Namibian Defence Force’s Chief of Mine Action declared that, “Namibia was a mine-affected country before and after independence. Demining operations on the known minefields started in 1995 and were completed in 2000 which made Namibia a mine-safe country. The situation of nuisance mines laid by UNITA elements in the Kavango and Western Caprivi regions were dealt with by the Namibian Defence Force. Our regular survey showed that Namibia is a mine-safe country. The presence of mines has completely diminished.”[16]
Namibia’s Article 7 report of 26 April 2006 states that no areas contain mines as “demining operations were completed in 2001.” It adds that no new areas suspected to contain mines “were discovered” and that a survey continues to be conducted.[17] The Namibian Police also reported that since the joint clearance operation with the Defence Force in Western Caprivi and Kavango, no landmine incidents have been recorded in the area.[18]
Previously, in June 2005, the Namibian Defence Force declared that although all known minefields had been declared mine-free, there were still residual problems in certain areas due to nuisance mines laid by UNITA.[19]
There is also an ongoing threat from explosive remnants of war (ERW), primarily unexploded ordnance (UXO), which remains sizeable and a greater problem than that of mines. The Namibian Police reported clearing many more UXO (3,300 items) and 10 people were injured or killed by UXO in 2005, whereas five mines were found and two people injured by mines.[20] Most of the ordnance discovered by the population is scattered in bushes or on small pathways leading to roads; only a very limited number of caches are reported.[21]
There is no national mine action authority or mine action center in Namibia. The Namibian Defence Force maintains a Landmine Focal Point who reports to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence.[22] Meetings are held on an ad hoc basis, when there is a need to update the Permanent Secretary or the Ministry’s operations office.[23]
In 2004, Namibia drafted strategic mine action objectives for 2005-2009, which had four goals:
The database for all clearance activity and victim information is managed by the Namibian Police Force. The Ministry of Defence reports that records of UXO or mines found are not passed on to the Namibian Police Force for integration into its database.[24]
Between 1995 and 2001, Namibia had an extensive mine action program in place to clear all known minefields; the US government was the sole donor to the program, providing training, equipment and technical support.[25] The Namibian Police Explosives Unit and the Namibian Defence Force were involved.[26]
Namibia is not in a position to declare fulfillment of its Article 5 obligations. In December 2005, the Chief of Mine Action of the Ministry of Defence stated that he will make sure that all suspected areas are visited before declaring the country mine-free.[27] In March 2006, he added that, “Namibia does not want to rush to the declaration. It will do so when the time is ripe to do so,” meaning after the completion of a survey.[28]
All mines, and the much greater amount of UXO found in 2005, as well as all mine/UXO incidents, occurred outside the Western Caprivi and Kavango regions where survey operations are concentrated.
Clearance responsibilities are divided between the Namibian Defence Force, which is responsible for mine clearance, and the Namibian Police Explosives Department, which is responsible for clearing ERW.[29]
Namibian police explosives units are deployed in the regions most contaminated by UXO (Kunene, Oshana, Ohangwena, Oshikoto, Kavango and Western Caprivi) and are coordinated by a Mine Action Coordinating Committee. They also conduct mine risk education and victim assistance programs.[30] The Ministry of Information used to be in charge of mine/UXO risk education; however, its operations have “scaled down” significantly.[31]
Since July 2005, two Ministry of Defence survey teams of six people each have been deployed at regular intervals in the northern areas of Kavango and Western Caprivi, collecting information from the population for a period of one to two months. The Ministry of Defence has five survey teams, but deploys only two at a time, since this capacity is adequate for the survey. They are financed from the Ministry of Defence budget. From December 2005 to May 2006, however, no teams were deployed as funds were not available until after the start of the fiscal year in April.[32]
Since the survey started in July 2005, no mines have been found. Two 60mm mortar shells were found on separate occasions.[33] In 2004, a box of 17 antipersonnel mines in a military cache was discovered. The Ministry of Defence states that during this survey, “we have failed to find mines and no mines have been reported by communities.”[34]
The choice of areas being surveyed does not follow a specific timeline or plan. In May 2006, the Chief of Mine Action of the Ministry of Defence reported that the survey teams “are going in areas where they have not been in the past [to clear], or where a lot of war activities took place previously.” He added that surveys were completed in all the intended areas in 2005; however, he planned to send teams to the same areas one more time, in order to “make an exhaustive survey.” As of May 2006, it had not been decided when survey operations would cease.[35]
No fencing or marking have been carried out, because no mined areas have been found.[36]
Although the Namibian Defence Force did not report finding any mines, the Namibian Police reported destroying five mines in 2005 and 3,300 UXO in areas outside Western Caprivi and Kavango provinces.[37]
No accidents during mine-related activities were reported in 2005 or to May 2006.[38]
According to the US Department of State, joint police/defense force teams were formed, trained and equipped to clear the northern areas in 2003. Regional mine action coordinating committees were formed to prioritize, plan and direct clearance operations and mine awareness. The joint teams were deployed in November 2003. However, soon after their deployment, it was found that only the police teams had actually been conducting clearance in the north, without the participation of the Namibian Defence Force.[39] The Ministry of Defence confirmed in May 2006 that both forces were jointly deployed but later operated separately and that the police continued operating longer in the north given their permanent offices in that area.[40]
Organizations involved in mine risk education (MRE) during 2005 include the Namibian Red Cross with the support of the ICRC. Namibia’s Chief of Mine Action informed Landmine Monitor, “Our demining teams are giving Mine Risk Education to civilians when conducting survey, e.g. approaching schools, community leaders and other gathering places.... They display posters to show them what the munitions look like.” [41] Namibia’s Article 7 report for 2005 did not include information on MRE activities.
The Namibian Red Cross provided MRE to local people and to Angolan refugees awaiting repatriation in 2005; the program ended in February 2006. With the ICRC, the Namibian Red Cross has conducted MRE for Angolan refugees since 2003.[42] In this time, around 10,000 Angolan returnees were made aware of the dangers posed by mines and other unexploded devices. The 4,600 Angolan refugees remaining in Namibia in 2005 also received MRE. To assess the effectiveness of its program, ICRC conducted random interviews in Osire refugee camp. The findings showed that the refugees had grasped the key messages and that they viewed the scheme as a valuable contribution to the reconstruction of Angola; some repatriated refugees who had undergone MRE in Namibia were recruited by MRE organizations in Angola.[43]
In 2005, two people (one man, one woman) were injured by landmines. One person was killed and nine injured in UXO incidents, including one woman and three children.[44] This is an increase compared to 2004, when one person was killed and two were injured in three UXO incidents.
In February 2005, a boy was seriously injured after tampering with a hand-grenade in Mushangara area, in Mukwe.[45] On 2 May, a boy was killed and his brother seriously injured while playing with UXO in Ovitoto.[46] The police noted that all the incidents happened outside Western Caprivi and Kavango regions.[47]
Casualties continued to be reported in 2006, with two people injured by UXO. On 4 January 2006, two young men were injured when one of them picked up a Russian-made F1 hand-grenade while herding goats near Otjiu village, 50 kilometers east of Opuwo.[48]
There is no nationwide data collection of mine/UXO incidents in Namibia. The police and media are the principle sources of information. Since 1999, landmines and UXO have killed more than 138 civilians and injured at least 450 others.[49]
The government provides assistance to mine survivors through the healthcare system, and provides prostheses, physiotherapy services, psychological support and socioeconomic reintegration, including monthly pensions. Landmine casualties receive emergency medical care in local healthcare centers; severe cases are referred to Windhoek Central State Hospital. The government has adopted a community-based rehabilitation approach to support people with disabilities.[50]
In its Article 7 report for 2005, Namibia did not make use of voluntary Form J to provide information on victim assistance activities.
In 2005, the ICRC Special Fund for the Disabled supported the Orthopedic Center/Rundu Intermediate Hospital with orthopedic supplies and components. In 2005, 171 physically disabled people received orthoses and 130 received prostheses. However, access remains a problem for delivery of services to patients.[51]
Friends of Nature Namibia provides vocational training and job placement for people with disabilities, including war and mine survivors, and advocates for the rights of people with disabilities. The main challenge faced by the organization is lack of funds.[52]
Namibia’s Labour Act 1992 prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment; however, its provisions are not enforced. The 1997 National Policy on Disabilities lacks implementation, despite increased attention given to disability matters.[53] A national policy on education was under discussion in 2005 and was expected to include measures for inclusive education.[54]
In 2005, responsibility for disability issues was transferred from the Ministry of Lands, Resettlement and Rehabilitation to the Ministry of Health and Social Services; it is not clear which department within the Ministry takes responsibility.[55] Landmine survivors and other people with disabilities receive monthly pensions from the Ministry of Health and Social Services.[56] The Ministry of Lands, Resettlement and Rehabilitation has allocated funds for the creation of disability resource centers for income-generating activities for people with disabilities.[57]
The National Federation for Disabled People in Namibia implemented a three-year awareness raising campaign between 2003 and 2005; it sought funds to extend the campaign for an additional two years.[58]
[1] For details on Article 144 of Namibia’s Constitution, see Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p. 121. It is not clear how penal sanctions would be applied to offending parties with regard to specific articles of the Mine Ban Treaty.
[2] Article 7 Reports, Form A, 7 July 2004, 9 September 2005 and 26 April 2006.
[3] Interview with Maj. Filemon Kotokeni, Chief of Mine Action, Namibian Defence Force, Ministry of Defence, Geneva, 9 May 2006.
[4] The annual updated Article 7 report for 2004 was due by 30 April 2005; it was dated 29 April but received by the UN on 9 September 2005. Namibia submitted its initial Article 7 report on 7 July 2004, almost five years after the due date. Although submitted in 2004, the report cites its reporting period as February 1998 to May 1998. Much of the report is handwritten. Thus, the period from June 1998 to 31 December 2003 has not been reported by Namibia.
[5] See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 597-599.
[6] The US Department of Defense claimed that the country produced PMD-6 AP mines in the past. See Landmine Monitor Report 1999, p. 65.
[7] Statement by Namibia, Standing Committee meetings, Geneva, 21-25 June 2004.
[8] In 2000 and 2001, Landmine Monitor reported on antipersonnel mine use in Namibia by UNITA rebel forces and Angolan government forces, and on unsubstantiated allegations of use by Namibian troops. See Landmine Monitor Report 2000, pp. 81-84, and Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp. 123-125.
[9] Article 7 Report, Forms D and G, 7 July 2004.
[10] Presentation by Namibia, Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Geneva, 12 February 2004. This was also stated by Namibia at the intersessional meetings in June 2004.
[11] Statement by Namibia, Standing Committee on General Status and Operation of the Convention, Geneva, 17 June 2005. Landmine Monitor (HRW) notes. The figure of 6,151 retained mines is also given in Form D of the Article 7 report for calendar year 2004.
[12] Article 7 Report, Form D, 26 April 2006. The 3,899 mines retained consist of: PPM-2 (169), OZM 72 (50), PROM-1 (2), PMN (704), POMZ-2 (200), POMZ-2m (1,710), PPM-6 (1,002) and Claymore (2), “Mine Sharpener” (60). In none of its Article 7 reports does Namibia account for the reductions in mines retained on the forms for mines transferred for permitted purposes or transferred for destruction. In all three reports, the number of stockpiled mines destroyed (Form G1) remains constant at 31,856.
[13] Ministry of Defence, “Preparing for the first review conference, communicating elements of plans to implement Article 5,” undated (2004), p.1; Whitney Tolliver, “Demining in Namibia,” Journal of Mine Action, Issue 6.2, August 2002.
[14] UNMAS, Joint Assessment Mission Report: Namibia, 6 April 2000, p. 3.
[15] Email from Tim Carstairs, Director of Policy, Mines Advisory Group, 20 September 2005.
[16] Fax from Maj. Filemon Kotokeni, Namibian Defence Force, 31 March 2006.
[17] Article 7 Report, Form C, 26 April 2006.
[18] Fax from Maj. Gen. M’Lukeni and Chief Inspector J.N. Alweendo, Namibian Police, 10 May 2006.
[19] Interview with Maj. Filemon Kotokeni, Namibian Defence Force, Geneva, 15 June 2005.
[20] Fax from Maj. Gen. M’Lukeni and Chief Inspector J.N. Alweendo, Namibian Police, 10 May 2006. The Namibian Police could not provide information regarding the type of mines discovered. However, they reported that the last mine-related accident, which occurred in June 2005, was due to an antipersonnel mine. Telephone interview with Chief Inspector J.N. Alweendo, Namibian Police, Windhoek, 16 May 2006.
[21] Telephone interview with Chief Inspector J.N. Alweendo, Namibian Police, Windhoek, 16 May 2006.
[22] Ministry of Defence, “Preparing for the first review conference, communicating elements of plans to implement Article 5,” (undated but 2004), p.1.
[23] Interview with Maj. Filemon Kotokeni, Namibian Defence Force, Geneva, 8 May 2006.
[24] Interview with Maj. Filemon Kotokeni, Namibian Defence Force, Geneva, 8 May 2006.
[25] Email from Deborah Netland, Program Manager for Sri Lanka, Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, US Department of State, 21 February 2006. US assistance included the commercial demining company RONCO from September 2000 to January 2001. Email from H. Murphey McCloy, Senior Demining Advisor, Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, US Department of State, 16 June 2006.
[26] Fax from Maj. Gen. M’Lukeni and Chief Inspector J.N Alweendo, Namibian Police, 10 May 2006.
[27] Interview with Maj. Filemon Kotokeni, Namibian Defence Force, Zagreb, Croatia, 2 December 2005.
[28] Fax from Maj. Filemon Kotokeni, Namibian Defence Force, 31 March 2006.
[29] UNMAS, “Inter-agency Assessment Mission Report, Namibia,” 13 March 2000.
[30] Fax from Maj. Gen. M’Lukeni and Chief Inspector J.N. Alweendo, Namibian Police, 10 May 2006.
[31] Interview with Maj. Filemon Kotokeni, Namibian Defence Force, Geneva, 8 May 2006.
[32] Fax from Maj. Filemon Kotokeni, Namibian Defence Force, 31 March 2006, and interviews, Zagreb, 2 December 2005, and Geneva, 8 May 2006.
[33] Fax from Maj. Filemon Kotokeni, Namibian Defence Force, 31 March 2006.
[34] Interview with Maj. Filemon Kotokeni, Namibian Defence Force, Geneva, 8 May 2006.
[35] Ibid.
[36] Ibid.; telephone interview with Chief Inspector J.N. Alweendo, Namibian Police, Windhoek, 16 May 2006.
[37] Fax from Maj. Gen. M’Lukeni and Chief Inspector J.N. Alweendo, Namibian Police, 10 May 2006; telephone interview with Chief Inspector J.N. Alweendo, Namibian Police, Windhoek, 16 May 2006.
[38] Fax from Maj. Filemon Kotokeni, Namibian Defence Force, 31 March 2006.
[39] Email from Deborah Netland, US Department of State, 21 February 2006.
[40] Interview with Maj. Filemon Kotokeni, Namibian Defence Force, Geneva, 8 May 2006.
[41] Fax from Maj. Filemon Kotokeni, Namibian Defence Force, 31 March 2006.
[42] Ibid.
[43] ICRC, “Namibia: Angolan refugees learn about the landmines threat,” 28 February 2006.
[44] Fax from Maj. Gen. M’Lukeni, Chief Inspector J.N. Alweendo and Inspector General S.H. Ndeitunga, Namibian Police Force, 10 May 2006.
[45] “Kavango winning war with unexploded ordnance,” New Era (Rundu), Namibia, 11 February 2005.
[46] Surihe Gomas, “Ordnance explodes, kills boy,” New Era, 6 May 2005.
[47] Fax from Maj. Gen. M’Lukeni, Chief Inspector J.N. Alweendo and Inspector General S.H. Ndeitunga, Namibian Police Force, 10 May 2006.
[48] Wezi Tjaronda and Kuvee Kangueehi, “Policewoman brutally murdered,” New Era (Windhoek), 13 January 2006.
[49] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 455; Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 601-602.
[50] See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 602.
[51] ICRC, “Special Fund for the Disabled Annual Report 2005,” Geneva, 10 March 2006, p. 17.
[52] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 456.
[53] US Department of State, “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – 2005: Namibia,” 8 March 2006.
[54] Disability KAR Knowledge and Research, “Data and statistics on disability in developing countries,” July 2005, p. 15.
[55] The Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research at the Norwegian Institute of Technology (SINTEF) Health Research, “Evaluation of the Awareness Building Campaign (ABC) in Namibia,” Oslo, January 2006, p. 29.
[56] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 456.
[57] “Namibia: Ministry broadens disability policy,” New Era (Windhoek), 1 March 2005.
[58] SINTEF Health Research, “Evaluation of the Awareness Building Campaign (ABC) in Namibia,” Oslo, January 2006, p. 7.