Key developments since May 2005: The Swaziland Defence Forces informed Landmine Monitor in 2006 that Swaziland cannot declare with certainty whether the country remains mine-affected. In March 2006, the Ministry of Defence accepted the offer of international assistance to assess the mine situation and develop a clearance plan in compliance with the Mine Ban Treaty deadline.
The Kingdom of Swaziland signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 4 December 1997, ratified on 22 December 1998, and became a State Party on 1 June 1999. In May 2006, officials told Landmine Monitor that an international humanitarian law committee was established in 2005 and one of its tasks is to complete the national implementation legislation required by Article 9.[1] In its initial Article 7 transparency report, provided in February 2000, Swaziland had stated that full national implementation legislation “is presently being drawn up.”[2] Swaziland did not submit any of the required annual updated Article 7 reports in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. It submitted an Article 7 report for the period 31 January 2000 to 31 December 2005, which stated, “An interministerial committee has been set up in March 2006 to look into the question of legislation.”[3]
Swaziland attended the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva in May 2006, where it made a statement to the Standing Committee on General Status and Operation of the Convention, reporting on its difficulties in meeting the treaty requirements. Swaziland did not attend the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in Zagreb, Croatia in November-December 2005, nor did it participate in intersessional meetings in Geneva in June 2005.
Swaziland 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, it has not made known its views on the issues of joint military operations with non-States Parties, foreign stockpiling and transit of antipersonnel mines, antivehicle mines with sensitive fuzes or antihandling devices, and the permissible number of mines retained for training.
Swaziland has not produced or exported antipersonnel mines, and it does not possess any, including for training purposes.[4]
It was reported in previous years that Swaziland had a small minefield on the border with Mozambique, estimated to be 5.5 kilometers in length.[5] In January 2006, the Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Forces (USDF) informed Landmine Monitor that lack of clearance records prevented them from determining whether there were still mines in the country.[6] In May 2006, Swaziland claimed that given these uncertainties, it was more accurate to refer to the area as a “suspected mined area” rather than as a “minefield.”[7] The USDF said that it needed “to conduct either Quality Assurance or Level 1 (general) Survey” to confirm if mines remain in the border area. A general survey was previously carried out in 1999 but no records were kept.[8]
It is believed that mines were laid on both sides of the border during the Mozambican civil war, by both opposing factions, RENAMO (Resistência Nacional Moçambicana) and FRELIMO (Frente de Libertação de Moçambique). In 1985, clearance was reported to be conducted by a joint Frelimo and USDF team of engineers. No other clearance is known to have been carried out since then on the Swaziland side of the border.[9]
In 1997 it was estimated that the area contained 10 mines. Media reports in 1999 indicated that an additional eight landmines were subsequently found. In 2000, an army spokesperson reported to Landmine Monitor that although the number of mines was unknown, the area contained POMZ mines and items of unexploded ordnance and/or booby-traps.[10]
In 1999, the United States provided training to 20 deminers, 10 medical professionals and 10 communications personnel.[11] They also committed to funding demining operations along the border. The USDF informed Landmine Monitor in April 2006 that, after the training, USDF troops “went to mark the de-mined area for the purpose of reconfirming the non-existence of mines therein” but did not conduct any other operations. [12] The Article 7 report submitted in 2006 stated, however, that following the training a “full survey” was conducted “and concluded that there is one suspected mine area” on the border with Mozambique.[13] Swaziland did not submit a request to use funds allocated by the US in 1999, and the US withdrew its offer of support in 2002.[14] The USDF stated that “logistical issues” impeded them from conducting clearance following US training.[15]
According to the USDF, workers tasked to control the spread of foot-and-mouth disease along the border have not reported spotting any landmines since the 1985 demining operation.[16] However, some workers reported hearing explosions in the area during the 1990s, although their cause could not be confirmed.[17]
The mine-affected area is reportedly fenced, although the condition of the fences is unknown.[18]
Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Swaziland must destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible but no later than 1 June 2009. From 1999, when Swaziland became a State Party, until the end of 2005, very little effort was made to identify and eradicate the mine problem.
The undated Article 7 report for the period 31 January 2000-31 December 2005 states that Swaziland’s Permanent Representative to the UN informed the treaty’s Implementation Support Unit (ISU) on 17 March 2006 that the Ministry of Defence had accepted the ISU’s offer to visit Swaziland in 2006 to assess “the remaining challenges faced by Swaziland in fulfilling its Article 5 obligations and in developing a plan to meet the deadline for clearance....” The report said that “A technical mission is expected to visit Swaziland during the month of August 2006 with a view to: precisely determining the geographic coordinates of the suspected mined area; determining if new markings / warnings are required; assessing the physical features (e.g., vegetation, topography, soil, etc.) of the suspected mined area in order to draw conclusions regarding methods and means to be used in area reduction and in actual demining; and, drawing up a plan for Swaziland to use in seeking assistance in areas reduction, demining and quality assurance.”[19]
At the Standing Committee meetings in May 2006, Swaziland made a similar announcement, but stated that the technical assistance mission would take place before the end of June 2006.[20]
[1] Interview with Prince Hlangusemphi Dlamini, Under Secretary, Ministry of Defence, and Ambassador Thembayena A. Dlamini, Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Swaziland to the UN, Geneva, 10 May 2006.
[2] Article 7 Report, Form A, 16 February 2000 (for July 1999-30 January 2000).
[3] Article 7 Report, Form A, undated (for 31 January 2000-31 December 2005).
[4] Article 7 Report, Forms B and G, 16 February 2000; Article 7 Report, Form D, undated (for 31 January 2000-31 December 2005).
[5] Landmine Monitor previously reported that the minefield was located near Mananga town. It is on the Lomahasha customs point, on the border with Mozambique (called Namahasha on the Mozambican side). See Landmine Monitor Report 2005 p. 29; Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 771.
[6] Interview with Brig. Gen. J.S. Tshabalala, Deputy Commander, USDF, Col. Cyprian Nhlengethwa, Director of SADC Military Affairs and Capt. Joseph Paul Maziya, Commander, Combat Engineers, Manzeni, Swaziland, 16 January 2006. SADC is the Southern African Development Community.
[7] Interview with Prince Hlangusemphi Dlamini, Ministry of Defence, Moses Mashikilisana Fakudze, Chief of Legal Department, Ministry of Defence, and Capt. Joseph Paul Maziya, Combat Engineers, Geneva, 9 May 2006.
[8] Interview with Brig. Gen. J.S. Tshabalala, USDF, Col. Cyprian Nhlengethwa and Capt. Joseph Paul Maziya, Combat Engineers, Manzeni, 16 January 2006.
[9] Interview with Brig. Gen. J.S. Tshabalala, USDF, Col. Cyprian Nhlengethwa and Capt. Joseph Paul Maziya, Combat Engineers, Manzeni, 16 January 2006; fax from Brig. Gen. J.S. Tshabalala, USDF, 16 April 2006.
[10] See Landmine Monitor Report 2000, pp. 110-111.
[11] Statement by Swaziland, Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 10 May 2006.
[12] Fax from Brig. Gen. J.S. Tshabalala, USDF, 16 April 2006.
[13] Article 7 Report, Form C, undated (for 31 January 2000-31 December 2005).
[14] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 29; Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 771.
[15] Interview with Brig. Gen. J.S. Tshabalala, USDF, Col. Cyprian Nhlengethwa, and Capt. Joseph Paul Maziya, Combat Engineers, Manzeni, 16 January 2006.
[16] Fax from Brig. Gen. J.S. Tshabalala, USDF, 16 April 2006.
[17] Interview with Prince Hlangusemphi Dlamini and Moses Mashikilisana Fakudze, Ministry of Defence, and Capt. Joseph Paul Maziya, Combat Engineers, Geneva, 9 May 2006.
[18] Interview with Brig. Gen. J.S. Tshabalala, USDF, Col. Cyprian Nhlengethwa and Capt. Joseph Paul Maziya, Combat Engineers, Manzeni, 16 January 2006.
[19] Article 7 Report, Form F, undated (for 31 January 2000-31 December 2005).
[20] Statement by Swaziland, Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 10 May 2006.