Comments Received by Landmine Monitor

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Country: Senegal
Date Received: 05 May 1999

STATEMENT MADE BY THE SENEGALESE DELEGATION FOLLWING SOME ALLEGATIONS CONTAINED IN THE 1999 REPORT OF I.C.B.L.

(FIRST MEETING OF STATES PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON A.P. LANDMINES)

Nonofficial translation

THE SENEGALESE DELEGATION WAS ASTONISHED TO COME ACROSS ALLEGATIONS CONTAINED IN THE REPORT CIRCULATED BY I.C.B.L. AND WHICH READS: "IT APPEARS CERTAIN THAT SENEGALESE FORCES USED MINES IN GUINEA BISSAU IN 1998 WHILE SUPPORTING THE GOVERNMENTAL TROOPS".

THESE SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS WERE REPEATED BY THE I.C.B.L. COORDINATOR IN HIS ADDRESS TO THE GENERAL DEBATE WHEN HE ALLEGED THAT: " IT IS LIKELY THAT SENEGALESE ARMY USED LAND MINES IN GUINEA BISSAU IN 1998 IN SUPPORT OF GOVERNMENTAL TROOPS"

THE SENEGALESE DELEGATION WAS MORE SO ASTONISHED BECAUSE AT NO TIME DURING THE OTTAWA PROCESS, THAT ALLOWED FRUITFUL PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN STATES AND N.G.Os, DID I.C.B.L. OFFICIALLY NOTIFY THE SENEGALESE GOVERNMENT OF ANY ACTION UNDERTAKEN BY THE LATTER AND WHICH RAN CONTRARY TO THE SPIRIT AND THE LETTER OF THE CONVERNTION ON LAND MINES.

GOING BY LOGIC, THE NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY, THE SPIRIT OF CONSTRUCTIVE PARTNERSHIP AND, HENCE, THE CREDIBILITY THAT PREVAILED THROUGHOUT THE OTTAWA PROCESS, ANY DOCUMENT PRODUCED WITHIN THAT FRAMEWORK, EVEN FOR THE PURPOSE OF SENSITIZING, MUST CONTAIN ONLY RELIABLE INFORMATION, THAT IS CHECKED AND CROSSCHECKED ESPECIALLY AT THE LEVEL OF ALL PARTIES CONCERNED, INCLUDING ACCUSED STATES.

IN THAT RESPECT, THE SENEGALESE DELEGATION CATEGORICALLY REJECTS THE ALLEGATIONS CONTAINED IN THE ABOVE MENTIONED REPORT AND SPEECH FROM I.C.B.L.

INDEED, AS EARLIER POINTED OUR IN ITS ADDRESS TO THE GENERAL DEBATE ON TUESDAY MAY 4TH 1999, THE SENEGALESE DELEGATION SOLEMNLY REAFFIRMS THE FOLLOWING:

"SENEGAL DOES NOT PRODUCE, DOES NOT BUY, DOES NOT SELL, DOES NOT STOCKPILE LANDMINES, HENCE, THE STRONG COMDEMNATION AND BANNING BY THE SENEGALESE AUTHORITIES OF ANY TRANSFER AND USE OF LAND MINES.

THE FIRST LAND MINES ENCOUNTERED IN SENEGAL HAD BEEN LAID ALONG ITS SOUTHERN BORDER BY THE FORMER COLONIAL POWER OF A NEIGHBOURING COUNTRY, IN THE SEVENTIES AND LATER BY AN ARMED SEPARATIST REBELLION, IN THE NINETIES

SINCE THEN, IT HAS BEEN SENEGALS CONCERN TO SEE TO IT THAT ITS TERRITORY IS FREE OF SUCH BLIND KILLERS AND ITS POPULATION RELIEVED FROM THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLIGICAL PAINS CAUSED TO THEM BY THOSE ARMS.

THAT HAS BEEN THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND SENGALS LONG TIME COMMITMENT TO THE JINTERNATIONAL STRUGGLE AGAINST LAND MINES.

AVAILING ITSELF OF THE CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE AND PRODUCTIVE PARTNER SHIP BETWEEN STATES AND N.G.Os THAT HAVE SO FAR CARACTERIZED THE OTTAWA PROCESS, THE SENEGALESE DELEGATION TOOK THE INITITIVE TO HAVE AN HOUR LONG WORKING MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF I.C.B.L. AND TO SUPPLY THEM WITH FACTUAL INFORMATION TO BE ADDED TO THEIR DATABASE FOR FURTURE UPDATING FOR THE PART OF THEIR REPORT CONCERNING SENEGAL.

MOREOVER, THE SENEGALESE DELEGAION AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF I.C.B.L. HAVE AGREED IN PRINCIPLE TO WORK TOGETHER FOR THE CONCRETISATION OF THE PROPOSAL MADE BY SENEGAL AIMED AT HOLDING SENSITIZING SEMINARS AND TRAINING WORKSHOPS IN THE WEST AFRICAN SUB REGION FOR A BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND AN EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTAION OF THE CONVENTION FOR THE BANNING OF LANDMINES

IT IS WORTH REMINDING, THAT IN 1996, "HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL", A MEMBER OF I.C.B.L., DID ORGANISE IN DAKAR, THE CAPITAL CITY OF SENEGAL, A SIMILAR SEMINAR FOR MEDIA PEOPLE AND CIVIL SOCIETY.

MAPUTO MAY 5TH 1999

Non official translation

Country: Turkey
Date Received: 04 May 1999

THE TEXT OF THE STATEMENT MADE BY THE HEAD OF THE TURKISH DELEGATION

MR. VURAL ALTAY,

AT THE FIREST MEETING OF THE STATE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON THE PROHIBITION OF THE USE, STOCKPILING, PRODUCTION AND TRANSFER OF ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES AND ON THEIR DESTRUCTION

MAPUTO, MAY 4 1999

Mr. President,

Having made my official statement, if you allow me, I now would like to say couple of words about the Land Mine Monitor Report 1999 and its executive summary which were prepared by the Landmine Core Group and distributed here yesterday. As you might imagine, due to time constraints, I was not in a position to read the whole report last night. However, I found the time to have a quick look at the relevant sections concerning my country. I feel compelled to bring to your attention and to the attention of the distinguished delegates here today that the report contains incorrect, inaccurate and misleading information with regard to my country. It is not my intention to take the valuable time of the Plenary with this issue. I will rather choose to take up this with the editors of the report. However, above all, I must underline here that, in contrary to what has been written in the report and in its executive summary under my county�s section, new anti personnel mines were not laid by my government, more precisely by the Turkish Army, between December 1997 to early 1999 as alleged in the report. In contrary, a de-mining program has been launched during that period.

I am sure that the editors of the above-mentioned report would take into consideration my remarks and make the necessary corrections and changes in due time.

Country: Brazil
Date Received: 04 May 1999

LM Discussion with Brazilian Delegation

Maputo, Mozambique

4 May 1999

LM: Celina (MAC) and Mary (HRW)

To date, Brazil has not provided information to the OAS Landmines Register. Resolution approved in June 1998. Information till April every year. (We are still in time) Until now information were given only by USA, Canada, Mexico, Antigua and Barbuda, El Salvador and Peru.
Allegations of landmine use by landholders in North to keep out the "landless" (Sin Terra) are currently under investigation by the Human Rights Commission of the Lower House of Deputies.

It was an accusation published in Brazilian press. The UDR denied and the matter has never been under consideration by the Congess (Senate or House of Representatives).

Country: China
Date Received: 04 May 1999

LM Discussion with Peoples Republic of China Delegation

Maputo, Mozambique

4 May 1999

LM: Paul (MAC) and Mary (HRW)

"The stockpile figure is exaggerated."

Country: Greece
Date Received: 03 May 1999

LM Discussion with Greek DelegationHead of Delegation, John Korinthia

Maputo, Mozambique

3 May 1999

LM: Susan Walker (ICBL)

Mr. Korinthia wanted to speak about "mistakes" in Landmine Monitor

Numbers look incorrect to him, but he will verify.
Greece ratified Protocol II (possibly 13 Jan 1999, to be verified)
Incorrect name (Mr. Korinthia: "we are very sensitive about this")

FYROMFormer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia