Landmine level in NK is close to that in Afghanistan
May 13, 2006 11:12:23
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
May 12, 2006 Friday
LANDMINE LEVEL IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH IS CLOSE TO THAT IN AFGHANISTAN
by REGNUM news agency (Caucasus regional editorial office)
PROBLEM OF ANTIPERSONNEL MINES IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH; Problem of
antipersonnel mines in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Nagorno-Karabakh is the first conflict zone on the territory of the
former USSR where antipersonnel mines constitute a major problem.
According to the data compiled and released by the Red Cross
International Committee, both warring sides in the
Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict planted at least 50,000 landmines in
the conflict area.
RENGUM correspondents in Stepanakert refer to some sources as saying
that more than 100,000 landmines of various types and shells ended up
on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh in the period of hostilities
(1991-1994). Viewing it against density of the population and size of
the republic, experts say that the landmine level in Nagorno-Karabakh
is close to that of Afghanistan. Thousands of hectares of land,
fields, pastures, gardens, roads, other strategically important
objects of the infrastructure were mined, and the Karabakh
authorities found urgent mine-sweeping their first priority in order
to ensure safe return of refugees and displaced persons. The
territories with minefields changed hands (the fact that never made
the task easier), maps of minefields - whenever charted in the first
place - were usually destroyed.
When truce was made in May 1994, the government of Nagorno-Karabakh
charted a special program of mine-sweeping. Settlements and villages
were checked for shells that never went off, and 274 minefields were
charted. A special group was set up to compile information on
minefields. The population was informed in a special campaign of the
danger of live shells and landmines. A special service was
established to report discovery of shells and landmines to.
Mine-sweeping is painstaking, dangerous, and expensive undertaking,
hence the slowness of the process.
British humanitarian The Halo Trust began its work in Karabakh with
the local authorities' consent on March 1995. An emphasis was made on
specialist training and on teaching civilians. This organization
disarmed 88 landmines and 6,886 live shells (almost 50 tons) in
Karabakh between May 1995 and April 1996. Almost 3,000 hectares were
made safe again, almost 30 bomb disposal specialists were trained.
Once it ran out of funding, however, The Halo Trust curtailed its
activities in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Halo Trust returned to Karabakh on recommendations from its
Caucasus Bureau in 2000. If money is raised, it intends to stay
pending complete demining of the region. The Halo Trust swept
13,125,500 square meters of land in the last six years. Its
specialists disarmed 1,735 antitank and 3,924 antipersonnel mines and
defused 34,861 shell. Financial support is provided by sponsors
including Armenian organizations in the United States (Kafeschjan
Trust is one of them). The Halo Trust leaders admit that raising
money for their activities in Karabakh is difficult because the
republic is denied international recognition.
The Stepanakert office of the Red Cross International Committee and
Karabakh authorities carried out a program aimed to reduce the number
of deaths in landmine explosions in the republic. Special attention
was paid to students of secondary schools. The number of losses went
down indeed. "Safe Playground Construction" project mounted together
with the Norwegian Red Cross resulted in appearance of safe
playgrounds in the communities known to be in mine-infested areas.
Landmines and live shells on the territory of Karabakh are also
handled by sappers of the Karabakh Army and republican Directorate
for Emergencies. Three sustained traumas in explosions of landmines
and live shells in Karabakh in the first quarter of 2006.
Source: REGNUM news agency, May 5, 2006
Translated by A. Ignatkin
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