Landmines:
an issue of priority

Landmines that cause so much anguish for years or even decades after conflicts have ended and soldiers are back in their barracks are a problem that has not yet been resolved in Africa. Although much progress has been made over the past decades in slowing their production and use, Africa remains one of the hardest hit continents by unexploded ordinances. Even a decade after the signing of the 1997 Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty, landmines continue to cause havoc on everyday citizens and instances of landmines being recycled for further conflict and criminal acts continue.

The presence of such ordinances not only could contribute to further escalations of conflicts but also contribute further to the cycle of violence that is related to landmines. Lack of funds as well as genuine commitment by governments to rid nations of the scourge continues to act as large contributors to the problem. Incomprehensive maps where mines are buried and the reluctance of certain bodies to give them out also indicates the lack of political will to help end the tragedy. We cannot continue to be complacent when land mines continue to threaten lives even fifty years after the conflicts.

Unexploded cluster bombs coupled with the circulation of small arms and light weapons through porous borders in Africa also add the huge casualty numbers. As noted by the AU this week, Africa’s challenge lies not in the formulation of policies but rather in their implementation. Lack of political will continues to drag progress behind leaving potential conflicts over the horizons. The challenge here is for African governments to live up to the promises they have given to their people. Unless sources of conflicts are dealt with decisively and prompt measures taken against the perpetrators, no amount of funding, signing protocols, agreements or even ratifying them will change anything on the ground.

The AU seems to be moving towards achieving political will by attempting to appoint a special envoy for disarmament but things will not move forward unless governments understand the severity of the issue and do the right thing.
Also drying up the source of arms in Africa cannot be overlooked.
Conventional wisdom dictates that many of the weapons that cause carnage in Africa come either from the west or from Asia. This indicated the complicity of the international community in perpetuating conflicts. Unless steps are made on these fronts, we will continue to suffer needlessly. It would be wise as well as practical for the international community to tackle the problem here than dish out millions in conflict recovery and emergency aid dollars.

The figures are astounding with conservative estimates stating that each year between 15,000 and 20,000 people are killed or injured by landmines around the world. Most of the victims are civilians and a particularly large number are children. 70 nations continue to stockpile millions of these weapons that indiscriminately destroy lives. We should not continue to believe that landmines will continue to be buffer zones from attacks as they are ticking time bombs, literally waiting to tally up the casualty numbers. Rather than creating a situation where we all feel under siege let us start dialogue to end or even prevent conflicts once and for all. Can we continue in a state where we continue the rhetoric without pursuing the real issues at hand?

April 20, 2007