Background

The true extent of the problems related to landmines and Explosives Remnants of War (ERW) remains unknown in Sudan. A country-wide survey has been initiated to measure both the scope and impact of the problem. It is believed that Africa’s longest civil war has left up to 19 of the 26 states affected by landmines and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW), which threatens the daily-lives of civilians, impedes the country’s economic recovery and development, and delays the safe return of internally displaced persons and refugees to their hometowns.

The Landmine Impact Survey(LIS), completed in 12 of the 19 affected states, estimates that approximately 1.3 million people are affected in 202 communities. The survey also revealed that the mine/ERW contamination hampers the expected return and settlement of more than 500,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees.

Mine action operations in Sudan commenced in September 2002 following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, between the Government of the Sudan (GoS), the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/ Army (SPLM/A), and the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), on behalf of the UN agencies. The memorandum called for the establishment of the Emergency Mine Action Project in Sudan.

On October 23rd 2003, the Republic of Sudan officially ratified the Mine Ban Treaty that was signed in December 1997. Based on the provisions of the Treaty, a presidential decree was issued on December 2005, establishing the National Mine Action Authority that was officially launched in March 2006. In June 2006, the Southern Sudan Demining Commission (SSDC) was established by a Southern Sudan presidential decree. Both these institutions were established with the technical assistance from UNDP.

Within the unified structure of the UN Mine Action Office (UNMAO), UNDP plays the leading role in national mine action programme development and capacity building, through its project Support to Mine Action and Capacity Building in Sudan, which was launched in early 2004.

UNDP’s work in this area is supported by the governments of the United States, the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden and Canada. UNDP activities are undertaken in close coordination with national authorities, United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

Objectives
The objective of this project is to provide comprehensive management, technical, material and financial support to the National Mine Action Authorities in the Sudan (north and south), in order for them to es tablish a sustainable legal and institutional framework to deal effectively with the humanitarian and developmental problems related to the contamination of landmines and Explosive Remnants of War (un-exploded ordnance and explosive ordnance), and to provide support to landmine/UXO survivors/victims.

Snapshots of the project's major achievements
• As of October 2008, 4,050 dangerous areas have been identified of which 2,170 have been cleared while 1,880 are awaiting clearance. The dangerous areas cleared covers and estimated 34 million m2 of high priority land and 19,221 km of roads. During clearance operations, 12,814 Anti-Personnel mines, 2,670 Anti-Tank mines, and more than 800,000 explosive devices were found and destroyed. Under the overall coordination of UNICEF, more than 1.8 Million Sudanese civilians have received Mine Risk Education (MRE). The mine action information management system has recorded more 4,000 victims of landmine/ERW in the country during the past five years with more than half of them in Southern Sudan.
• In compliance with Article 4 of the Ottawa Convention, the GoNU destroyed the first batch of 4,488 stockpiled anti-personnel mines on 30th April 2007. UNDP mobilized $ 60,000 from Canada to help Sudan destroy 6078 anti-personnel mines that took place in Juba on 31 March 2008. With the destruction of a total of 10,566 anti-personnel mines, Sudan has now fulfilled its obligation under Article 4 of the Mine Ban Convention.
• UNDP supported project assisted in the establishment of both the National Mine Action Authority (NMAA), and the Southern Sudan Demining Commission (SSDC) by providing technical assistance, and sharing UNDP’s global experience in this field.
• Provided technical advice and shared global experience in support of the development, and endorsement of the “National Mine Action Policy Framework”, and “National Mine Action Strategic Framework for 2006-2011’.
• Lobbied for inclusion of mine action activities into the budgeting process of the Government of National Unity (GoNU) and Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS), and for it to be linked to the recovery and development plans and processes. As a result, since Jan 2007 GONU provided more than US$ 5.5 million to mine action while GOSS contributed US$ 2.5 Million.
• Provided technical advice for the development of organization structures for the head offices of the National Mine Action Centre (NAMC-Khartoum) and SSDC-Juba, and assisted in the recruitment process of 80 national staff.
• Trained 45 national staff of NMAC and SSDC in mine action middle-management in Amman, Jordan, and 8 senior national staff members of NMAC and SSDC.
• Provided office space, and $US 1.3 Million worth of office and operational equipment (including vehicles, computers, and furniture) for the establishment of the head offices of the NAMC-Khartoum and SSDC-Juba.
• Provided technical advice and resource mobilization support to the field deployment of about 110 national deminers, seconded by Joint Integrated Units (JIUs). Since January 2007, these national demining teams completed clearance/verification of six high priority tasks including the clearance of Babanusa-Wau 446 Km railway line, 234 Km high priority roads in Eastern Sudan (Kassala state), 140 Km road between Malakal and Ayod and 200 km roads in South Kordofan. The national teams found and destroyed 149 anti vehicle mines, 37 anti personnel mines, and more than 25,000 pieces of explosive devices/ammunitions.
• Organized and sponsored two mine action exchange missions to Jordan and Bosnia-Herzegovina with the participation of the State Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and the State Minister of Interior.
• Organized and sponsored the participation of GoNU and GoSS ministerial-level delegations in 14 key mine action meetings/fora in Geneva and other countries, in support of the implementation of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty,
• Provided equipment and materials (furniture, computers, vehicles, and supplies) to NMAC and SSDC who established sub-offices in six key locations including Yei, Malakal, Kassala and Wau; and trained their staff
• Worked with NMAC on drafting the national mine action law which has been submitted to the Ministry of Justice for review and further process.
• With the financial support from the US Department of State, UNDP, provided to the national authorities 8 land cruisers; 2 trucks, 4 laptop computers; 4 laser jet printers; 4 small generators; 20 VHF radios. This equipment assisted the JIDUs to continue their field deployment in the states of Red Sea, South Kordofan, and Malakal.
• UNDP initiated a negotiation process with Chinese development partners in order to secure the training of Sudanese nationals in mine action by China. The success of these negotiations led to the training of 20 de-miners (10 from GoNU and 10 from GoSS) in China. The six week basic de-mining training course took place between 3 April and 20 May in Nanjing, capital of the eastern Jiangsu Province. The Chinese government also provided demining kits, mine detector, and personal protective equipment to assist in their field deployment..
• In support of national mine action capacity development, UNDP, in addition to its own funds, has mobilized since January 2004, approximately US$ 5,000,000 from the US Department of State, the Netherlands, Canada, Japan and Sweden and Italy.
• UNDP assisted the National Mine Action Centre to research and prepare Article 7 report for 2004-2007 and submitted it to the Treaty Implementation Support Unit in Geneva. This report is required by the Mine Ban Convention to be prepared and submitted on annual basis.
• With a contribution from the Canadian Department of State and Foreign Trade, UNDP funded 2 Mine Risk Education Teams and 2 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Teams in Magwi and Loa localities in Central Equatoria state in Southern Sudan. The MRE teams educated local communities and returning IDPs and refugees about the risks of mine/UXO and the EOD teams released land for productive use by the local communities and the returning IDPS and refugees. According to UNHCR, since late 2005 about 140,000 refugees and IDPs have returned to these localities.