Mozambique

Mine Ban Policy

Last updated: 02 November 2011

Mine Ban Policy

The Republic of Mozambique signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997 and ratified it on 25 August 1998, becoming a State Party on 1 March 1999. Mozambique has regularly reported that draft implementing legislation was submitted to Parliament for analysis and discussed by the Council of Ministers, but the law had yet to be enacted as of October 2011.[1]

Mozambique last submitted a Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report in 2010, for calendar year 2009.[2]

Mozambique participated in the Tenth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Geneva in November–December 2010, as well as the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva in June 2011.

Mozambique is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Production, transfer, use, stockpile destruction, and retention

Mozambique has never produced or exported antipersonnel mines.[3] Throughout the civil war, antipersonnel mines were imported from many countries and used by different parties to the conflict. Mozambique completed destruction of its stockpile of 37,318 antipersonnel mines on 28 February 2003, a few days before its treaty-mandated deadline.[4]

In its Article 7 report submitted for calendar year 2009, Mozambique reported that it retained a total of 1,943 mines for training purposes.[5]

Mozambique did not report on mines actually consumed during 2009 for training purposes and has not yet provided details on the intended purposes and actual uses of its retained mines, as agreed by States Parties at the First Review Conference in December 2004.

 



[1] Mozambique stated in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2010 that a proposed law to fulfill Article 9 of the Mine Ban Treaty had been submitted to Parliament. Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2009), Form A.

[2] Nine previous reports were submitted: in 2009, in 2007, on 27 April 2006, 25 April 2005, 23 April 2004, in 2003 (for the period 1 January 2002–1 March 2003), 2 July 2002, 30 October 2001, and 30 March 2000.

[3] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2006), Form E, and earlier Article 7 reports.

[4] For more details, see Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 580; and Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2008), Form B. Mozambique initially reported that it destroyed 37,818 mines, but later changed the figure to 37,318.

[5] A full list of mine types retained is included in the 2009 Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report under Form J. 900 mines were held by FADM, 520 by IND, 343 by APOPO, 128 by HALO, and 52 by HI.  Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2009), Form D. In the previous report, Mozambique cited a total figure of 1,963 mines in the Form D table, but the actual total of the mines listed within the table adds up to 2,088. Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2008), Form D. This surpasses the 1,265 antipersonnel mines last reported at the end of 2006, and the numbers cited in prior reports. Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2006), Form D. For details see Landmine Monitor Report 2007, p. 530. Mozambique’s first three Article 7 reports stated that no antipersonnel mines would be retained for training or development purposes.