Nagorno-Karabakh cannot accede to Mine Ban Treaty or the Convention on Cluster Munitions due to its political status.

Contamination

In 1988, a decision by the parliament of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Province to secede from Azerbaijan and join Armenia resulted in armed conflict in 1988–1994 between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh declared independence in 1991 but this has not been internationally recognized. All regions of Nagorno-Karabakh have been affected by mines and unexploded submunitions as a result of the 1988–1994 conflict, and new mine contamination was added in 2013.

Explosive remnants of war (ERW) contamination is said to “severely” impact upon rural communities, limiting the incomes of thousands of families.[1]

Mine contamination 

Mines were laid by both the Azeri and pro-Karabakh forces during the war, with a relatively high proportion of antivehicle mines being used in some regions, as well as antipersonnel mines throughout.[2] The mines were of Soviet design and manufacture, and due to the nature of the conflict certain areas were mined several times by both sides.[3] 

New contamination was added in 2013. In July 2013, Nagorno-Karabakh’s military chief, General Movses Hakobian, reportedly stated that “his forces have placed more antipersonnel landmines this year along the Armenian-Azerbaijani ‘line of contact’ east and north of the disputed territory.”[4] General Hakobian said use was aimed at preventing sabotage attacks by Azerbaijani troops.[5]

In a 4 September 2013 response to a letter by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) to authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nagorno-Karabakh did not deny that mines had been used. He stated that, “due to the ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan...today we are not in a position to refrain from using AP [antipersonnel] mines for defensive purposes along the line of contact.” He noted further that, “these mines are neither aimed at the civilian population nor at the extermination of the adversary but for limiting its advances and ceasing any possible military aggression against us.”[6]

As of September 2013, remaining mined area was 1.6km², of which 0.88km2 across 34 different areas contained antipersonnel mines and 0.73km2 across 15 different areas contained antivehicle mines.[7] However, this estimate is believed to only include contamination within the Soviet-era boundaries of Nagorno-Karabakh, and not mine contamination in the adjacent territories.

To date, HALO Trust has cleared 95% of all known minefields in Soviet-era Nagorno-Karabakh. However, HALO has reported that the goal to make Soviet-era Nagorno-Karabakh mine-free will take longer than expected due to reduced clearance capacity from 2015 onwards.[8]

While progress has been made, around 70% of remaining contamination—consisting mainly of antivehicle mines—is in areas occupied by the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Forces outside Soviet-era boundaries.[9] HALO Trust has operated in these areas since the beginning of its presence in Nagorno-Karabakh, but in recent years HALO’s activities have reduced due to difficulties in attracting funds to operate in these areas. 

Mines impede use of lands, roads, and other areas, and affect the rural population in particular, whose main income is from herding animals and farming.[10]

Cluster munition contamination 

The exact extent of contamination from cluster munition remnants in Nagorno-Karabakh is not known, but contamination is widespread and affects all regions.[11] As of the end of 2014, surface cluster munition contamination was estimated to comprise 86 areas covering 42.7km². The total area, including sub-surface contamination, is believed to be higher.[12]

Cluster munition contamination as of September 2013 was reported to be 39.5km²,[13] but this figure included contamination within the Soviet-era boundary of Nagorno-Karabakh only.[14] Total cluster munition contamination across the whole of Nagorno-Karabakh at the end of 2013 was estimated to be 60.4km². Cluster munition contamination has thus decreased significantly during 2014, as a result of clearance operations.[15]

Large quantities of cluster munitions were dropped from the air during armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan from 1988 to 1994.

Nagorno-Karabakh has cluster munition remnants in every region, but particularly Askeran, Martakert, and Martuni, where more than three-quarters of remaining cluster munition remnants are located.

Program Management 

A mine action coordination committee is responsible for liaising between the de facto government and HALO Trust.[16] In 2000, HALO established the Nagorno-Karabakh Mine Action Centre (NKMAC), which consolidates all mine action-related information and responds to requests from the de facto government ministries, other NGOs, and local communities.[17] The NKMAC maintains maps and a database that cover all suspect areas surveyed; all areas cleared of mines and unexploded ordinance (UXO); locations of all mine and UXO-related accidents; and a full record of all mine risk education given.[18]

Since 2000, HALO has been the sole organization conducting land release in Nagorno-Karabakh. HALO’s Nagorno-Karabakh operations cover both cluster munition clearance and mine clearance, and HALO does not field separate teams dedicated solely to mine clearance or cluster munition clearance.[19]

HALO’s staff numbers fluctuated during 2014 as a result of changes in funding. As of the end of 2014, HALO was employing 129 staff in Nagorno-Karabakh.[20]

Land Release (Mines) 

A total of 0.54km² of mined area was released by clearance in 2014,[21] compared with 0.31km² in 2013.[22] HALO has not reported whether the area contained antipersonnel mines only, antivehicle mines only, or a combination of both.

Survey in 2014 (mines)

In 2014, HALO confirmed 15 areas covering 839,754m² as contaminated with mines.[23]

According to HALO, all land release operations in 2014 were directed to clearance of confirmed mined areas, and therefore no land was released through technical survey, or cancelled through non-technical survey.[24]

Clearance in 2014 (mines) 

In 2014, a total of 27 mined areas covering 536,868m² were released by clearance. During mine clearance operations, 88 antipersonnel mines were destroyed, along with 7 antivehicle mines, and 58 other items of UXO.[25] HALO had aimed to clear some 0.35km² of land contaminated with antipersonnel mines and 0.3km² contaminated with antivehicle mines in 2014.[26]

HALO was called out to 194 explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) tasks in 2014, during which an additional 53 antipersonnel mines and 13 antivehicle mines were destroyed, along with 91 submunitions and 362 other items of UXO.[27]

HALO suspended use of large-loop detectors (LLDs) in mid-2014, due to almost all remaining antivehicle mines suspected to contain minimum metal. LLDs cannot detect TM-62P mines found in Nagorno-Karabakh, so HALO has developed prodding drills instead. However, the majority of antivehicle minefields in HALO’s 2014 workplan could not be prodded due to hard, rocky ground, and HALO therefore developed new clearance drills using a Minelab F3 detector with a large UXO head attachment. This drill, however, was much slower than both prodding and LLD. Clearance rates per team using LLD are 8,000m² a week compared to 3,500m² a week for prodding, while Minelab UXO head drills are 1,000m² a week.[28]

Land release in 2014 assisted 2,710 direct and 6,672 indirect beneficiaries. The released area will mainly be used for agriculture, grazing, and woodcutting.[29]

Land Release (Cluster Munition Remnants)

A total of 13km² of area contaminated with cluster munition remnants was released by clearance in 2014, compared with 4.65km² in 2013. In addition, just under 7km² was released in 2014 during clearance operations as a result of overly large polygons being drawn.[30] 

Survey in 2014 (cluster munition remnants) 

In 2014, HALO confirmed 11 suspected areas as contaminated, totaling 5.5km².[31]

Clearance in 2014 (cluster munition remnants)

Just over 13km² of land, across 40 areas in the Askeran, Hadrut, Mardakert, Martuni, and Shushi regions of Nagorno-Karabakh, was released by clearance in 2014. During battle area clearance (BAC) operations, 220 submunitions were destroyed, along with 58 other items of UXO, one antipersonnel mine, and three antivehicle mines.[32]

The 13km² cleared in 2014 marks a significant increase compared to the previous year when 4.65km² of cluster munition-contaminated area was cleared during BAC operations.[33] This increase was due to the fact that teams were deployed to conduct more BAC in 2014 than in 2013, due to the inaccessibility of minefields in winter and during the wet season. HALO’s cluster munition clearance operations nonetheless remained a “secondary” activity, as per USAID’s requested prioritization of mine clearance.[34]

Furthermore, HALO was called out to 194 EOD tasks in 2014, during which 91 submunitions were destroyed, along with 362 other items of UXO, 53 antipersonnel mines, and 13 antivehicle mines, in addition to the UXO destroyed during planned clearance operations as detailed above.[35]

Land released in 2014 assisted 399 direct and 1,567 indirect beneficiaries. The released area will mainly be used for agriculture, grazing, and woodcutting.[36]

Progress in mine and cluster munition clearance 

Progress in mine and cluster munition clearance has fluctuated during 2010–2014, as shown in the tables below.

Mine clearance in 2010–2014[37]

Clearance of cluster munition-contaminated area in 2010–2014[38]

In 2008–2010, HALO cleared an average of between 5km² and 6km² of mined area annually and averaged over 30km² of BAC. In 2011, however, the United Kingdom interrupted its funding of the program and HALO lost 37% of its capacity; consequently, clearance rates declined.[39]

HALO was receiving 25% less funding from its main donor, USAID, in 2015 than in the previous year, resulting in a one-third reduction in operational capacity. USAID has requested that funds be used for clearance within the Soviet-era boundary of Nagorno-Karabakh oblast, and that HALO focus on mine clearance.[40] Surface cluster munition clearance is funded by USAID as a secondary activity, to be conducted when minefields are inaccessible. No sub-surface cluster munition clearance is funded by USAID. In HALO’s opinion the above-mentioned prioritization by USAID is reasonable, especially given that all reported accidents in 2014 involved mines.[41]

In 2014, HALO reported that full clearance of minefields in Soviet-era Nagorno-Karabakh could be achieved within three years if sufficient funding were available.[42] While 95% of mine contamination in Soviet-era Nagorno-Karabakh has been addressed, reduced clearance capacity means that full mine clearance of that area may take longer than expected.[43]