Summary: Non-signatory Eritrea has expressed interest in the convention and support for its humanitarian objectives, but has not taken any steps towards accession. Eritrea has participated as an observer in most meetings of the convention and voted for the first UN resolution on the convention in December 2015. Eritrea has not produced cluster munitions and denies stockpiling them, but used cluster munitions during the 1998–2000 war with Ethiopia.

Policy

The State of Eritrea has not acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Eritrea participates in the work of the convention as an observer, but officials rarely comment on the government’s position on accession.[1] In 2010, Eritrea told States Parties that it supports the convention and sees benefits in joining.[2] In 2008, Eritrea said that as a contaminated state it understands the problems caused by cluster munitions and therefore supports their prohibition.[3]

On 7 December 2015, Eritrea voted in favor of the first UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution on the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which urges states outside the convention to “join as soon as possible.”[4] A total of 140 states, including many non-signatories, voted in favor of the non-binding resolution.

Eritrea did not participate in the international meetings of the Oslo Process that created the Convention on Cluster Munitions, but attended the two African regional meetings, where it supported a comprehensive ban.[5]

Eritrea participated as an observer in the convention’s First Review Conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia in September 2015 and in all of its Meetings of States Parties, except in 2013. It attended intersessional meetings of the convention in 2012 and has participated in regional workshops on the convention, most recently in Lome, Togo in May 2013.

Eritrea has abstained from voting on UNGA resolutions condemning the use of cluster munitions in Syria, most recently in December 2015.[6]

Eritrea is a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty. It is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

Eritrean and Ethiopian forces both used cluster munitions during their 1998–2000 border war.[7]

Eritrean aircraft attacked the Mekele airport in Ethiopia with cluster bombs in 1998.[8] In April 2009, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Claims Commission in The Hague awarded Ethiopia US$2.5 million “in respect of deaths and injuries, medical expenses and property damage resulting from the dropping of cluster bombs in the vicinity of the Ayder School in Mekele.”[9]

Although Ethiopia has denied it, there is ample evidence that it attacked several parts of Eritrea with cluster munitions.

In May 2013, Eritrea stated that it does not use or stockpile cluster munitions or function as a transfer country.[10] In October 2010, Eritrea said it has not produced cluster munitions.[11]

Eritrea has denied stockpiling cluster munitions.[12] It reportedly inherited Chilean-manufactured CB-500 cluster bombs when it achieved independence from Ethiopia.[13] It also possesses Grad 122mm surface-to-surface rockets, but it is not known if these include versions with submunition payloads.[14]

Contaminated by: mines (heavy contamination) and explosive remnants of war (ERW).

Article 5 Deadline: 1 February 2020
(Not on track to meet deadline)

The last estimate of mine contamination in the State of Eritrea dates back to the end of 2013, when it reported that 434 mined areas remained over an estimated 33.4km².There is no indication that any progress in mine action occurred in 2015 and 2016.

Recommendations for action

• Far greater priority needs to be afforded to demining in Eritrea. The authorities should ensure that demining units are not reoriented to other tasks but focus on survey and clearance operations for humanitarian purposes.
• Eritrea should urgently submit an up-to-date list of all known or suspected areas containing antipersonnel mines and a detailed timeline of activities planned under its Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 extension request, including annual projections of areas to be addressed and a corresponding budget.
• Eritrea should urgently submit its outstanding annual Article 7 transparency reports, the latest of which was due by 30 April 2016, as well as respond to requests from the international mine action community for updated information in a transparent and timely manner.
• Eritrea should reconsider its policy of excluding international technical assistance from the country, which would support more efficient land release and re-open international funding paths.
• Eritrea should develop and make public a resource mobilization strategy on the basis of a clear understanding of remaining contamination. 

Contamination

Eritrea is affected by mines and ERW dating back to World War II, but is largely as the result of the struggle for independence in 1962–1991 and its armed conflict with Ethiopia in 1998–2000.

The Eritrean Deming Authority (EDA) did not respond to requests for further information in 2016. The last estimate of mine contamination in Eritrea dates back to the end of 2013, when Eritrea reported that 434 mined areas remained over an estimated 33.4km².[1]

Suspected hazardous areas by region as at end 2013[2]

Note: SHAs = suspected hazardous area 

Antipersonnel mine and other ERW contamination is reported to negatively affect socio-economic conditions in Eritrea, blocking access to agricultural and pastoral land vital to farmers and animal herders, and preventing the implementation of construction and development projects, including of roads, schools, and clinics.[3]

Program Management 

The Eritrean mine action program is entirely nationally managed. The EDA, established in July 2002, is responsible for policy development, regulation of mine action, and the conduct of mine clearance operations. The EDA reports directly to the Office of the President. 

Demining is primarily conducted by the engineering units of the Eritrean defense forces under the supervision of the EDA, which also carries out quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) in accordance with Eritrea’s National Mine Action Standards.[4] According to its second Article 5 deadline extension request, submitted in January 2014, Eritrea planned to deploy “at least” five demining teams during its second extension period, the same number as then deployed, but might increase the number if adequate financial and logistical support were found.[5] However, Eritrea’s demining units may be re-tasked toward infrastructure building, such as construction of roads and dams, “at any point.”[6] Following expulsion of international NGOs in 2005, Eritrea does not allow any international humanitarian demining operators to conduct survey or clearance in Eritrea. 

In May 2015, the Deputy General Manager of the EDA reported “no significant progress registered by the EDA currently.” He stated, though, that the EDA was undergoing reorganization in an effort to make “better progress.”[7]

Land Release 

Under its 2014 extension request, Eritrea projected that up to 15.4km² of mined area could be cleared within five years.

Eritrea has not provided any updates to States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, nor responded to requests for information for this report on any land release activities undertaken in 2015 or 2014. 

Previously, in 2013, Eritrea reported release of 157 SHAs totaling 33.5km², leaving 385 mined areas of close to 24.5km² to be surveyed.[8] Forty-nine new mined areas with a total size of 9km² were discovered in five of the country’s six regions during non-technical survey in 2013: Anseba, Debub, Gash Barka, Maakel, and Semienawi Keih Bahri.[9]

In 2013, Eritrea stated it cleared approximately 2.26km² of mined area, almost twice the amount cleared in 2012 (1.2km²).[10] The number of antipersonnel and antivehicle mines destroyed in 2013 has not been reported.

Article 5 Compliance

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty (and in accordance with the three-year extension granted by States Parties in 2011 and a further five-year extension granted in 2014), Eritrea is required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 February 2020. It is not on track to meet this deadline.

In January 2014, Eritrea submitted a second Article 5 deadline extension request seeking a further five years to continue clearance and complete re-survey of SHAs, but not to fulfil its clearance obligations under the treaty. In June 2014, however, States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty granted Eritrea its extension request until 2020, but noted that five additional years beyond Eritrea’s previous February 2015 deadline “appeared to be a long period of time to meet this objective.”[11]

Resurvey during the second extension period is planned to involve both technical and non-technical survey of all remaining mined areas across six regions. Re-survey is planned to run concurrently with clearance in priority areas in the Anseba, Maakel, and Semienawi Keih Bahri regions.[12]

Based on a predicted clearance rate of 0.384km² per team per year and 1.92km² per five teams per year, Eritrea has estimated that five teams operating at this optimum pace could clear almost 15.4km² in the five-year period.[13] However, this clearance rate was acknowledged by Eritrea as “ambitious” due to the “inevitable collaboration...of the demining teams with the survey teams.” In addition, while Eritrea seems to have set reasonable estimates for its clearance rates that roughly match its progress in previous years with similar capacity, this accounts for only less than half of the total area Eritrea has estimated as requiring either clearance or re-survey (33.5km²), leaving some 18km² unaccounted for in the workplan.[14]

Eritrea projected that costs for the extension period will amount to more than US$7 million, all to be raised nationally.[15] In 2011–2013, Eritrea managed to raise only $257,000 annually. As of December 2013, Eritrea had not received international funding for mine clearance, and in its statement at the Thirteenth Meeting of States Parties, said that progress in clearing mines would be slow because it “had limited resources and capacity of one small poor nation.”[16] It is therefore unclear how Eritrea intends to raise the finances necessary for its survey and clearance activities, particularly in light of its policy not to accept international technical assistance. 

In April 2014, at the Mine Ban Treaty intersessional meetings, Eritrea stated that the extension period was designed to gain greater clarity about its mine problem, at which point Eritrea “could plan and think about the financial resources to be allocated for mine action.”[17] It was further stated that Eritrea “won’t complete clearance in the next five years,” and will likely require a third extension.[18] Eritrea has not provided States Parties with any information since, and did not attend any meetings of the Mine Ban Treaty in 2015 or the first half of 2016.

Mine clearance in 2011–2015[19]

Note: N/R = Not reported

The Monitor gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the Mine Action Review supported and published by Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), which conducted mine action research in 2016 and shared it with the Monitor. The Monitor is responsible for the findings presented online and in its print publications.

Summary action points based on findings

• Adopt, disseminate, and implement the National Comprehensive Policy on Disability.
• Expand the community-based rehabilitation (CBR) program to cover the entire country.
• Adequately supply and staff the prosthetic and orthopedic centers to accommodate the unmet demand.

Victim assistance commitments

The State of Eritrea is responsible for a significant number of landmine survivors, cluster munition victims, and survivors of other explosive remnants of war (ERW) who are in need. Eritrea has made commitments to provide victim assistance through the Mine Ban Treaty.

Cluster munition casualties

At least 163 casualties during cluster munition strikes in Eritrea have been reported, all in 2000 or earlier.[1] No information was available on whether there had been casualties caused by cluster munition remnants as of the end of 2015.

An estimated 650,000 Eritreans live in landmine- and ERW-contaminated areas.[2]

Victim Assistance

At least 2,810 mine/ERW survivors have been reported in Eritrea.[3]

Victim assistance during the Cartagena Action Plan 2010–2014

As requested by the Eritrean government in 2011, international and national NGOs and UN agencies reduced or concluded their activities in the country.[4] The UN Development Programme (UNDP) mine action program closed in July 2011, followed by the conclusion of UNICEF’s landmine victim assistance program at the end of 2011.[5] UNICEF has continued to support the MoLHW’s CBR program, which provides assistance to all persons with disabilities, including landmine survivors. In addition to the CBR network, the state health system and the Eritrean National Association of War Disabled Veterans (ENWDVA) are the main providers of victim assistance. Starting in 2014, UN agencies have unsuccessfully sought funding for victim assistance programming through the Portfolio of Mine Action Programs.

Victim assistance in 2015

Victim assistance services in 2015 remain inadequate for the demand. The MoHLW provides some orthopedic and prosthetic services, but the quality is poor due to lack of funds.[6]

In 2015, the Eritrean National Mine Action authority received no international support. In 2015, UNICEF continued its collaborations with the Ministry of Education (school-based mine risk education/risk reduction activities), MoLHW (community-based mine risk education/risk reduction activities/victim support) and the Ministry of Health for child injury prevention from all causes including landmines.[7] UNICEF and the UNDP have developed plans for 2016 that would expand victim assistance services if funding is made available.[8] Due to a lack of funding, UNDP did not conduct any victim assistance programming in 2015.[9]

Services for persons with disabilities, including disabled veterans, continued to be provided through the Ministry of Health, the MoLHW, and the ENWDVA. Veterans with disabilities who were injured during the liberation war with Ethiopia were eligible for cash subsidies, but similar benefits were not available to civilians injured by mines.[10]

In 2015 the Italian organization, Annuliamo Distanza, opened an orthopaedic surgery facility at the Halibet Hospital in Asmara.[11]

Assessing victim assistance needs

No major progress in conducting needs assessments was reported in 2015, but the MOLHW, through the CBR program, continues to identify landmine survivors and persons with disabilities.[12] In 2010, the Eritrea Population and Health Survey (2010 EPHS) identified 149,013 persons with disabilities but did not disaggregate the data by gender or age. According to the 2010 EPHS, war-related physical disabilities and mental illness are the most common forms of disability in Eritrea.[13]

Victim assistance coordination[14]

The MoLHW is responsible for the coordination of services for all persons with disabilities, including mine survivors.[15] In 2011, Eritrea announced the drafting of a comprehensive national disability policy.[16] In 2015, the final review of the policy was conducted by the MoLHW with participation of national disability organizations, line Ministries, and UN agencies. The final review is seen as the last step before adoption and endorsement of the policy.[17]

Inclusion and participation

The four national associations of persons with disabilities—the ENWDVA, the Eritrean Association of the Blind (ERNAB), the Eritrean National Association of the Deaf (ERINAD), and the National Association of Autism and Down Syndrome—participate in planning and coordination with the MoLWH, but the participation of landmine survivors and individual persons with disability is minimal.[18] The MoLWH encourages full participation and involvement of persons with disabilities through the CBR program and national celebrations like the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on which a thousand children and adults with disabilities attended a MoLHW-organized public event.[19]

Service accessibility and effectiveness

Victim assistance activities[20]

Restrictions are imposed on the operations of foreign and international agencies in Eritrea.

There was a shortage of skilled health personnel, particularly in remote areas. First aid response for landmine victims needs to be made faster and the continuation of medical treatment after the discharge of victims from health facilities required further strengthening.[21] Travel to and from hospitals capable of providing emergency and surgical services can take hours or even days in the most remote parts of the country with limited ambulatory services available.[22] A new orthopedic surgery center opened at Helibet Hospital in the capital, Asmara, thanks to support from an Italian organization that has sponsored semi-annual medical missions to conduct surgeries.[23]

The government dedicated substantial resources to support and train thousands of men and women with physical disabilities and limb loss resulting from war and conflict.[24] The CBR program of the MoLHW covers 80% of the country. In 2015, the CBR program increased its coverage in Northern Red Sea district. The CBR program, run by community volunteers, provided psychosocial support, referral services, and economic reintegration activities for survivors and other persons with disabilities.[25] Due to the lack of funding and a human resources gap, the quality of products from the existing workshops is substandard and worsening.[26]

ENDWVA also provided employment and economic inclusion opportunities. In 2015, as part of the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Tax—a 2% income tax levied on members of the Eritrean diaspora—the ENDWVA collected funds from Europe to support war-disabled individuals through the Denden Health Center. The ENDWVA also provided credit to its members for small businesses and income-generating activities.[27]

Physical accessibility and awareness of disability issues were improving. New construction in the country was generally accessible and through social mobilization activities, persons with disabilities were engaging more and more in community events.[28]

Eritrea celebrated the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December 2015. In an event attended by government ministers, party leaders, the UN Resident Coordinator, and representatives of associations of persons with disabilities, the Minister of Labour and Human Welfare used the event to combat stigma against disability and called on local communities to ensure the well-being of persons with disabilities.[29]

Access to education remained a challenge for survivors. UNICEF launched its long-standing “Donkeys for School” project to provide transportation for 1,000 children with disabilities to and from school in the remote northern region of Anseba, but the program is limited in its reach due to a lack of funding. Psychological support for survivors required further strengthening.[30] Specialized elementary schools provide limited educational opportunities for deaf and blind children. Beginning in 2012, the Eritrean Ministry of Education launched an inclusive education program to mainstream children with sensory disabilities into classrooms with their peers. Participating schools have specialized teaching and learning materials to enable all children to learn. However, little or no resources were available beyond the elementary school level.[31]

Article 14 of Eritrea’s unimplemented constitution prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in employment, education, or in the provision of other state services. The government did not effectively enforce these prohibitions, although it did implement programs to assist persons with disabilities. There were no laws mandating access to public or private buildings, information, or communication for persons with disabilities. However, an increasing number of buildings provided such access or employed guards who offered assistance as needed.[32] Across the country, awareness about disability is increasing and the stigma associated with disability is diminishing due to advocacy from UNICEF and the MoLHW.[33]

As of 1 June 2016, Eritrea had not signed or acceded to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).