Serbia

Mine Action

Last updated: 22 November 2016

Contaminated by: cluster munition remnants (light contamination), landmines (light contamination), and other unexploded ordnance. 

Article 5 deadline: 1 March 2019
(Unclear whether on track to meet deadline)

Non-signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions 

As of February 2016, 1.93km2 was suspected to contain antipersonnel mines. In 2015, 1.17km2 of mined area was released, including 0.41km2 through clearance. Fourteen antipersonnel mines were destroyed. The Republic of Serbia submitted a revised Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 implementation workplan, including updated milestones towards meeting its 2019 clearance deadline.

At the end of 2015, Serbia had 0.89km2 confirmed to contain cluster munition remnants, and a further 2.24km2 suspected to contain cluster munition remnants, over six municipalities. This is a reduction since the end of 2014. In 2015, 0.18km2 of land was released through clearance, 1.41km2 was reduced by technical survey in 2015, and a further 1km2 was canceled by non-technical survey (NTS). In total, 235 submunitions were destroyed during survey and clearance, while 0.60km2 was confirmed by technical survey. 

Recommendations for action

  • Serbia should identify funding, including from national sources, and then clear all remaining contamination as soon as possible.
  • Serbia should complete the development of national mine action standards as soon as possible.
  • Serbia should submit its annual Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 transparency report for 2015. 

Contamination (Mines)

As of February 2016, 13 suspected hazardous areas (SHAs) in Bujanovac covering more than 1.93km2 were suspected to contain antipersonnel mines. Bujanovac is the only municipality in Serbia still contaminated.[1]

Antipersonnel mine contamination by village as at February 2016[2]

Municipality

Village

SHAs

Area (m2)

Bujanovac

Ravno Bučje

3

105,418

Končulj

5

1,182,456

Dobrosin

1

247,861

Breznica

1

131,465

Djordjevac

1

64,169

Lučane

1

73,437

Turija

1

131,274

Total

 

13

 1,936,080

 

This compares to the estimated 2.85km2 of mined area across 19 SHAs at the end of 2014.[3] There appears, though, to be a discrepancy of 0.26km2 in the reported baseline of mine contamination as of February 2016, compared with 2014, after taking into account the 1.17km2 of reported release in 2015.

Mine contamination in Serbia occurred during two phases. The first is a legacy of the armed conflict associated with the break-up of the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. The second concerns the use of mines in 2000–2001 in the municipalities of Bujanovac and Preševo by a non-state armed group, the Liberation Army of Preševo, Bujanovac and Medvedja (OVPBM). The contamination remaining in Serbia is a result of this later phase.[4] Contamination also exists within Kosovo. (See separate report on the area of Kosovo.)

Bujanovac is one of Serbia’s least-developed municipalities economically.[5] The affected areas are mainly mountainous, but are close to population centers.[6]

Contamination (Cluster Munition Remnants)

At the end of 2015, Serbia had 0.89km2 confirmed to contain cluster munition remnants, and a further 2.24km2 suspected to contain cluster munition remnants.[7] Contamination has decreased since the end of 2014, when Serbia had less than 0.5km2 confirmed to contain cluster munition remnants and a further 5.3km2 suspected to contain cluster munition remnants. 

Confirmed cluster munition contamination by municipality as at the end of 2015[8]

Municipality

Number of CHAs

Size of CHAs (m2)

Bujanovac

2

210,881

Raska

1

69,912

Sjenica

8

604,989

Total

11

885,782

Note: CHAs = confirmed hazardous areas.

 

Suspected cluster munition contamination by municipality as at the end of 2015[9]

Municipality

Number of SHAs

Size of SHAs (m2)

Uzice

1

585,268

Raska

1

190,359

Sjenica

9

511,211

Tutin

1

514,682

Crveni Krst

1

119,344

Bujanovac

1

322,667

Total

14

2,243,531

 

Cluster munition contamination results from NATO air strikes in 1999. According to Serbia, NATO cluster munitions struck 16 municipalities: Brus, Bujanovac, Cacak, Gadžin Han, Knic, Kraljevo, Kuršumlija, Leposavić, Niš city-Crveni Krst, Niš city-Medijana, Preševo, Raška, Sjenica, Sopot, Stara Pazova, and Vladimirci.[10] In late 2014, a suspected area was newly identified in Tutin, a municipality not previously reported to be contaminated by cluster munition remnants.[11] 

Socio-economic impact

Mine- and cluster munition-contaminated areas are said to impede access to local roads, grazing land for cattle, tobacco growing, and mushroom picking, and to pose a risk of fire. In addition, potential construction projects for solar energy plants, tobacco processing facilities, the wood industry, and other infrastructure are affected by mined areas.[12]

Contamination (Other explosive remnants of war) 

Serbia is also contaminated by other unexploded ordnance (UXO) both on land and in its waterways.[13]

Contamination also exists within Kosovo (see separate profile on Kosovo).

Program Management

The Sector for Emergency Management, under the Ministry of Interior, acts as the mine action authority, according to the Decree on Protection against Unexploded Ordnance (“Official Gazette of RS,” No. 70/13). It is responsible for the development of national standard operating procedures, accreditation of clearance operators, and supervising the work of the Serbian Mine Action Centre (SMAC).[14] SMAC is responsible for the coordination of demining, collection and management of mine action information (including casualty data), and survey of SHAs. It also has a mandate to plan demining projects, conduct quality control (QC) and monitor operations, ensure implementation of international standards, license demining organizations, and conduct risk education.[15] A new director of SMAC was appointed by the Serbian government in autumn 2015.

Serbia plans to complete the release of land contaminated with cluster munitions within the next five years, however, the SMAC notes that this is contingent on the availability of funds.[16]

Standards

According to SMAC, survey and clearance operations in Serbia are conducted in accordance with the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS).[17] National mine action standards (NMAS) were said to be in the final phase of development as of September 2015.[18] However, in February 2016 the new director of SMAC reported that the NMAS were being developed and were expected to be finalized in 2017.[19]

Operators 

SMAC does not itself carry out clearance or employ deminers but does carry out survey of areas suspected to contain mines, cluster munition remnants, or other explosive remnants of war (ERW). Clearance is conducted by commercial companies and NGOs, which are selected through public tender executed by ITF Enhancing Human Security.[20] Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) personnel seconded to SMAC previously conducted all surveys in Serbia.[21]

NPA conducted NTS of mined areas in 2015, but not technical survey or mine clearance.[22] NPA’s NTS capacity comprised of either one NPA team leader (seconded to SMAC) or one NPA team leader and one surveyor from NPA’s Bosnia and Herzegovina mine action program, depending on SMAC’s monthly plans.[23] NPA conducted both NTS and technical survey of cluster munition remnants in 2015, but did not conduct cluster munition clearance.[24] During technical survey operations from March to September 2015, NPA employed a total of 19 demining personnel.

The Mine Detection Dog Center (MDDC) in Sarajevo deployed 26 operational staff in Serbia in 2015, comprising of two demining teams (each with eight deminers, one team leader, and one medic), four MDD teams, one operational officer, and one internal quality control officer.[25]

Land Release (Mines)

Survey and Clearance in 2015 (Mines)

Serbia reported that, in 2015, a project entitled “Integrated approach to the mine risk land release in the territory of the Municipality of Bujanovac” was undertaken, involving survey, manual clearance, and MDDs, across a total area of just over 1.17km2. Of this, 413,915m2 was manually cleared in conjunction with MDDs, destroying 14 antipersonnel mines and one item of UXO during operations. The remaining 765,085m2 was released on the basis that it did not contain mines.[26]

This represents an increase in output compared to 2014, when 0.27km2 was released by clearance and 0.5km2 canceled by NTS.[27] This was due to the deployment of more clearance personnel and mechanical assets than in previous years. This increased capacity was a result of Serbia allocating national funds for mine clearance, with matching funds from international donors.[28]

The 2015 project in Bujanovac represented the first time that an integrated land release approach using MDDs and other assets to cancel suspected areas not found to be contaminated had been applied in Serbia, and SMAC intended to monitor the results.[29]

Progress in 2016 (Mines)

Serbia announced in May 2016 that the tender process for implementation of 2016 mine clearance projects in Konculj, Ravno Vucje, Turisko Brdo, and Tustica, was due to be concluded in the near future.[30] As of September 2016, though, the status of the tender process and of any 2016 clearance operations was unknown. 

Land Release (Cluster Munition Remnants)

In 2015, 0.18km2 of land was released through clearance, 1.41km2 was reduced by technical survey, and a further 1km2 was canceled by NTS. In total, 235 submunitions were destroyed during survey and clearance. 0.60km2 was confirmed by technical survey.[31]

Survey in 2015 (Cluster Munition Remnants)

NTS resulted in the cancelation of three SHAs in 2015, totaling just over 1km2.[32] In addition, technical survey resulted in more than 1.4km2 of land being reduced, and 0.6km2 of land in three areas being confirmed as cluster munition-contaminated. During technical survey, 233 BLU-97 submunitions were destroyed.[33]

Survey of cluster munition-contaminated area in 2015[34]

Village

Municipality

SHAs canceled

Area canceled (m²)

Area confirmed

Area confirmed (m²)

Area reduced by TS (m²)

Popovac

Crventi Krst

1

126,460

0

0

0

Sjenica

Sjenica

1

869,346

1

177,120

519,874

Vojka

Stara Pazova

1

9,222

0

0

240,724

Cedovo

Sjenica

0

0

1

89,450

216,250

Vapa

Sjenica

0

0

1

338,391

430,979

Total

 

3

1,005,028

3

604,961

1,407,827

Note: TS = technical survey.

The SMAC stated that, “In order to provide the overall security of the local population, the SMAC will monitor intensively in the forthcoming period the condition of the area without confirmed risk, in order to control and confirm the results of the project, bearing in mind that such kind of a project has been implemented for the first time in the Republic of Serbia.”[35]

Clearance in 2015 (Cluster Munition Remnants)

In 2015, a total of 180,164m2 was cleared. 129,843m2 of contamination was cleared in the municipality of Sjenica by the clearance contractor Saturnia d.o.o. Belgrade, and a further 50,321m2 were cleared in the city of Nis, by the clearance contractor “Stop Mines.”[36] Two BLU-97 submunitions and 12 items of UXO were destroyed during clearance.

Progress in 2016 (Cluster Munition Remnants) 

As of July 2016, one clearance project was being implemented in an area 69,912m2 in Kopaonik Mountain, Raška Municipality.[37]

Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 Compliance

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty (and in accordance with the five-year extension granted by States Parties in 2013), Serbia is required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 March 2019. It is not clear whether Serbia is on track to meet this deadline.

As late as May 2012, Serbia had hoped to meet its original Article 5 deadline,[38] but in March 2013 it applied for a five-year extension. In granting the request, the Thirteenth Meeting of States Parties noted that “implementation could proceed much faster if Serbia was able to cover part of demining costs and thereby become more attractive for external funding.” States Parties further noted that the plan presented by Serbia was “workable, but it lacks ambition, particularly given the small amount of mined area in question.”[39]

Serbia’s claim to continued jurisdiction over Kosovo entails legal responsibility for remaining mined areas in Kosovo under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty. However, Serbia did not include such areas in its extension request estimate of remaining contamination or plans for the extension period.

As of September 2016, Serbia had yet to submit a Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 transparency report for 2015.

In the last five years, Serbia has cleared less than one square kilometer of mined area (see table below).

Mine clearance in 2011–2015

Year

Area cleared (km2)

2015

0.41

2014

0.27

2013

0

2012

0.16

2011

0

Total

0.84

 

Serbia is falling behind the clearance plan it set out in its 2013 Article 5 deadline extension request, which envisaged clearance of just under 0.49km2 in 2013; just over 0.57km2 in 2014; and just over 4.1km2 in 2015.[40] In its original extension request Serbia also predicted it would complete survey by the end of 2015, which it did not achieve. In 2015, Serbia reported that it had adjusted its extension request plan and predicted that of the remaining 2.85km2 of mined area, some 1.2km2 would be surveyed in 2015 and the remaining 1.65km2 in 2016. Of this, Serbia expected to clear a total of 1.6km2 by 2018: 0.4km2 in 2015, 0.6km2 in 2016, and 0.6km2 in 2017.[41]

In March 2016, Serbia submitted an updated workplan to the Mine Ban Treaty Implementation Support Unit. It now plans to address 0.8km2 in 2016; 0.6km2 in 2017; and 0.52km2 in 2018; and to carry out “additional check-up and verification” in 2019.[42] Serbia also cautioned, though, that implementation of clearance projects might be affected by funding, but that if additional funds were provided, the work could be completed more quickly.[43]

Serbia has stated that despite difficulties and austerity measures it remains strongly committed to making Serbia mine free, by 2019 at the latest.[44]

Progress in cluster munition clearance 2011–2015

Five-year summary of clearance

Year

Area cleared (km2)

2015

0.18

2014

0.29

2013

2.40

2012

1.42

2011

1.15

Total

5.44

 

 

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.



[1] Statements of Serbia, Mine Ban Treaty Fourteenth Meeting of States Parties, Geneva, 1 December 2015; Intersessional Meetings, Committee on Article 5 Implementation, Geneva, 19 May 2016; and Preliminary observations of the Mine Ban Treaty Committee on Article 5 Implementation, Intersessional Meetings, Geneva, 19–20 May 2016.

[2] “Republic of Serbia Updated Detailed Work Plan for the Remaining Period Covered by the Extension,” submitted to the Mine Ban Treaty Implementation Support Unit (ISU), 3 March 2016.

[3] Emails from Miroslav Pisarevic, Project Manager, Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), 5 May 2015; and from Branislav Jovanovic, Director, SMAC, 7 September 2015.

[4] Article 5 deadline Extension Request, March 2013, p. 5; and Article 7 Report (for 2014), Form C.

[5] “Republic of Serbia Updated Detailed Work Plan for the Remaining Period Covered by the Extension,” submitted to the ISU, 3 March 2016, and provided to Mine Action Review by the ISU upon request.

[6] Article 5 deadline Extension Request, March 2013, p. 23.

[7] Email from Jovica Simonović, Acting Director of SMAC, 26 July 2016.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Statement of Serbia, Mine Ban Treaty Intersessional Meetings, Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Geneva, 21 June 2011; and interview with Petar Mihajlović, Director, and Slađana Košutić, International Cooperation Advisor, SMAC, Belgrade, 25 March 2011.

[11] Email from Branislav Jovanovic, SMAC, 4 May 2015.

[12] Ibid., 23 March 2015; and from Miroslav Pisarevic, NPA, 5 May 2015; and “Republic of Serbia Updated Detailed Work Plan for the Remaining Period Covered by the Extension,” submitted to the ISU, 3 March 2016, and provided to Mine Action Review by the ISU upon request.

[13] SMAC, “Mine situation,” undated.

[14] Emails from Darvin Lisica, NPA Regional Programme Manager, 6 May 2016, and 12 June 2016.

[15] “Law of Alterations and Supplementations of the Law of Ministries,” Official Gazette, 84/04, August 2004; interview with Petar Mihajlović, and Slađana Košutić, SMAC, Belgrade, 26 April 2010; and SMAC, “About us,” undated.

[16] Email from Jovica Simonović, SMAC, 26 July 2016.

[17] SMAC, “About us,” SMAC, undated.

[18] Interview with Branislav Jovanovic, SMAC, in Dubrovnik, 10 September 2015.

[19] Interview with Jovica Simonović, SMAC, in Geneva, 18 February 2016.

[20] Interview with Petar Mihajlović and Slađana Košutić, SMAC, Belgrade, 26 April 2010.

[21] Emails from Vanja Sikirica, Programme Manager, NPA, Belgrade, 13 March 2014, and 29 April 2014.

[22] Email from Darvin Lisica, NPA, 20 October 2016.

[23] Ibid., 13 April 2016, and 6 May 2016.

[24] Ibid., 13 April 2016.

[25] Email from Nermin Hadžimujagić, Director, MDDC, 12 October 2016.

[26] Statement of Serbia, Mine Ban Treaty Fourteenth Meeting of States Parties, Geneva, 1 December 2015.

[27] Email from Branislav Jovanovic, SMAC, 23 March 2015.

[28] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for 2014), Form F.

[29] Statement of Serbia, Mine Ban Treaty Intersessional Meetings, Committee on Article 5 Implementation, Geneva, 19 May 2016.

[30] Ibid.

[31] Emails from Jovica Simonović, SMAC, 26 July 2016; and from Darvin Lisica, NPA, 13 April 2016.

[32] Email from Darvin Lisica, NPA, 13 April 2016; and responses to questionnaire by Miroslav Pisarevic, Project Manager, Humanitarian Disarmament Programme, NPA, Serbia, 19 March 2015, and 30 June 2015.

[33] Emails from Jovica Simonović, SMAC, 26 July 2016; and from Darvin Lisica, NPA, 13 April 2016, and 12 June 2016.

[34] Emails from Jovica Simonović, SMAC, 26 July 2016; and from Darvin Lisica, NPA, 13 April 2016.

[35] Email from Jovica Simonović, SMAC, 26 July 2016.

[36] Ibid.

[37] Ibid.

[38] Statement of Serbia, Mine Ban Treaty Intersessional Meetings, Standing Committee on Mine Action, Geneva, 23 May 2012.

[39] Analysis of Serbia’s Article 5 deadline Extension Request, submitted by the President of the Twelfth Meeting of States Parties on behalf of the States Parties mandated to analyze requests for extensions, 2 December 2013.

[40] Article 5 deadline Extension Request, March 2013, p. 26.

[41] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for 2014), Form F.

[42] Preliminary observations of the Mine Ban Treaty Committee on Article 5 Implementation, Intersessional Meetings, Geneva, 19–20 May 2016; and “Republic of Serbia Updated Detailed Work Plan for the Remaining Period Covered by the Extension,” submitted to the ISU, 3 March 2016, and provided to Mine Action Review by the ISU upon request.

[43] Preliminary observations of the Mine Ban Treaty Committee on Article 5 Implementation, Intersessional Meetings, Geneva, 19–20 May 2016.

[44] Statements of Serbia, Mine Ban Treaty Fourteenth Meeting of States Parties, Geneva, 1 December 2015; and Mine Ban Treaty Intersessional Meetings, Committee on Article 5 Implementation, Geneva, 19 May 2016.