Contaminated by: landmines (extent of contamination unclear) and other explosive remnants of war (ERW).

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

In June 2017, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia reported that nearly 7.2km² of confirmed mined areas still remained in the country, along with more than 1,180km² of suspected mined areas. No survey or systematic clearance was reported for 2016 and the first half of 2017. Thirty items of ordnance (no antipersonnel mines) were destroyed following reports from the local population.

Recommendations for action

• Ethiopia should significantly improve the quality and frequency of its reporting both at Mine Ban Treaty meetings and through Article 7 transparency reports.
• Ethiopia should develop a resource mobilization plan and clarify how financial resources will be used to fulfil its extension request targets.

Contamination

In June 2017, Ethiopia reported that nearly 7.2km² of confirmed mined area remained, along with more than 1,180km² of suspected hazardous areas (SHAs), of which it expected about only about 3% would contain mines.[1]

Since 2015, Ethiopia’s reporting on the number and size of areas suspected or confirmed to be mined has been inconsistent between its 2015 Article 5 extension request, its response to subsequent requests for clarification, statements at Mine Ban Treaty meetings, and its latest Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 transparency report on contamination as of 30 April 2017. It would appear, however, that as of June 2017, 45 confirmed hazardous areas (CHAs) remained, covering a total area of just under 7.2km², along with 269 SHAs with a size of nearly 1,186km².

According to its latest Article 7 report, submitted in 2017, and information in its extension request, CHAs and SHAs remained across six regions (Afar, Benishangul, Gambela, Oromia, Somali, and Tigray), as set out in the table below. The Somali region is believed to be by far the most heavily affected.

CHAs and SHAs by region (as of April 2017)[2]

* The two SHAs and CHAs may be double counting the same areas.

The large number of SHAs that require re-surveying result from the Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) conducted in 2001–2004, which was believed to overestimate the scale of contamination.[3]

It is not possible to definitively reconcile Ethiopia’s statements in 2017 on its progress in implementing its Article 5 obligations with that of information provided in its 2015 extension request and other previously reported information. In addition, Ethiopia did not report on progress to meet the projected milestones contained in its extension request for 2015–2017. Ethiopia has been asked by States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty to clarify its estimates of contamination and to present accurate information on the number and estimated size of CHAs and SHAs.[4]

Ethiopia has also noted that estimates of contamination do not include the area along the Ethiopia-Eritrea confrontation line where no survey has been carried out and the border has not been demarcated. The area was previously under the control of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE). When asked what efforts it had made to address this contamination, Ethiopia replied that it had carried out clearance behind its own defensive lines, but it was not possible to enter or clear the area between the two countries’ defensive lines due to security concerns, and clearance would have to wait until the demarcation has been completed.[5]

Ethiopia’s mine problem is a result of internal and international armed conflicts dating back to 1935, including the Italian occupation and subsequent East Africa campaigns (1935–1941), a border war with Sudan (1980), the Ogaden War with Somalia (1997–1998), internal conflict (1974–2000), and the Ethiopian-Eritrean war (1998–2000).

Mines and ERW are reported to continue to cause socio-economic harm, including through: denying access to agricultural and pasture land, which contributes to food insecurity and serious economic hardship for certain communities; blocking access to water for communities and particularly for nomadic pastoralists; and blocking secondary and tertiary roads important to local communities.[6]

Program Management

In 2001, following the end of the conflict with Eritrea, Ethiopia’s Council of Ministers established the Ethiopian Mine Action Office (EMAO) as an autonomous civilian body responsible for mine clearance and mine risk education.[7] EMAO developed its operational capacities with technical assistance from Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).[8] In 2011, however, EMAO’s governing board decided that the Ministry of Defense was better suited to clear the remaining mines because Ethiopia had made significant progress in meeting its Mine Ban Treaty clearance obligations and the remaining threat did not warrant a structure and organization the size of EMAO. It has further asserted on numerous occasions that a civilian entity such as EMAO would have difficulty accessing the unstable Somali region.[9]

In response to the decision to close EMAO and transfer demining responsibility to the army’s Combat Engineers Division, NPA ended its direct funding support[10] and had completed the transfer of its remaining 49 mine detection dogs (MDDs) to EMAO by the end of April 2012;[11] some MDD handlers and support staff were transferred to the federal police.[12] The Combat Engineers Division took over management of the MDD Training Center at Entoto, where it conducted training in demining in early 2012.

The transition of EMAO to the Ministry of Defense appeared to be in limbo until September 2015, when Ethiopia reported that oversight of national mine action activities had been re-established as “one Independent Mine Action Office” under the Combat Engineers Main Department.[13] This office was to include a number of sub-departments, including for operations, risk education, information management, quality assurance, and training. Ethiopia claimed that a demining company, technical survey and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams, and a mechanical demining team had been formed.[14]

In December 2016, Ethiopia informed States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty that the mine action training center had been fully transferred to the “Office in charge of Mine Action.” It reported, though, that resource constraints were impeding the construction of the Demining Training Center started by the former EMAO, and noted that demining equipment was nearing the end of its operational life.[15]

Under its extension request, Ethiopia stated that from 1 December 2015 to the end of May 2020, it would deploy four demining companies and four survey and rapid-response teams.[16] In April 2017, Ethiopia reported that using its own resources, 412 personnel attended a basic demining course. In addition, 23 deminers completed a month-long EOD Level 2 training course conducted by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in March 2017, and a further 20 participated in an improvised explosive device (IED) training run by the United States.[17] It did not report, however, that any demining had begun.

Standards

Under its extension plan targets, Ethiopia stated in 2015 that its National Mine Action Standards (NMAS) would be “developed and updated” and that standing operating procedures (SOPs) for mine clearance and land release would be updated using the current International Mine Action Standards (IMAS).[18]

Information management

Ethiopia reported that, prior to 2015, EMAO had installed and customized a new version of the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) database and had been working on capacity development to upgrade data processing. However, it stated that database challenges remained and until issues with the IMSMA system were resolved, the National Defense Force would “continue using alternative data processing packages together with IMSMA for planning, reporting, and analysis.” In its extension request, Ethiopia requested technical advisory and training support to make the IMSMA database fully functional.[19] In June 2017, Ethiopia reiterated its appeal for assistance for resources and skills training for personnel to operate the IMSMA database and for strategic planning projects.[20]

Land Release

Ethiopia did not report any survey or systematic clearance for 2016 or the first half of 2017. In its extension request, Ethiopia pledged that four demining teams and four technical survey and rapid-response teams would start clearance and survey in November 2015, and a further four technical survey and rapid-response teams would be deployed the following month, once training and refreshment courses had been held.[21] As of June 2017, Ethiopia had not, however, reported that any survey or clearance teams had been deployed. It reported, though, that in 2016 on the basis of reports from the local population, 10 antivehicle mines and 20 items of UXO had been destroyed by the mine action office.[22]

Previously, in April 2014, Ethiopia had informed States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty that in January–November 2013 its rapid-response teams had visited more than 10 ERW-impacted communities in “Amhar, Oromiya, south and Somalia regional states” clearing more than 100,000m² and destroying 10 antipersonnel mines and 176,000 items of UXO.[23] No details were given as to the exact location of the spot tasks. Historically, in 2002–2012, Ethiopia stated that almost 60km² of mined areas were cleared while nearly 1,200km² of SHAs were released by technical survey, with the destruction of 9,260 antipersonnel mines, 1,466 antivehicle mines, and 197,985 items of UXO.[24]

Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 Compliance

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty (and in accordance with a five-year extension granted by States Parties in 2015) Ethiopia is required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 June 2020. It is not on track to meet this deadline.

Ethiopia’s original Article 5 deadline expired on 1 June 2015. In March 2015, Ethiopia submitted a request for an extension of five years until 1 June 2020 to complete survey and clearance of all remaining mined areas.[25] It failed, however, to submit an extension request with sufficient time to allow States Parties to consider extending the deadline prior to its expiry, thus placing Ethiopia in violation of the convention until the approval of the late request by the 14^th Meeting of States Parties on 4 December 2015.[26] In the request, Ethiopia provided the following intended yearly milestones and targets:

• In 2015–2017, non-technical survey and technical survey would be carried out on all remaining 314 SHAs covering a total area of more than 1,193km². Of this, 22 SHAs with an area of almost 30km² would be addressed in 2015; 149 SHAs covering 516km² in 2016;[27] and a further 143 SHAs with a size of almost 648km² in 2017.[28]
• It further projected that a total of 0.45km² would be cleared in 2015; 4.88km² in 2016; and 4.8km² in 2017: a total of 10.135km².
• In 2018–2020, clearance would continue in the surveyed areas, mainly in the Somali region.[29] Ethiopia promised that an updated workplan would be submitted to States Parties by April 2017.[30]

As of June 2017, Ethiopia had not reported release of any area set out in the extension request.[31]

In December 2016, Ethiopia stated that the Ministry of Defense’s Combat Engineers Division planned to undertake “advanced technical survey” in six regions—Afar, Benishangul, Gambela, Oromia, Somali, and Tigray—and that from January 2017 to June 2020, four demining operators and four rapid-response teams would survey and clear contaminated areas.[32] It pledged to provide a workplan with a list of all areas known or suspected to contain antipersonnel mines along with annual projections to address the remaining areas.[33]

It failed, however, to submit a workplan by the required date of 30 April 2017. In June 2017, at the Mine Ban Treaty’s intersessional meetings, Ethiopia informed States Parties that the workplan had been developed and was awaiting approval by authorities, after which it would disseminate the plan to all stakeholders for input.[34]

In April 2017, for the first time since 2012, Ethiopia submitted an updated Article 7 report. However, it does not contain precise information on the location and size of contaminated areas. Its March 2015 extension request is also riddled with inconsistent figures and mathematical errors

Ethiopia has listed the following reasons for its inability to comply with its initial 2015 Article 5 deadline: insecurity in and around some mined areas; the lack of basic social services and infrastructure necessary for operations in rural areas; continuous redeployment of demining teams in scattered mined areas; lack of funding; the identification of additional hazardous areas; climate (such as a three-month rainy season); and a lack of precise information on the number and location of mined areas.[35] Previously, in 2010, Ethiopia said it would clear all mines by 2013 (two years ahead of its deadline) if sufficient funding were available.[36] In March 2013, however, following the closure of EMAO and transfer of responsibility for mine action to the Ministry of Defense, Ethiopia reported it was unlikely to meet its Article 5 deadline due to secondment of demining units to Sudan, and gaps in training, equipment, and funding.[37]

With no functioning mine action program as of the end of 2016 and little progress reported in clearance since September 2011 (see table below), Ethiopia is unlikely to meet its future extension request plan. The inconsistencies and errors throughout its extension request do not provide sufficient clarity on or confidence in the true extent of mine contamination remaining or a realistic estimate of when clearance could be completed.[38]

Mine clearance in 2012–2016[39]

Note: N/R = not reported.

In its 2015 extension request, Ethiopia claimed it would cost a total of more than US$37 million to complete clearance by May 2020, an unexplained increase from the $10 million that EMAO reported was required to clear all remaining areas by 2012.[40] The request stated that Ethiopia would cover most of the mine action program’s administrative costs, including quality assurance, information management, and training to respond to residual contamination, but did not report the amount of its national contribution.[41]

Ethiopia has called on a number of occasions for technical and financial support from international NGOs to meet its mine clearance obligations.[42] In June 2015, Ethiopia requested other States Parties to provide mine detection and clearance equipment to assist in clearing mines and IEDs.[43] In June 2017, it requested assistance and training in information management and planning, stating it faced a shortage of resources and skilled manpower.[44]

The Monitor acknowledges the contributions of the Mine Action Review (www.mineactionreview.org), which has conducted the mine action research in 2017, including on survey and clearance, and shared all its resulting landmine and cluster munition reports with the Monitor. The Monitor is responsible for the findings presented online and in its print publications.