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

Western Sahara cannot accede to the Mine Ban Treaty or the Convention on Cluster Munitions due to its political status

Summary

UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS)-contracted demining activities in the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR, or Western Sahara) east of the Berm were suspended from 20 March to 15 September 2016, following the expulsion of civilian staff members of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) by Morocco.

Mines: At the end of 2016, to the east of the berm there was a total of 252km² of mine contamination, of which 248.24km² was suspected hazardous area (SHA) and 3.8km² was confirmed hazardous area (CHA). Of this 154.5km² contained or was suspected to contain antipersonnel mines. The extent of contamination to the west of the berm is not known (see the Morocco country profile). In 2016 no areas containing antipersonnel mines were released east of the berm. There is an unexplained discrepancy between the contamination figures and land release results for 2016.

Cluster munitions (to end 2016): Western Sahara’s cluster munition contamination is located east of the Berm. As of the end of 2016, Western Sahara had 4.5km² of hazardous areas confirmed to be contaminated by cluster munition remnants, a decrease on the 4.89km² reported at the end of 2015. Contamination continued to be found in 2016, with five additional hazardous areas confirmed through survey activities, totaling 0.26km². In 2016, 1.21km² of cluster munition-contaminated land was cleared, with the destruction of 335 submunitions.

Recommendations for action

• Western Sahara should formally commit to respect and implement the Mine Ban Treaty and Convention on Cluster Munitions, including to clear all mines and cluster munition remnants east of the Berm as soon as possible.
• Morocco is strongly encouraged to provide cluster strike data to the UN or humanitarian demining organizations to facilitate survey and clearance of cluster munition remnants.
• The mine action strategy should be finalized and released as soon as possible.

Mine contamination

The exact extent of mine contamination across Western Sahara is not known, although the areas along the Berm[1] are thought to contain some of the densest mine contamination in the world.[2] The contamination is a result of fighting in previous decades between the Royal Moroccan Army (RMA) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro (Polisario Front) forces.

According to UNMAS, the primary mine threat in Western Sahara east of the Berm, excluding both the Berm itself and the buffer strip, is from antivehicle rather than antipersonnel mines; cluster munition remnants are also a major hazard.[3] It stated that, as of the end of 2016, only a limited number of areas suspected to contain antipersonnel mines remained to the east of the Berm, and the majority of mine contamination identified during ongoing and historical clearance efforts was from antivehicle mines.[4]

At the end of 2016, land in Western Sahara to the east of the Berm contained a total of 37 confirmed and suspected mined areas covering a total of more than 252km², as set out in the table below.[5] This is almost 4.5km² less than at the end of 2015, according to UNMAS’s estimate of contamination.[6]

Seven of the 37 areas, covering a total of 61.9km², are located within the 5km-wide buffer strip and are inaccessible for clearance.[7] Neither survey nor clearance has been conducted in the 5km buffer strip to the east of the Berm.[8] Clearance of the buffer strip of mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) is not foreseen in MINURSO mission agreements, which according to the UN, considerably limits the ability of MINURSO military observers to patrol and verify developments.[9]

Mine contamination east of the Berm (as at end 2016)[10]

Note: AP = antipersonnel; AV = antivehicle.

Both the north and south of Western Sahara are known or suspected to contain antipersonnel mines, as set out in the table below.[11]

Areas containing antipersonnel mines by province east of the Berm (as of end 2016)[12]

The figure of 154km² of remaining antipersonnel mine contamination is not consistent with the figure at the end of 2015 minus reported land release during the year. This figure would be just under 180km². No explanation was provided for the inconsistency.

In 2016, UNMAS continued to prioritize non-technical survey of SHAs to obtain a more accurate picture of the remaining threat. In 2015, a number of confirmed mined areas were reclassified as SHAs in the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) database prior to non-technical survey intended to better define the parameters and size of the areas.[13]

No new antipersonnel mine contamination was identified in 2016.[14]

The extent of contamination west of the Berm remains unknown, and as of 2017, no survey had been carried out there.[15] (See Morocco’s mine action profile for details.) The RMA controls territory to the west of the Berm where it has been conducting large-scale demining. According to UNMAS, the RMA cooperates with the MINURSO mine action component and submits regular monthly reports, helping to build a clearer understanding of the mine and ERW threat across Western Sahara.[16]

Cluster Munition Contamination

Western Sahara had 4.5km² of CHAs containing cluster munition remnants east of the Berm as of the end of 2016.[17] Of this, six cluster munition strike areas with a total size of 0.5km² are located inside the buffer strip and are inaccessible for clearance.[18] Confirmed cluster munition contamination has decreased from the 55 areas totaling 4.89km² recorded at the end of 2015.[19]

Both the north and south of Western Sahara still contain confirmed cluster munition-contaminated areas, as set out in the table below.[20]

Cluster munition contamination east of the Berm (as of end 2016)[21]

The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (RMAF) used both artillery-fired and air-dropped cluster munitions against Polisario Front forces during their conflict in Western Sahara from 1975 to 1991. According to Western Sahara, BLU-63, M42, and Mk118 submunitions were used by the RMAF at multiple locations in Bir Lahlou, Dougaj, Mehaires, Mijek, and North Wadis.[22]

While cluster munition clearance had been projected to be completed by the end of 2012,[23] discovery of previously unknown contaminated areas meant this target date was not met. New contaminated areas have continued to be identified, with an additional five cluster munition strike areas with a total size of nearly 0.26km² discovered in 2016.[24] New strike areas are expected to be found in the future as mine action activities continue and additional information is received from local populations.[25]

The reported six cluster munition strike areas located inside the buffer strip, with an estimated total size of 520,609m², may increase if restrictions on access to the buffer strip are lifted, allowing survey and clearance to be conducted.[26]

Impact of mines and ERW

The significant mine, unexploded submunition, and other UXO contamination in Western Sahara continues to pose a daily threat to the local, nomadic, and refugee populations, along with UN personnel and military observers, and humanitarian actors.[27] Contamination from mines and ERW negatively impacts socio-economic growth and development, limiting access to fluctuating and seasonally dependent water sources vital for animal herding and small-scale agriculture on which local populations depend.[28]

Program Management

The MINURSO Mine Action Coordination Center (MACC) supports mine action activities, which were implemented by commercial contractor Dynasafe MineTech Limited (DML) and NGO Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) in 2016.[29] The MACC was relocated to Tindouf, Algeria, in September 2016.

UNMAS-contracted demining activities in Western Sahara east of the Berm were suspended from 20 March to 15 September 2016. This followed a visit by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to Sahrawi refugee camps in southern Algeria in March 2016 and his use of the term “occupation” to describe the political status of Western Sahara. Morocco ordered the expulsion of 84 civilian staff members of MINURSO, including the international staff of UNMAS.[30]

On 29 April 2016, the UN Security Council voted to extend MINURSO’s mandate in Western Sahara for one year until 30 April 2017. In doing so, it strongly emphasized “the urgent need for the mission to return to full functionality,” noting that MINURSO had been unable to fully carry out its mandate as the majority of its civilian component had been prevented from performing their duties.[31] The mandate was subsequently updated for a further year until the end of April 2018.[32]

UNMAS reported that mine action operations returned to full capacity in September 2016, when it relocated to Tindouf, Algeria. In March 2017, it stated that there were no restrictions on movement in UNMAS’s areas of operations east of the Berm.[33]

In 2013, the Polisario Front established a local mine action coordination center (the Saharawi Mine Action Coordination Office, SMACO), which is responsible for coordinating mine action in Western Sahara east of the Berm and for land release activities.[34] SMACO, which was established with UN support, started its activities in January 2014.

The RMA controls territory to the west of the Berm where it has been conducting large-scale demining. According to UNMAS, the RMA cooperates with the UN Mine Action Coordination Center (MACC) and submits regular monthly reports, helping to build a clearer understanding of the mine and ERW threat across Western Sahara.[35] (See Morocco’s mine action profile.)

Strategic planning

MINURSO MACC’s activities are conducted in accordance with the UN Mine Action Strategy for 2013–2018. UNMAS planned to develop a mine action strategy specific to Western Sahara in the second half of 2015.[36] As of September 2017, the strategy was still considered a draft and not publicly available. UNMAS reported that ongoing discussions with MINURSO and SMACO continued, with a target date of July 2018 for the strategy’s release, while a multi-year workplan remained in place.[37] According to UNMAS, the strategy foresees completion of non-technical survey in 2017/2018; release of all recorded cluster munition strike areas east of the Berm by the end of 2019; and a 50% reduction in the total number of recorded SHAs and CHAs remaining in Western Sahara by the end of 2022.[38]

UNMAS reported that the MACC identifies priorities for mine clearance to the east of the Berm in conjunction with SMACO and MINURSO. Priorities for mine clearance are areas that restrict MINURSO from carrying out its mandate and areas established with SMACO that hinder the safety of movement of local communities.[39]

Standards

In 2016, UNMAS, together with SMACO, finalized the development of local mine action standards applicable east of the Berm, in coordination with mine action partners. In May 2017, UNMAS reported that the standards had been disseminated to all mine action stakeholders and that their implementation was jointly monitored by MINURSO MACC and SMACO, pending their official certification by SMACO.[40] As of April 2017, the standards were said to be in the process of being translated into Arabic.[41]

Operators

In January–November 2016, a total of five Multi-Task Teams (MTTs) were in Western Sahara. Two MTTs were deployed by NPA to conduct mine clearance, along with two of three teams contracted from DML. In November 2016, new funding from Germany allowed three additional DML teams to be deployed, making a total of eight operational MTTs. Of these three additional DML teams, two were assigned to mine survey and clearance tasks.[42]

DML (formerly Mine Tech International, MTI) was the only implementing operator tasked with conducting cluster munition survey and clearance during 2016.[43] From January to November 2016, DML had one team deployed to conduct cluster munition survey and clearance. In November 2016, new funding enabled DML to add a second team assigned to cluster munition survey and clearance.[44]

Quality management

An external quality management system is in place and is implemented by MINURSO MACC, which consists of inspection visits for the accreditation of MTT teams as well as during clearance.[45]

According to NPA, SMACO also conducted external QA and quality control (QC) activities. In April–September 2016, however, no external QA/QC was carried out on demining activities owing to the expulsion of UNMAS and MINURSO staff from Western Sahara by Morocco.[46]

Information management

UNMAS claimed that significant improvements were made to the IMSMA database for Western Sahara in 2016 as a result of an ongoing data audit initiated at the end of 2015, which filtered out duplicate information. Revised standing operating procedures for data management were also introduced with a stronger emphasis on the verification of information.[47]

UNMAS initiated a project, funded by Germany, to build SMACO’s capacity for information management, which included training a local Information Management Officer in 2016. NPA reported that the management of the IMSMA database by MINURSO MACC and SMACO had improved, with better access, coordination, and communication between the two entities following the relocation of the MACC to Tindouf, Algeria, in September 2016.[48]

Land Release (mines)

No areas containing antipersonnel mines were cleared in 2016 east of the berm. An area thought to contain mixed antipersonnel and antivehicle mine contamination was cleared, but no antipersonnel mines were found, only 23 antivehicle mines.[49] (For land release west of the berm, see Morocco’s mine action profile.)

Land Release (cluster munition remnants)

Total cluster munition-contaminated area released by clearance in 2016 was just over 1.21km², a decrease on the 1.84km² cleared in 2015, which UNMAS reported was due to the suspension of mine action activities in March–September 2016.[50]

Survey in 2016 (cluster munition remnants)

In 2016, DML identified five previously unrecorded cluster munition strike areas totaling 256,735m² through its survey activities.[51]

Clearance in 2016 (cluster munition remnants)

In 2016, UNMAS reported that DML cleared 17 cluster munition-contaminated areas with a total size of 1,208,930m² to the east of the Berm, destroying 335 submunitions and another 95 items of UXO.[52] This compares to the clearance of 11 cluster munition-contaminated areas totaling 1,841,225m² in 2015.[53] While the six-month suspension of its activities during the year accounted for the decrease in the total amount of cluster munition contamination cleared by DML, the number of cluster munition remnants it destroyed increased by more than 40% compared to the previous year. This resulted from the addition of a second MTT focusing on cluster munition contamination in November 2016, and the deployment of both teams on heavily contaminated areas.[54]

Progress towards completion of antipersonnel mine clearance

Western Sahara is neither a State Party nor a signatory to the Mine Ban Treaty. In June 2014, however, the SADR submitted a voluntary Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 transparency report to the UN “as a sign of the support of the Sahrawi State for the goals of the Treaty.”[55]

As noted above, in 2016, the six-month suspension of operations negatively affected UNMAS’ yearly operational targets. NPA cited other challenges to operations, including working in a remote desert environment allied to serious difficulties in procuring certain equipment and materials.[56] Temperatures of up to 60 degrees Celsius, strong winds, sandstorms, and heavy rain during the wet season can also cause mine action activities to be suspended.[57]

Under Western Sahara’s new draft mine action strategic plan, non-technical survey is to be completed in 2017/18 and the number of recorded SHAs and CHAs reduced by 50% by the end of 2022.[58] MINURSO MACC reported that priorities in 2017 would be the completion of non-technical survey in five districts east of the Berm, with the survey of six SHAs. It predicted that the increase in demining capacity in November 2016 would be maintained throughout the year as operational funding for the additional teams had been secured for 24 months.[59]

In keeping with previous estimates, UNMAS estimated that all high and medium hazardous areas in Western Sahara east of the Berm, including mined areas, could be released by 2025.[60]

Progress towards completion of cluster munition clearance

Western Sahara is neither a State Party nor a signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions and therefore does not have a specific clearance deadline under Article 4. However, Western Sahara submitted a voluntary Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 transparency report to the UN in 2014, stating that “By submitting its voluntary report, the SADR would like to reaffirm its commitment to a total ban on cluster munitions as well as its willingness to accede to the Convention on Cluster Munitions and be bound by its provisions.”[61]

As noted above, in 2016, the six-month suspension of operations negatively affected UNMAS’ yearly operational targets. Additionally, UNMAS reported that delays to clearing confirmed cluster munition-contaminated areas continued, the result of restrictions on accessing certain areas of the buffer strip established by various MINURSO mission agreements.[62]

Under Western Sahara’s new draft mine action strategic plan, all recorded cluster munition strike areas to the east of the Berm should be released by 2019.[63] UNMAS expected to complete clearance of all 10 recorded strike areas outside the buffer strip in the Bir Lahlou, Mehaires, and Tifariti districts by the end of 2017.[64] It predicted that the increase in capacity in November 2016 would be maintained throughout the year as operational funding for the additional teams had been secured for 24 months.[65]

Five-year summary of cluster munition clearance

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.