Mozambique

Casualties

Last updated: 10 October 2018

 

Casualties

All known casualties

At least 2,443 mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW) casualties

Casualties in 2017[1] 

Annual total

7

An increase from
2 in 2016

Survival outcome

2 killed; 5 injured

Device type causing casualties

3 antipersonnel mines; 4 ERW

Civilian status

7 civilians

Age and gender

Adults:
0 women; 3 men

Children;
0 girls; 4 boys

 

In 2017, the National Demining Institute (Instituto Nacional de Desminagem, IND) reported seven casualties as a result of three incidents in the Republic of Mozambique, in Cabo Delago, Maputo, and Zambézia.

The number of mine/ERW casualties has fluctuated over the last few years. In 2016, there were two casualties, six in 2015, eight in 2014, and 11 in 2013.[2] 

The total number of mine/ERW casualties in the Republic of Mozambique is unknown, but there were at least 2,443 through the end of 2017. The most extensive collection of casualty data to date remains the nationwide Landmine Impact Survey (LIS), completed in 2001; it recorded 2,145 mine/ERW casualties but did not provide a breakdown of those killed and injured.[3] An additional 298 casualties (112 killed; 183 injured; three unknown) were identified between 2002 and 2016.[4] 

Based on the results of an earlier national survey, the then-titled Ministry of Women and Social Action (Ministério da Mulher e da Acção Social, MMAS)[5] projected that there were some 10,900 landmine/ERW survivors in Mozambique through December 2011.[6] 

Cluster munition casualties

There were no reported cluster munitions casualties in 2017. There are known to be casualties from earlier incidents involving cluster munition remnants, although these were not distinguished from ERW in the data and would require a survey to identify them.[7] There were no known civilian casualties of cluster munitions attacks. Mozambique reported a belief that military casualties of cluster munition use might be assisted by the Ministry of Defense and that due to the nature of the military activity this information is not publicly available.[8] In the past, cluster munition casualties have been reported among non-state armed group members from Zimbabwe (when it was formerly Rhodesia) on the territory of Mozambique during cluster munition bombing.[9] 



[1] Casualty data for 2017 is based on, email from Assane Surengue, Head of International Relations Section, National Demining Institute (IND), 21 June 2018.

[2] See previous Monitor country profiles.

[3] Among “recent” casualties, the Landmine Impact Survey estimated that one-third of the people were killed and two-thirds were injured. “Landmine Impact Survey – Republic of Mozambique,” September 2001, pp. 30 & 35.

[4] See previous Monitor country profiles for Mozambique for details.

[5] The ministry was renamed and reorganized in January 2015 as el Ministério do Género, Criança e Acção Social (Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Action, MGCAS).

[6] Based on the findings of the 2007 national census and 2009 national survey on disability, indicating that 6.8% of all disabilities in the country were caused by mines and other conflict-related causes. Email from Macario Dubalelane, Head of Department for Persons with Disabilities, MMAS, 16 October 2012.

[7] Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2012), Form H; statement of Mozambique, Convention on Cluster Munitions Second Meeting of States Parties, Beirut, 16 September 2011; and interview with António Belchior Vaz Martin, IND, and Mila Massango, Head of International Affairs, IND, in Geneva, 22 June 2010.

[8] Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2017), Form H.

[9] P. Petter-Bowyer, Winds of Destruction: The autobiography of a Rhodesian born pilot covering the Rhodesian bush war of 1967–1980 (Trafford Publishing: 2003).