Tunisia
Impact
COUNTRY SUMMARY
Tunisia reported that it completed clearance of all known confirmed hazardous areas (CHAs) contaminated by landmines in 2009. However, Tunisia has reported the existence of suspected hazardous areas (SHAs) thought to be contaminated by explosive ordnance dating from World War II, including residual contamination by both antipersonnel and antivehicle mines.[1]
Tunisia is a State Party to both the Convention on Cluster Munitions and the Mine Ban Treaty. Since 2013, improvised mines, or victim-activated improvised explosive devices (IEDs), have regularly been reported to have inflicted casualties, predominantly in mountainous regions in the northwest and southwest of Tunisia. However, Tunisia has yet to inform States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty of contamination by improvised mines, and needs to clarify the type and extent of this contamination. Tunisia is not contaminated by cluster munition remnants.
No risk education or victim assistance activities were reported in 2022. However, the Tunisian government has warned people not to enter military areas where contamination was suspected. Survivors of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) were reported to have received emergency evacuation and medical care in local hospitals.[2]
ASSESSING THE IMPACT
Contamination
Landmine contamination
In its Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report for calendar year 2022, Tunisia reported the presence of potential residual landmine contamination in the south (Mareth, Matmata, and El Hamma); center (Kasserine and Faideh); and north (Cap-Bon and the northwest) of the country.[3]
Tunisia did not report on improvised mine contamination, though incidents causing casualties were regularly reported in the media. Casualties due to improvised mines have been reported in the mountainous western regions of the governorates of Kasserine, Kef, and Jendouba; in southwest Tunisia (Gafsa governorate); and in central Tunisia (Sidi Bouzid governorate). The majority of these devices were reported to be small improvised antipersonnel mines, triggered by victim-activated pressure-plates.[4]
Cluster munition remnants contamination
Tunisia has reported that it is not contaminated by cluster munition remnants.[5]
Other types of contamination
The type and quantity of residual contamination in Tunisia, dating from the World War II era, is unknown. However, in addition to landmines, there is likely to be other types of unexploded ordnance (UXO).[6]
Casualties
From 2000–2022, the Monitor has recorded 279 mine/ERW casualties (45 killed, 230 injured, and four with an unknown survival unknown) in Tunisia.
5-year casualties total: 2018–2022
|
Year |
Injured |
Killed |
Unknown |
Total |
|
2022 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
2021 |
7 |
9 |
0 |
16 |
|
2020 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
|
2019 |
18 |
1 |
0 |
19 |
|
2018 |
41 |
7 |
0 |
48 |
No mine/ERW casualties were recorded in Tunisia in 2022, representing a significant decrease from 16 recorded in 2021, all due to mines. Mine casualties continued to be evidenced in 2023, with six people reported injured in Kasserine governorate as of September.[7]
COORDINATION
There is no national body responsible for the management, coordination, and planning of mine action activities in Tunisia.
ADDRESSING THE IMPACT
Clearance
Tunisia reported completing clearance of all known mined areas in March 2009.[8] Tunisia has not reported on clearance of improvised mines in the country.
Risk education
No risk education activities have been reported in Tunisia since 2013.[9]
Victim assistance
No specific mine/ERW victim assistance coordination mechanism was reported in Tunisia in 2022, while there are no specific laws or policies in place.
The Ministry of Social Affairs is responsible for implementation of the rights of persons with disabilities in Tunisia, including mine/ERW survivors.[10] It manages centers providing services to persons with disabilities that lack other means of support.[11]
[1] Tunisia Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2022), Form C, p. 5. See, Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Database.
[2] “Kasserine: Man loses leg in mine explosion in Djebel Mghila,” La Presse, 10 April 2023; “Kasserine: a mine explosion injures one person in Djebel Mghila,” Le Temps, 10 April 2023; Oussama Khitouche, “Tunisia: a soldier wounded in a mine explosion,” Tunisie Numérique, 23 March 2023; and “Four Tunisian soldiers wounded in a mine explosion,” France 24, 3 February 2021.
[3] Tunisia Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2022), Form C, p. 5.
[4] Matt Herbert, “The Insurgency in Tunisia’s Western Borderlands,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 28 June 2018.
[5] Tunisia Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2022), p. 1. See, Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Database.
[6] Tunisia Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2022), Form C, p. 5.
[7] Monitor media scanning and analysis of Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) data for calendar years 2022–2023. See, Clionadh Raleigh, Andrew Linke, Håvard Hegre, and Joakim Karlsen, “Introducing ACLED: An Armed Conflict Location and Event Dataset,” Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 47, Issue 5, September 2010, pp. 651–660.
[8] Tunisia Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2022), Form C, p. 5, and Form F, p. 9.
[9] Tunisia Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for the period April 2012–April 2013), Form I.
[10] Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), “Combined second and third periodic reports submitted by Tunisia under article 35 of the Convention, due in 2018,” 28 June 2019, p. 4.
[11] United States (US) Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, “2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Tunisia,” March 2023.