Oman
has not acceded the Mine Ban Treaty. Oman attended the Third Meeting of States
Parties in Nicaragua in September 2001 and for the first time participated in
the weeklong intersessional meetings in Geneva in May 2002, but made no
statement in either forum. In November 2001, Oman voted in favor of UN General
Assembly Resolution 56/24M supporting the universalization and implementation of
the treaty.
Oman is not party to Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), but it
attended the Second CCW Review Conference and the third annual meeting of States
Parties to Amended Protocol II in December 2001 as observer.
PRODUCTION, TRANSFER, STOCKPILING, USE
Oman has never produced or exported antipersonnel
mines, but it has imported and used them in the past. In 2001 Oman stated that
it has a limited number of stockpiled mines for training
purposes.[1] In addition, the
United States stockpiles at least 6,248 antipersonnel mines at airbases in
Oman.[2]
LANDMINE PROBLEM AND MINE ACTION
Oman has a mine and unexploded ordnance (UXO)
problem as a legacy of an internal conflict with the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Oman and the Gulf (PFLOG). The great majority of mines and UXO
are located in Dhofar region in southern Oman. The Royal Oman Army (ROA) has
stated that it marked, mapped, and cleared some of its minefields after the
conflict ended, but that PFLOG did
not.[3] Climatic conditions
have caused some of the mines to move from their original locations. The ROA is
reported to have plotted suspected mined areas and established seven zones of
suspected mined areas based on historical records of battlefield areas, unit
positions, and landmine incident
reports.[4]
The United States allocated US$1.19 million in demining assistance to Oman in
2000 for survey and information management capabilities, training deminers and
medical personnel to international standards, and demining and protective
equipment. In 2001, another US$1.02 million was allocated as follows: a
demining training program (US$750,000), demining equipment (US$161,200),
personal protection gear (US$78,500), logistic support (US$21,100), and mine
disposal technologies (US$11,750). From January-April 2001, U.S. Special
Operation Forces trained 75 ROA personnel in minefield survey, detection and
marking, information management, mine awareness, quality assurance, and first
aid. The U.S. Department of State also provided the ROA with five mine
detecting dogs and trained eight handlers between January and November
2001.[5]
Oman reportedly allocated an estimated US$1.6 million annually to demining
since 1984, before doubling the contribution to an estimated US$3.2 million in
recent years. In May 2001, ROA deployed its deminers to the Safrait area in the
Dhofar region.[6]
LANDMINE CASUALTIES AND SURVIVOR ASSISTANCE
According to the Omani government, landmines and
UXO have killed twelve people and wounded 84 since the end of the Dhofar
conflict in 1975. Almost 50 head of livestock have become landmine casualties.
In March 2001, two people received serious injuries in an UXO incident but no
further information is available on the area where the incident occurred or the
victims.[7]
The government claims that the Armed Forces and other State authorities
provide assistance and rehabilitation to mine and UXO
victims.[8]
[1] Ministry of Defense Response to
Landmine Monitor Questionnaire, 27 February 2001. See Landmine Monitor Report
2001, p. 1038. [2] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2001, p. 1038, and Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p.
956. [3] U.S. Department of State,
Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, “To Walk the Earth in Safety: The
United States Commitment to Humanitarian Demining,” November 2001, p.
43. [4] Steve Soucek and Darrell
Strother, “Humanitarian Demining in Sultanate of Oman,” Journal of
Mine Action, Issue 5.3, Fall 2001, p.
49. [5] U.S. Department of State,
“To Walk the Earth in Safety,” November 2001, p.
43. [6] Steve Soucek and Darrell
Strother, “Humanitarian Demining in Sultanate of Oman,” Journal of
Mine Action, Issue 5.3, Fall 2001, p.
50. [7] U.S. Department of State,
“To Walk the Earth in Safety,” November 2001, p.
43. [8] Ministry of Defense Response to
Landmine Monitor Questionnaire, 27 February 2001.
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