Summary
Burundi is emerging from 13 years of internal conflict, during which an estimated 300,000 people lost their lives. Poverty has doubled, with approximately two-thirds of the population living under the poverty line. With a large part of the population relying on agriculture, the short-term prospects for social stability depend in part on the reduction of hazards from mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW).
All parties involved in the internal conflict reportedly used landmines for protection, blocking access to certain areas, and for harassment purposes. A General Community Survey determined, however, that a relatively limited number of mines had been used. Mines were often laid overnight, or only for a short period of time, and subsequently re-planted somewhere else. As a result, remaining mines are often singular, and not in areas considered or suspected to be hazardous.
Data collected during the survey have provided national authorities and the international community with information allowing the creation of a strategic mine action plan that can be swiftly implemented and executed. The Republic of Burundi could become one of the first mine-affected countries in Africa to be declared free from the impact of landmines and ERW within a short period of time.
Now that peace has been largely restored and large numbers of internally displaced persons are returning to their homes, mines and ERW represent a real danger to the resumption of economic and social development. Communities in the regions bordering Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who mainly rely on subsistence farming, are among the most at risk, particularly women and children. Because of high population pressures on the land, people continue to use hazardous areas despite the knowledge of earlier accidents and will often burn vegetation in the hope that this will trigger ERW and enable the area to be safely cultivated.
None of the parties to the conflict kept records of their mine-laying activities, leading the UN Mine Action Coordination Centre (MACC) to emphasize the need to quickly establish the levels of contamination and assess humanitarian and socio-economic impacts.
Each year, UN entities, nongovernmental organizations, national and local authorities and donors collaborate to assemble a national portfolio of mine action project proposals that together reflect the strategic response developed in the field to all aspects of the problem of landmines and explosive remnants of war. A Country Portfolio Coordinator, usually a representative of a UN agency or a national authority, coordinates meetings where all mine action actors agree on a set of projects and priorities and determine funding needs. The proposals in each country's portfolio are assembled with those of other participating countries and published jointly by the UN Mine Action Service, the UN Development Programme and UNICEF in an annual "Portfolio of Mine Action Projects." This publication serves as a tool for collaborative resource mobilization, coordination and planning of mine action activities. The Burundi Country Portfolio Team's funding appeal for mine action projects in 2007 totals US $0.
Scope of the Problem
The 2006 General Community Survey gathered data on more than 97 per cent of all communities in Burundi through more than 67,000 interviewees (almost one per cent of the total population). Information came from 2,657 collines and quartiers in 16 provinces plus the capital, Bujumbura Mairie. The survey confirmed the existence of some 192 mine and ERW hazardous areas. It revealed that 3.33 per cent of collines are affected, along with 0.27 per cent of the population.
About 50 per cent of suspect hazardous areas are believed to contain mines; the other 50 per cent have unexploded ordnance (UXO). In most cases, the ordnance is an isolated device. The provinces of Bubanza, Bujumbura Rural, Makamba, and Ruyigi are the most affected. In three communes in the provinces of Bubanza, Makamba and Ruyigi, more than 40 per cent of all communities are affected. The most prevalent resource blockages are to agriculture and pasture land.
Most mine or UXO accidents occurred before 2000, but they continue to happen. In 2005, 14 accidents were recorded. To date, there has been only one recorded accident in 2006. The survey identified 1,033 victims overall; the most prevalent activity at the time of the accident was collecting food, water or wood. Over 80 per cent of victims have been male, with many under 30. Two-thirds had already been to the danger zone before the accident, and the overwhelming majority were not aware of imminent danger. Sixteen per cent were killed; most of the rest suffered injuries to their lower limbs.
It is assumed that all parties involved in the conflict used landmines. The National Defense Forces have carried out some clearance and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) activities, but have not properly recorded them.
As a result of the survey, the scope of the mine and ERW problem can now be much better assessed and appropriate actions implemented. Burundi could become one of the first mine-affected countries in Africa declared free from mines and ERW. Technical surveys, marking, fencing and clearance are needed to reduce socio-economic impacts, while mobile EOD teams can help quickly reduce threats from scattered individual devices.
Coordination and Consultation
In 2006, the Burundi Mine Action Coordination Centre became the national agency responsible for all humanitarian mine action activities. The Government of Burundi includes mine action in the mandate of the National Civil Protection Service within the Ministry of Interior and Public Security. The MACC recently formulated a strategy to hand over mine action responsibilities to the UN Development Programme (UNDP), as part of the transition from the mine action programme of UN Operation in Burundi (ONUB).
The mine action programme has fostered the development of mine action management capacity and helped ensure that mine clearance, quality assurance, battle area and explosive ordnance clearance, minefield marking and survey tasks are carried out per the International Mine Action Standards. The MACC has also assisted in monitoring demining organizations and updating national standards, and has established a mine action coordination mechanism on behalf of the Government.
The UN Mine Action Service, UNDP, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other partners are currently providing an integrated programme of capacity development services to the Burundi Mine Action Coordination Centre. At present the head of the centre is a national civil servant, and the UNDP Chief Technical Advisor is the only international staff member. Through the coordination centre, UNDP provides technical advice, coordination, information management, capacity development and resource mobilization services to the Government as it assumes an increasing role in national coordination of mine action.
A number of non-governmental actors play roles. These include DanChurchAid for clearance and survey activities, and the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action for clearance. The two groups have also developed survey capacities and offered rapid-response explosive ordnance services. Handicap International–Belgium conducts mine risk education and victim assistance activities.
UNICEF has worked with the Burundi Mine Action Coordination Centre and the MACC on mine risk education and victim assistance. The centre provides quality assurance, accreditation, monitoring and coordination services.
Strategy
Technical surveys, marking, fencing and mine/ERW clearance are needed to reduce the overall socio-economic impact of mines and ERW on the population, while mobile explosive ordnance destruction teams can help quickly reducing the threat of those unexploded devices remaining scattered throughout the former conflict areas of the country. This would bring a measurable benefit to the local population within a short period of time.
As of 2006, the Burundi Mine Action Coordination Centre is the national agency responsible for all humanitarian mine action activities. It will be essential to the transfer of responsibilities from ONUB and the growing role of the Government in the national coordination of mine action. As the landmine problem is relatively limited, mine action efforts should make highly and moderately impacted communities free of mine and ERW threats by July 2008. Currently, the national mine action programme is working towards realizing the following three main strategic objectives, as part of reconstruction and national development plans:
- Accelerate clearance of highly and moderately affected areas to reduce the number of victims and increase access to social and economic assets.
- Develop the capacity of the Burundi Mine Action Coordination Centre, within the Ministry of Interior and Public Security, to effectively coordinate and manage mine action operations, as the effort will evolve from a “UN-managed” programme to being a “UNDP-supported” and nationally owned programme between July and December 2006.
- Mainstream mine action within national development plans, the UN development assistance frameworks and national poverty reduction plans, and include the mine action programme within the national budget.
Date Anti-Personnel Mine-Ban Treaty signed: Dec 03, 1997
Date of Anti-Personnel Mine-Ban Treaty ratification or accession: Oct 22, 2003
Consents to be bound by Protocol II of Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons: N/A
Consents to be bound by Amended Protocol II of Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons: N/A
Date signed Protocol V of Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons: N/A