Key
developments since May 2001: Ecuador completed stockpile destruction on 11
September 2001. It destroyed a total of 260,302 antipersonnel mines. It
revised the number of mines retained for training purposes from 16,000 to 4,000.
Several mine impact surveys are reportedly underway.
MINE BAN POLICY
Ecuador signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 4 December
1997, ratified on 29 April 1999 and the treaty entered into force on 1 October
1999. Ecuador has not yet enacted legislation to implement the Mine Ban Treaty
domestically.[1] Ecuador
submitted its fourth Article 7 transparency report on 31 May
2002.[2]
In September 2001, Ecuador attended the Third Meeting of States Parties to
the Mine Ban Treaty in Managua. On 17 October 2001, Presidents Gustavo Noboa of
Ecuador and Alejandro Toledo of Perú signed a Joint Presidential
Declaration, which included in its 14 principal objectives a call to make the
Andean region a zone of peace, free of weapons including antipersonnel
mines.[3]
In November 2001, Ecuador cosponsored and voted in favor of UN General
Assembly Resolution 56/24M, calling for universalization and full implementation
of the Mine Ban Treaty. Representatives from Ecuador’s Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Army attended a conference on “Mine Action in Latin
America” in Miami from 3-5 December
2001.[4]
Ecuador participated in the Mine Ban Treaty intersessional Standing Committee
meetings in Geneva in January and May 2002. At the May meeting, Nelson
Castillo, President of the Association of Disabled Veterans “Upper
Cenepa” made a statement.
At the XXXII Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly held in
Bridgetown, Barbados in June 2002, OAS members adopted a resolution calling for
support for action against mines in Perú and
Ecuador.[5]
On 17 June 2002, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense of the Andean
Community (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, and Venezuela) met in Lima
and issued the “Lima
Commitment.”[6] In the
Lima Commitment, six points were outlined related to the Mine Ban Treaty,
including complete destruction of stocks, establishing national programs for
victim assistance and socioeconomic reintegration, and a call for non-state
actors to comply with the international norm against antipersonnel mines.
Ecuador is a State Party to Amended Protocol II (Landmines) of the Convention
on Conventional Weapons (CCW), but did not attend CCW meetings held in December
2001.
Servicio Paz y Justicia Ecuador (SERPAJ) has been the ICBL representative for
Ecuador since May 2001 and has carried out the country report research for
Landmine Monitor in 2001 and 2002.
PRODUCTION, TRANSFER AND USE
Ecuador states that it has not produced or exported
antipersonnel mines, and has no production
facilities.[7] From information
included in its Article 7 Reports, in the past Ecuador has received
antipersonnel mines from Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Singapore, the former Soviet
Union, Spain, and the United
States.[8]
There were no reports of mine use in Ecuador during the reporting period,
including in regions along the border with Colombia. Ecuador has stated that it
has not used antipersonnel mines since the 1995 Cenepa border conflict with
Perú, but reports of use persisted until
1998.[9]
STOCKPILING AND DESTRUCTION
Ecuador officially completed its stockpile
destruction on 11 September 2001, when it destroyed a final 8,051 antipersonnel
mines.[10] Ecuador’s Vice
President, Pedro Pinto, Army officials, representatives of the Red Cross of
Ecuador, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), and
Landmine Monitor witnessed this destruction event. Representatives and
technical experts from the OAS and the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB) have
“assisted and certified the process of stockpile destruction.”[11] By completing this task ahead
of the Third Meeting of State Parties, which opened on 18 September 2001,
Ecuador met the key “Managua Challenge” goal.
In total, Ecuador destroyed 260,302 antipersonnel mines. In its first phase
of stockpile destruction, it destroyed 101,458 mines. In its first Article 7
Report, Ecuador indicated that this destruction occurred prior to March
2000.[12] These mines were
transferred to the Logistics Support Brigade No. 25 (Reino de Quito) and were
destroyed by detonation at the Army’s Practice Range (El Corazón)
in Machaci, Pichincha province, near
Quito.[13]
In the second phase, a total of 158,844 mines were destroyed by September
2001. This included: 125,831 T-A-B-1 mines, 23,272 VS-50 mines, 48 PMD-6M
mines, 100 PRB M-35 mines, 7 M18A1 mines, 25 P-4-B mines and 9,561 PRB-M 409
mines.[14] The destruction was
a joint effort by the Mine Clearance Center of Ecuador (CENDESMI, Centro de
Desminado del Ecuador) and the OAS Integrated Mine Action Program (AICMA,
Acción Integral Contra las Minas
Antipersonal).[15]
Between September 2001 and January 2002, a further 9,561 PRB-M 409
antipersonnel mine s were destroyed by the CENEPA Engineers Brigade
(25).[16]
Ecuador had reported a total of 5,856 “MOH-50” antipersonnel
mines in its inventory, of which it had planned to destroy 4,856 and retain
1,000 for training purposes. These are apparently ex-Soviet
“Claymore” type directional fragmentation mines, usually designated
MON-50. An official told Landmine Monitor that Ecuador decided to keep all of
these mines after a determination that they are not prohibited by the Mine Ban
Treaty when used only in command-detonation
mode.[17]
Mines retained for training
On 19 September 2001, Ecuador announced to the
Third Meeting of States Parties its intent to reduce the number of mines
retained for training from 16,000 to
4,000.[18]On 31 May
2002, Ecuador reported that it has retained 4,000 mines for training as
permitted under Article 3. The mines are listed as: 2,100 T-AB-1, 1,479 VS-50,
300 PRB-M 409, 80 PRB-M 35, 25 P-4-B, 10 M18A1 and 6
PMD-6M.[19]
Apart from those 4,000 mines, of the original 16,000 mines slated to be
retained:
Ecuador destroyed 4,500 mines on 17 January 2002 at Cerro El Corazón
in Aloag sector.[20] A Ministry
of Foreign Affairs press release reported that the mines destroyed were
originally intended “for training purposes.” The OAS and government
officials witnessed the
event.[21]
Another 1,644 mines were transferred to the United States. On 2 January
2002, the US Embassy in Quito facilitated the transfer of 1,644 mines to the US
Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division in Indian Head, Maryland,
where the US will use them for research
purposes.[22]
Apparently 4,856 T-AB-1 mines that were originally going to be retained were
destroyed as part of the phase two
destruction.[23]
The 1,000 MOH-50 mines formerly counted as retained mines are still being
kept, but are no longer recorded as antipersonnel mines.
LANDMINE PROBLEM
Previous editions of Landmine Monitor have provided
extensive details about the landmine problem in Ecuador. There are five
mine-affected areas from the 1995 “Cenepa” border conflict with
Perú: Cordillera del Cóndor in the south-east border region;
Cusumaza-Bombuiza in the east-central border region; Tiwintza on the Peruvian
side of the border; and El Oro and Loja provinces in the southern border
region.[24] Montalvo in the
east-central border region is suspected of being
mine-affected.[25] In the west,
the provinces of Zamora Chimchipe and Morona Santiago are
mine-affected.[26]
MINE ACTION FUNDING
In its fiscal year 2001, the United States provided
$1.76 million to Ecuador for mine
action.[27] This contribution
covered the costs of US Special Operations Forces “train the
trainer” programs, as well as the provision of vehicles and equipment for
demining.[28]
In addition, in 2001 contributions to the OAS Assistance Program for Demining
in both Ecuador and Perú totaled $1.59 million ($594,000 from Japan and
$1 million from the US).[29]
This represents an increase from $772,347 contributed for the year 2000
($272,437 from Canada and $500,000 from the US), and $198,000 for 1999 (from
Canada).
Total contributions for the “Managua Challenge” project, which
assisted stockpile destruction by Ecuador, Honduras, and Perú prior to
the Third Meeting of State Parties in September 2001, totaled $487,533 ($448,616
from Canada and $38,917 from
Australia).[30]
MINE ACTION COORDINATION AND PLANNING
The General Command of Mine Clearance was
established together with the Mine Clearance Center of Ecuador (CENDESMI, Centro
de Desminado del Ecuador) in September 1999. Both are responsible for mine
action in the country.[31] On
19 March 2001, the OAS and Ecuador signed a Framework Agreement for an
Integrated Mine Action
Program.[32] According to the
Framework Agreement, CENDESMI is responsible for mine clearance operations,
training personnel, and promoting landmine survivors training
programs.[33]CENDESMI’s headquarters are located near Quito at the
“Cenepa” Number 23 Engineers Brigade of the Armed Forces in
Sangolquí sector, Pichinca province. There are two field regional
command centers, in El Oro province (“Tarqui”) and in Morona
Santiago province (“Amazonas”).
The OAS AICMA established a local office in Quito in May 2001 to coordinate
support for demining
operations.[34] The Ecuadorian
Army developed a two-year operational demining plan with the assistance of the
OAS AICMA national coordinator.
In 2001, the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) database
was installed in CENDESMI.[35]
In February 2002, representatives from the Geneva International Center for
Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) conducted training and provided technical advice
on using the database
system.[36]
CENDESMI’s National Demining School held four national courses on basic
humanitarian demining and one demining instructor course in 2001. In the first
quarter of 2002, one basic demining course and one IMSMA training course were
conducted. Additionally, the US Army conducted one humanitarian demining course
in 2001 and one in 2002.[37]
In 2001, Spain held two courses on demining basics. CENDESMI’s school
would like to become an international demining training center. In December
2001, the Commander of the “Cenepa” No. 23 Engineers Brigade of the
Army made a presentation on Ecuador’s experience in mine clearance at a
regional conference on mine
action.[38]
MINE CLEARANCE AND ASSESSMENT
According to the head of the General Command for
Mine Clearance, an impact survey was carried out in Loja province in November
2001 and impact surveys being carried out in the provinces of El Oro, Morona
Santiago and Zamora Chimchipe were scheduled to be completed by August
2002.[39] Previously, carried
out an assessment mission in Ecuador in August 1999, and the OAS carried out a
technical visit in March 2001.
Ecuador reported that it had cleared a total of 4,439 mines between March
2001 and April 2002 from Santiago (4,355 mines), Tiwintza (30 mines) and El Oro
(54 mines).[40] Previously,
Ecuador reported that between July 2000 and March 2001 it had cleared 2,973
mines from Santiago (2,889 mines), Tiwintza (30 mines), and El Oro (54
mines).[41]
MINE RISK EDUCATION
Ecuador reported in its May 2002 Article 7 Report
that a risk education campaign has been developed to teach the civilian
population in El Oro and Morona Santiago about the danger of
landmines.[42] The Army’s
psychological operations branch carries out mine risk education activities, in
which it distributes posters, pamphlets, and other materials with mine risk
education messages.[43] In
March 2001, Ecuador reported that these activities were carried out in border
communities in El Oro and Morona Santiago provinces.
Landmine Monitor visited El Oro in March 2002 and found that there was little
awareness of the mine problem among the local population, perhaps because mined
areas are not in populated
centers.[44] A local merchant
told Landmine Monitor that “antipersonnel mines were a part of the war,
and when the war ended so did that
problem.”[45]
Ecuador states that it has taken appropriate measures to make the population
aware of the landmine problem, such as using barbed wire with signs stating
“Danger,” “Mines,” “Mined Zone” and
“Danger: Explosive
Mines.”[46] According to
Mayor Juan Carlos Guarderas of the General Command for Mine Clearance,
maintenance of marking and warnings around minefields has been difficult because
the local populations steal the materials, including the barbed wire and warning
signs.[47]
Landmine Casualties
There is no systematic data-gathering mechanism for landmine incidents in
Ecuador and exact figures are unavailable. The Ministry of Health does not have
an official registry and neither does the National Statistics Institute.
In 2001, two mine/UXO incidents were reported. On 25 March 2001 in Shaymi,
near the Peruvian border, a man stepped on a mine while hunting and received
serious injuries.[48] He was
taken to the health clinic in Guayzimi and then to the hospital in Zamora. On
29 May 2001 two children were killed and a third was seriously injured when a
grenade they found exploded. The incident occurred in Parroquia Montalvo in
Pastaza, while US Army Rangers and the Ecuadorian Jungle Battallion No. 49 were
conducting a training
exercise.[49]
The most recent reported mine incident took place on 10 January 2002, when a
19 year old Perúvian citizen died after stepping on a landmine reportedly
in Ecuadorian territory as he returned home after crossing the border to seek
work. The incident occurred in Kanga, close to the Cenepa River and three hours
from Shaime. He received first aid in a nearby town but died some hours later
while being transferred to another health
center.[50] According to
Ecuadorian officials however, the mine was in Perúvian territory, but the
casualty was brought to an Ecuadorian health center since it was
closer.[51]
The local farming population in El Oro and Loja has not reported any landmine
casualties, according to personnel at a local
hospital.[52]
There have been no recorded mine casualties among deminers since the mine
clearance operation began.
According to the U.S. State Department, there were about 120 landmine
casualties in Ecuador between 1995 and 1999. The majority were
civilians.[53]
Survivor Assistance and Disability Policy and Practice
The military in Ecuador has a health care system that provides integrated
care to military landmine casualties through the Armed Forces Social Security
Institute (ISSFA, Instituto de Seguridad Social de las Fuerzas Armadas).
Civilians injured by landmines do not receive the same level of attention as
military personnel and existing services remain inadequate. Mine clearance
operations have trained personnel and helicopters for evacuation available at
all times.[54]
In 2002, five disabled veterans from the Association received training on the
IMSMA database system and once the training is completed they will be
employedat CENDESMI’s national headquarters and at the regional
command centers to assist in developing mine action
plans.[55]
In March 1995, a law was enacted to support the victims of the conflict with
housing, pensions and school bursaries for their children. According to the
President of the Association of Disabled Veterans, victims of the conflict are
receiving housing and school bursaries for their children, although at a slow
pace.[56]With regards
to disabled veterans who are no longer in active service, ISSFA will continue to
support them, as long as they remain affiliated to the Association of Disabled
Veterans.[57]
In March 2002, Landmine Monitor visited mine-affected zones in the southern
border as well as the public hospital in Huaquillas and the military hospital in
Pasaje. According to administrative staff at the public hospital, no landmine
casualties have been registered at the hospital. Hospital records
reviewed by Landmine Monitor indicated that five mine casualties were treated at
the hospital during the Cenepa
conflict.[58] According to
administrative staff, the hospital is not equipped to provide medical care to
landmine survivors and does not have the capacity to provide prostheses; for
this a survivor would have to be taken to the Military Hospital in Pasaje. The
military hospital opened an Orthopedic Center, which provides wheelchairs,
crutches, and other aids for disabled
persons.[59]
[1] In its Article 7 Reports, Form A
(national implementation measures) mentions only the establishment of the Mine
Clearance Center (CENDESMI, Centro de Desminado del Ecuador) by Executive Decree
No 1247, 23 September 1999. [2] The
report covers the period from March 2001 to April 2002. Ecuador’s first
report was submitted 29 March 2000 (covering April 1999-March 2000); its second
report was submitted 23 August 2000 (covering March-July 2000); its third report
was submitted on 5 March 2001 (covering July 2000-March
2001). [3] Joint Press Release,
Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador and Peru, 17 October 2001;
“Ecuador apoya propuesta sobre reducción de armas,” Diario
Oficial El Peruano (Lima), 18 October 2001; see “Declaración
conjunta incluyó 68 temas,” El Universo (Guayaquil), 18 October
2001; and Patricia Kadena, “Perú y Ecuador acuerdan reducir gastos
militares,” La República (Lima), 18 October
2001. [4] The Conference was sponsored
by the US Department of Defense; the Mine Action Information Center of James
Madison University; the Organization of American States (OAS); the US Southern
Command; and the US Department of State. See
http://hdic.jmu.edu/conferences/latinamerica/. [5]
OAS General Assembly Resolution 1875 (XXXII-O/02), 4 June
2002. [6] “Compromiso de
Lima” (aka the “Andean Letter for Peace and Security towards Limits
and Control of External Defense Spending”), 17 June 2002, at:
www.rree.gob.pe; see also Statement by Ambassador Jorge Voto-Bernales, Permanent
Representative to the UN in Geneva, at the Conference on Disarmament, 27 June
2002. [7] Article 7 Report, Form E, 5
March 2001; Article 7 Report, Forms E and H, 31 May 2002.
[8] Article 7 Reports, Form B, 29 March
2000 and 5 March 2001. [9] See Landmine
Monitor Report 2001, p. 328. [10]
“Ecuador: Destrucción de minas antipersonal en Ecuador
concluirá este martes,” AFP (Quito), 10 September 2001;
“Latinoamérica cumple tratado: Sigue destrucción de
minas,” El Expreso (Guayaquil), 12 September
2001. [11] “Destrucción de
almacenes en Honduras, Nicaragua, Perú y Ecuador,” in El Desminado
(OAS), Vol. 1 Number 1, November
2001. [12] Article 7 Report, Form G, 29
March 2000. Antipersonnel mines destroyed included 93,278 MAPP 78 F-2 mines
(manufactured by Chile), 4,655 MAPP 78 F-2 mines (Chile), and 3,525 MAPT 78
tracción F-2 mines (Chile). More recently, a government official stated
that the 101,458 mines were destroyed in August 2001. Statement by Ambassador
Mario Alemán at the General Debate of the UNGA First Committee, 11
October 2001. [13] Article 7 Report,
Form G, 23 August 2000. [14] Article 7
Report, Form G, 31 May 2002. [15]
Brochure (in Spanish) by Ecuador and the OAS dated September
2001. [16] Article 7 Report, Form G, 31
May 2002. [17] Interview with Major Juan
Carlos Guarderas, Comando General de Desminado, Las Malvinas Military Base, 25
May 2002. [18] Statement by Dr. Alfredo
Luna Tobar, Ecuador’s Ambassador to Nicaragua, Third Meeting of States
Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, Managua, Nicaragua, 19 September 2001. Notes
taken by Landmine Monitor. [19] Article
7 Report, Forms B and D, 31 May
2002. [20] “4,500 Anti-personnel
Landmines Destroyed in Ecuador,” Xinhua (Quito), 22 January
2002. [21] Ministry of Foreign Affairs
press release, “Destruction Event Act,” 17 January 2002. The 4,500
mines were 1,334 T-AB-1, 3,121 VS-50, 40 PMD-6M and 5 P-4-B. Landmine Monitor
notes that the PMD-6M and P-4-B mines seem to be in excess of what Ecuador
reported in stock and having destroyed.
[22] The 1,644 mines were 1,000 T-AB-1,
400 VS-50, 200 PRB-M 409, 20 PRB-M 35, 20 P-4-B, 4 PMD-6M. Article 7 Report,
Form D, 31 May 2002. Interviews with Gustavo Anda, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Interview with Major Juan Carlos Guarderas, Comando General de Desminado, Las
Malvinas Military Base, 25 May
2002. [23] It is possible that there was
a mix-up in numbers of T-AB-1 and MOH-50 mines retained and destroyed, with
4,856 MOH-50s being included in the total of 125,831 T-AB-1 mines.
[24] Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p.
265. See also, Article 7 Reports, Form C, 31 May 2002, 5 March 2001, 29 March
2000. [25] Article 7 Report, Form C,
Tables 1 and 2, 5 March 2001; Article 7 Report, Form C, 31 May
2002. [26] Ibid., Form
G. [27] US Department of State,
“To Walk the Earth in Safety: The United States Commitment to Humanitarian
Demining,” November 2001, p.
38. [28]
Ibid. [29] “OAS Mine Action
Program: Statement of Contributions Received by December 2001, 1992-2001,”
Non-official table provided in email to Landmine Monitor (HRW) from Carl Case,
OAS, 18 June 2002. [30] Colonel William
McDonough, “Report of the OAS-Mine Action Program to the Committee on
Hemispheric Security,” 14 March
2002. [31] CENDESMI was created by
Executive Decree 1247 of 23 September 1999. Article 7 Report, Form A, 5 March
2001. [32] OAS, “Destroying Land
Mines in Ecuador, Peru,” (Newsletter), May-June
2001. [33] Landmine Monitor has a copy
of the Framework Agreement. [34] OAS
Brochure “Republica del Ecuador, Destrucción de Minas
Almacenadas,” Quito, September 2001; Colonel William McDonough,
“Report of the OAS-Mine Action Program to the Committee on Hemispheric
Security,” 14 March 2002. [35]
Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining, “Updates on
Activities between January and December 2001,” 31 December 2001, p.
4. [36] Landmine Monitor was present at
the IMSMA presentation. See Geneva International Center for Humanitarian
Demining, “Updates on Activities between January and April 2002,” 30
April 2002, p. 4. [37] Article 7 Report,
Form K, 31 May 2002. Standard Article 7 Reports do not contain a Form K, however
Ecuador created an additional category in order to include “other”
information. [38] Colonel Milton
Carrera, “Ecuadorian perspectives,” at the “Mine Action in
Latin America” Conference, Miami, 3-5 December
2002. [39] Interview with Major Juan
Carlos Guarderas, Comando General de Desminado, Las Malvinas Military Base, 25
May 2002. [40] Article 7 Report, Form G,
31 May 2002. [41] Article 7 Report, Form
G, 5 March 2001. [42] Article 7 Report,
Form I, 31 May 2002. [43] Interview with
Corporal Alemán, Mine Risk Education Officer, Army of Ecuador; Article 7
Report, Form I, 5 March 2001. [44]
Landmine Monitor trip to Huaquillas, Santa Rosa and Pasaje, El Oro province,
March 2002. [45] Interview with a
merchant in Huaquillas, March 2002. [46]
Article 7 Report, Form I, 31 May
2002. [47] Interview with Major Juan
Carlos Guarderas, Comando General de Desminado, Las Malvinas Military Base, 25
May 2002. [48] “Cazador
pisó mina antipersonal,” La Hora Zamora (Zamora), 25 March
2001. [49] Marcelo Gálvez,
“Dos muertos en maniobras,” El Universo (Guayaquil), 30 May
2001. [50] “Joven Perúano
pierde la vida al pisar mina” in La Hora (Zamora, Ecuador), 15 January
2002. [51] Landmine Monitor interview
with Gustavo Anda, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; interview with Major Juan Carlos
Guarderas, Comando General de Desminado, Las Malvinas Military Base, 25 May
2002. [52] Landmine Monitor interview
with personnel of Huaquillas Hospital, province, 11 March
2002. [53] Bureau of Political-Military
Affairs, To Walk the Earth in Safety: The United States Commitment to
Humanitarian Demining, 3rd edition, U.S. Department of State, Washington,
November 2001, p. 38. [54] For more
details see Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp.
333-334. [55] Article 7 Report, Form J,
31 May 2002. [56] Interview with
Sergeant Nelson Castillo, President, Association of Disabled Veterans
“Upper Cenepa,” Quito, 8 April
2002. [57] Interview with Corporal
González, disabled veteran no longer in active service. Corporal
González discussed the cases of six disabled sergeants no longer in
active service. [58] Interview with
staff of Huaquillas Hospital, Huaquillas, 12 March
2002. [59] Interview with staff of the
Military Hospital, Pasaje, March 2002.
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