LM Report 2002

ZAMBIA

Key developments since May 2001: The Mine Ban Treaty entered into force for Zambia on 1 August 2001. Zambia is incorporating the Mine Ban Treaty’s provisions into domestic law. Zambia for the first time revealed it has a stockpile of 6,691 mines, all of which will be retained “for training only.” The Zambian Mine Action Center was established in August 2001, and training was provided for management, survey, mine risk education, and clearance teams. Mine clearance operations began in May 2002. Zambia submitted its initial Article 7 Report on 31 August 2001, months before it was due.

MINE BAN POLICY

Zambia signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 12 December 1997 and deposited its instrument of ratification on 23 February 2001. The treaty entered into force for Zambia on 1 August 2001. In May 2002, Zambian officials said that at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Legislative Drafting Department of the Attorney General's Chambers has begun the process of incorporating the Mine Ban Treaty’s provisions into domestic law.^[1]

Zambia’s first Article 7 transparency report, due on 27 January 2002, was submitted on 31 August 2001.^[2] Zambia has not submitted its annual updated report, due on 30 April 2002.

Zambia attended the Third Meeting of States Parties in September 2001 in Managua, Nicaragua. In his statement to the meeting, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Steven Chilombo, called on “our brothers who are still on the periphery of joining the Mine Ban Treaty [to] do so as early as possible.”^[3] Zambia also participated in the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in January and May 2002. It cosponsored and voted in favor of UN General Assembly Resolution 56/24M, in support of the Mine Ban Treaty, in November 2001.

Zambia is not a signatory to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW). It did not attend the third annual meeting of States Parties to Amended Protocol II or the Second CCW Review Conference, both held in Geneva in December 2001.

PRODUCTION, TRANSFER, USE AND STOCKPILING

Zambia has not produced or exported antipersonnel mines.^[4] The Zambian government has in the past stated that the Zambian Armed Forces do not use and are not planning to use landmines.^[5] At the Third Meeting of States Parties, its delegation stated that “there is no justification and there should be no justification for the continued use of these inhuman, and evil devices.”^[6]

In its Article 7 Report, Zambia for the first time disclosed details on its stockpile of antipersonnel mines. It has 6,691 mines, which, according to its Article 7 Report, include the following: 535 ALPER 120 (China); 571 AUPS 24 (Italy); 220 POMZ-2 (Russia); 676 MAUS 58 (Russia); 860 T69 (China); 1,225 T59 (Russia); 1,804 T58 (China); 226 T VARS 40 (Italy); and 574 VARS 50 (Italy).^[7] The mines are in the custody of the Zambia Army Central Ammunition Depot in Lusaka.^[8]

Zambia has declared that it will retain the entire stockpile of mines “for training only.”^[9] Zambia is the first State Party to declare that it is retaining its entire stockpile, and the 6,691 is among the highest number retained by any State Party. At the Second Meeting of States Parties, Zambia’s Deputy Foreign Minister said, “My country believes the surest way of preventing the use of landmines lies in their total destruction. Stockpiling of antipersonnel mines under the guise of training is a loophole that could be capitalized on to justify the retention of large numbers of these weapons.”^[10]

LANDMINE PROBLEM AND ASSESSMENT

In its Article 7 Report, Zambia said it had no conventional minefields, but there were suspected mined areas from the wars of liberation, along the borders with Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Angola and around “former Freedom Fighters’ Camps.”^[11] The US government had said previously that “Zambia's best estimate is that landmines affect 2,500 sq. km in five provinces.”^[12] After the United Nations Mine Action Service's assessment mission in 2000, the landmine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) problem was characterized as “mainly residual in nature and concentrated in sparsely populated border areas.”^[13] Zambia plans to conduct a landmine impact study, once sufficient funds are available. ^[14]

In July 2002, President Mwanawasa said, “The liberation struggle that was waged by friends in Namibia, South Africa and various other liberation movements in the Southern African Sub-region left landmines deposited in Zambia. We do not mind the fact that landmines were planted because this was done for the protection of the liberation movements. The fact now is that we cannot use these areas of land because of the mines, and hence the need for de-mining....The Swapo-Party, as a liberation movement many years ago, had camps in Zambia’s Western Province, which today is believed to be heavily infested with landmines.”^[15]

MINE ACTION AND FUNDING

In 1999, Zambia established a National Task Force on the Anti-Personnel Mines Convention.^[16] On the recommendation of this Task Force, the country established the Zambian Mine Action Center (ZMAC), which began operations in August 2001.^[17]

No mine clearance activities were carried out in Zambia in 2001. Clearance operations began in May 2002.^[18] A Joint Permanent Commission under the Ministry of Defense has been established and is working with the Mozambique government on joint clearance of the border region.^[19]

In 2001, the US Department of State provided $750,000 to Zambia to fund RONCO, a US commercial deminer, to assist the government to establish the indigenous mine action center, ZMAC.^[20] RONCO Technical Advisors started to train Zambian military personnel in October 2001 to train staff personnel in staff management, mine awareness, impact survey, and database management, and to train field personnel in demining for clearance and medical teams.^[21] The training, which was completed in February 2002, trained 60 personnel (20 staff and 40 field personnel).^[22] In May 2002, field personnel were deployed to work in support of a large socio-economic project, the Gwembe Tonga Development Project. The US is providing $800,000 for mine action in Zambia in 2002.^[23]

In July 2002, President Mwanawasa appealed to the Namibian government to assist Zambia in demining. He also called on others to provide personnel, equipment or experience, which Namibia could share in that regard.^[24]

Zambia has questioned the United Nations' policy and strategy of giving priority to countries where landmine contamination is widespread. In November 2001, Zambia’s Ambassador to the UN, Professor Musambachime said, “Our experience with the landmine problem is that even the mere suspicion of their presence condemns large tracts of land.”^[25]

The Zambia Army has carried out military-oriented mine clearance activities since the 1970s.^[26] The Army Corps of Engineers has a squadron of about 240 personnel with mine clearance training. The Ministry of Home Affairs Bomb Disposal Unit also responds to reports of landmines and UXO, and to requests for assistance from the Army.

There have not been any sustained or organized mine risk education programs in Zambia. Army and Ministry of Home Affairs officials have given impromptu mine risk education when involved in mine clearance in an area.^[27]

LANDMINE CASUALTIES/SURVIVOR ASSISTANCE

In 2001, no reports of landmine casualties were found. There is no formal mechanism for collecting data on landmine casualties in Zambia, however, the total number is believed to be small. One peasant from Siampondo village said landmines has cost him 12 head of cattle and 37 goats during the last ten years.^[28]

The ZCTBL/UNMAS initiative noted above reportedly also includes a plan to provide artificial limbs and prosthetics to landmine victims, and villagers are to be provided with seed and other things to enable them to effectively cultivate their demined land.^[29]

The public health service does not distinguish between landmine/UXO survivors and other persons with disabilities. The needs of landmine survivors are addressed within the existing public health care infrastructure. However, according to a year 2000 UNMAS assessment mission, the public health sector suffers from a lack of resources and expertise, which is most acute in the rural areas where the majority of the mine/UXO incidents are likely to take place.^[30] There are physical rehabilitation and socio-economic reintegration programs for persons with disabilities, including the Chipata Community Based Rehabilitation Program, the Livingstone Community Based Rehabilitation Program, and the Solwezi Community Based Rehabilitation Program.^[31]

[1] Presentation on the “Present Status of Ratification and Implementation of IHL Treaties and Conventions in Zambia,” to the Southern African Regional Seminar on International Law, hosted by the ICRC, Pretoria, South Africa, 21-23 May 2002. In January 2002, Zambia said, “The Country is now finalizing the incorporation of the Convention into Zambia legislation.” Intervention by Ambassador Bonaventure Bowe, Permanent Representative, Head of the Zambian Delegation at the meeting of the Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Geneva, 29 January 2002.
[2] Article 7 Report, 31 August 2001, covering the period 1 April - 31 August 2001.
[3] Statement delivered by Steven Chibwe Chilombo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, to the Third Meeting of States Parties to the Anti-Personnel Mines Convention, Managua, Nicaragua, 18-21September 2001.
[4] Article 7 Report, 31 August 2001. Form H states, “Zambia does not produce APMs.” Form E states, “Zambia has no facilities or programmes for conversion or de-commissioning APM production.”
[5] UNMAS, “Mine Action Assessment Mission Report, Zambia,” 29 May-7 June 2000, p. 13.
[6] Statement delivered by Steven Chibwe Chilombo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Managua, Nicaragua, 18-21 September 2001.
[7] Article 7 Report, Form B, 31 August 2001. Landmine Monitor found many elements of this reporting confusing. Standard reference works on mine types do not list Russian MAUS 58 mines, Russian T59 mines or Chinese T58 mines. Many of the specifications cited for Uganda’s mines are also non-standard.
[8] Article 7 Report, Form B, 31 August 2001.
[9] Article 7 Report, Form D, 31 August 2001.
[10] Statement delivered by Valentine W.C. Kayope, M.P., Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, to the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, Geneva, 12 September 2000; Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p. 171.
[11] Article 7 Report, Form C, 31 August 2001.
[12] U.S. Department of State, “To Walk the Earth in Safety: The United States Commitment to Humanitarian Demining,” November 2001, p. 14.
[13] UNMAS, “Mine Action Assessment Mission Report, Zambia,” 29 May-7 June 2000, p. 3.
[14] Intervention by Ambassador Bonaventure Bowe, Permanent Representative, Head of the Zambian Delegation at the meeting of the Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Geneva, 29 January 2002.
[15] “Zambia Appeals for De-mining Assistance,” GRN News, 5 July 2002.
[16] For details of the National Task Force's function and mandate, see Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p. 174.
[17] Statement by Prof. Mwelwa C. Musambachime, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations, on Agenda Item 38: Assistance in Mine Action, 21 November 2001, New York.
[18] Email from the U.S. State Department Office of Humanitarian Demining Programs, 11 July 2002.
[19] Interview with Zambian delegates to the intersessional Standing Committee meetings, Geneva, 28 January-1 February 2002.
[20] U.S. Department of State, “To Walk the Earth in Safety: The United States Commitment to Humanitarian Demining,” November 2001, p. 14.
[21] Email to Landmine Monitor (SACBL) from Joe George, RONCO (Zambia), 31 July 2002.
[22] Ibid.
[23] US Department of State Fact Sheet, “The US Humanitarian Demining Program and NADR Funding,” 5 April 2002.
[24] “Zambia Appeals for De-mining Assistance,” GRN News, 5 July 2002.
[25] Statement by Prof. Mwelwa C. Musambachime, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations, on Agenda Item 38: Assistance in Mine Action, 21 November 2001, New York.
[26] Interview with Todd Mulyata, Senior EOD Specialist, Ministry of Home Affairs, Geneva, 11 May 2001.
[27] UNMAS, “Mine Action Assessment Mission Report, Zambia,” 29 May-7 June 2000, p. 12.
[28] Gabriel Siachitema, “Villagers Find Hope in Valley of Mines,” The Herald, 17 May 2002.
[29] Ibid.
[30] UNMAS, “Mine Action Assessment Mission Report –The Republic of Zambia,” 29 May-7 June 2000, p. 14; see also Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p. 175; and Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 195.
[31] See http://www.landminevap.org.

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