The Republic of Ecuador signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 4 December 1997,
ratified on 29 April 1999, and became a State Party on 1 October 1999. Ecuador
has not adopted legal measures to implement the treaty nationally, including
penal sanctions, as required by Article 9, but the government reports that a new
National Commission for International Humanitarian Law will be in charge of
incorporating international legal agreements signed by Ecuador
domestically.[1]
On 3 May 2006, Ecuador submitted its eighth Article 7 transparency report,
covering calendar year 2005.[2] It
submitted a report for calendar year 2004, which was due on 30 April 2005, on 24
January 2006.
Ecuador attended the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in Zagreb, Croatia in
November-December 2005. It made a statement during the General Exchange of
Views, as well as an intervention on mines retained for training. It
participated in the May 2006 intersessional Standing Committee meetings, where
it made statements on mine clearance and on victim assistance. Ecuador did not
attend the June 2005 Standing Committee meetings.
Ecuador has not engaged in the extensive discussions that States Parties have
had on matters of interpretation and implementation related to Articles 1, 2 and
3. Thus, it has not made its views known on the issues of joint military
operations with non-States Parties, foreign stockpiling and transit of
antipersonnel mines, antivehicle mines with sensitive fuzes or antihandling
devices, and the permissible number of mines retained for training.
Ecuador is a State Party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons and its
Amended Protocol II on landmines. It participated in the Seventh Annual
Conference of States Parties to Amended Protocol II in Geneva on 23 November
2005, but did not submit an Amended Protocol II Article 13 report for 2005.
Production, Transfer, Use, Stockpiling and Destruction
Ecuador did not produce or export antipersonnel mines in the past. Landmine
Monitor knows of no use of antipersonnel mines in Ecuador since the Cenepa
border war with Peru concluded in 1998. Ecuador completed destruction of its
stockpile of antipersonnel mines in January 2002, destroying a total of 258,844
mines.[3]
In its May 2006 Article 7 report, Ecuador indicated that it retained 2,001
antipersonnel mines for training. The mines are held by the Engineers Brigade
No. 23 (Cenepa).[4] On 11 August
2004, Ecuador destroyed 1,970 of the antipersonnel mines it had previously
decided to keep for training.[5] Since August 2000, Ecuador has significantly reduced the number of mines
retained for training from 16,000 to 4,000 to 3,971 to
2,001.[6] Ecuador has not yet
reported in any detail on the intended purposes and actual uses of its retained
mines―a step agreed by States Parties in the Nairobi Action Plan that
emerged from the First Review Conference in November-December 2004. Ecuador did
not use the new expanded Form D for reporting on retained mines agreed by States
Parties at the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in November-December 2005.
Landmine and ERW Problem
Ecuador’s mine problem is a result of a long-standing border dispute
with Peru. The most significantly mined areas were in the Cordillera del Condor
area (in the provinces of Morona Santiago and Zamora Chinchipe), where brief but
fierce military conflict took place in 1995 along 78 kilometers of the
previously unmarked border area. In addition, a limited number of barrier
minefields were placed in the southern provinces of El Oro and Loja, also in
1995. According to the report of a UN interagency mission conducted in 1999,
the vast majority of mines laid were antipersonnel, although some antivehicle
mines were used.[7]
The report also concluded that explosive remnants of war (ERW), mainly
unexploded ordnance (UXO) “of the type produced in jungle warfare
(including small arms ammunition, grenades, mortar, artillery rounds and air
delivered bombs) were anticipated in the battle and patrol areas in the
Cordillera del Condor area.” The report indicated the military was unable
to quantify this threat, but regarded it as a lesser problem than the mine
contamination.[8] As of December
2005, only five items of UXO had been destroyed by the Ecuadorian Army during
clearance operations.[9]
According to Ecuador’s Article 7 report of 3 May 2006, and based on
local impact surveys, a total of 6,905 mines were emplaced on Ecuadorian
territory, affecting an area of 438,690 square
meters.[10] This is significantly
lower than the estimate in 1999 by the Ecuadorian Army that there were in excess
of 90,000 mines in the Cordillera del Condor border
area.[11] All mines reported were
laid between 1994 and 1998, showing that mine-laying activities continued
despite the February 1995
cease-fire.[12]
Ecuador’s Article 7 report of May 2006 lists three provinces as being
mine-affected: Zamora Chinchipe, Morona Santiago and Loja. A total of four
cantons or districts in the three provinces are contaminated. First, the
province of Zamora Chinchipe contains 2,519 mines affecting 143,219 square
meters of land. Both the Ecuadorian Mine Clearance Center (Centro del Desminado
del Ecuador, CENDESMI) and the Organization of American States (OAS) claimed in
April 2006 that only one canton, El Pangui, was affected. An impact study was
expected to be completed in the last quarter of 2006, which would confirm the
number of people affected by landmines in the
canton.[13]
Second, the canton of Tiwinza in Morona Santiago province is said to contain
1,582 mines in an area of 55,302 square
meters.[14] At least 15 Shuar
indigenous communities with more than 2,000 inhabitants are
affected.[15]
Third, the canton of San Juan Bosco, also in Morona Santiago, is said to have
2,168 mines in an estimated area of 211,080 square
meters.[16] The number of affected
people was unknown as of May 2006, but an impact study of the canton was ongoing
and expected to be concluded in July
2006.[17]
Finally, 636 mines in an area of 29,089 square meters were reportedly
emplaced in the canton of Zapotillo in Loja province. CENDESMI and the OAS
specified in May 2006 that 606 of these were antipersonnel mines while 30 were
antivehicle mines located in seven different areas within Zapotillo canton; in
total 600 people were affected. Two of the seven areas are in the vicinity of
the Chira river. Ecuador reported in May 2004 that nine antipersonnel mines in
an area of 9,000 square meters were lost on either side of the river (in Loja
province in Ecuador, and in Sullana province in Peru). In May 2006, Ecuador
reported that only seven mines remained, as two mines were reported by local
people to the military for destruction. A joint Peruvian-Ecuadorian team
initiated clearance operations in the area in April 2006, which were expected to
be completed in July 2006.[18]
In addition, based on military records indicating that mines were laid in the
area, the sectors of Ceilán and Tigre in the canton of Pastaza (Pastaza
province) and the sector of Cononaco in the canton of Aguarico (Orellana
province) were reported as areas suspected of being
mine-affected.[19] Impact studies
were initiated in these provinces in March 2006 and were expected to be
completed by August 2006.[20]
It is believed that two further areas remain affected or suspected of being
affected, although they are not included in Ecuador’s 2006 Article 7
report. First, an area called Tiwinza (not to be confused with Tiwinza canton)
was also heavily infested with mines during the 1995
conflict.[21] As part of the peace
agreement, Peru granted Ecuador free and perpetual right on Tiwinza, an area of
one square kilometer in the Peruvian territory, to be used as private property.
According to the agreement, Ecuador is responsible for clearing the area itself
while Peru is responsible for clearing and building the access
road.[22] As of May 2006,
information on the number of mines and UXO in Tiwinza was not available but a
survey was planned.[23] Some
demining operations had taken place in early 2000 to install border markings on
the perimeter of this area.[24]
The second mine-suspected area not included in Ecuador’s Article 7
report is the province of El Oro. Although operations in the province were
completed in March 2004,[25] a local
living in the sector of Chacras in the canton of Arellinas reported discovering
new mines in the Zarumillo river in January 2005, following which an army survey
team checked the area. It identified a suspected area of 12,000 square meters,
but did not identify the number of mines; according to military records, no
mines were laid at that location. Therefore, it was concluded that any mines in
the river had been displaced from other locations. As of May 2006, clearance
operations had been completed on 15 out of 16 sites; the last site was pending
the identification of the appropriate demining technique, “given the depth
at which mines are
buried.”[26]
In its Article 7 report of January 2006, Ecuador provided additional
information on the mines its military had laid on what became recognized as
Peruvian territory following border demarcation, in a gesture of
“transparency and mutual trust.” Based on the results of impact
surveys, as of the end of 2004, Ecuador reported that 1,161 landmines were
emplaced in 1995 and 1998 in an estimated area of 42,455 square
meters.[27]The mines are located
in the province of Condorcanqui, in Amazonas department,
Peru.[28] No information on mines
laid by Ecuador on what is now recognized as Peruvian territory was included in
Ecuador’s May 2006 report for calendar year 2005.
According to the 1999 UN assessment, given that the mine problem is confined
to sparsely populated border areas whose effect on the overall Ecuadorian
economy is relatively small, the socioeconomic impact nationally of mine/ERW
contamination is limited. However, to the local people living in the area, the
problem is significant. Particularly affected are the indigenous Shuar and
Achuar tribes, who are prevented from accessing large tracts of their
traditional farming and hunting
land.[29]
Mine Action Program
National Mine Action Authority: Mine action is under the
responsibility of Ecuadorian Mine Clearance Center (Centro del Desminado del
Ecuador, CENDESMI, established by Executive Decree 1297 on 22 September 1999.
Its executive board is chaired by the Ministry of Exterior Relations and its
members include representatives of the Ministry’s technical cooperation
department and the Ministry of Health, and the commander of the Army Engineer
Brigade. Its mandate includes coordinating mine action operations, conducting
mine risk education and assisting
casualties.[30] CENDESMI also
operates a national demining school in charge of training
deminers.[31]
The Demining General Command (DGC) of the Ecuadorian Army implements mine
clearance operations. It has two regional commands, Amazonas, located in
Santiago in Morona Santiago province, and Tarqui, located in Loja
province.[32] Tarqui was
re-activated in April 2006, following completion of surveys in El Oro and Loja
provinces at the end of 2004, as the base from which operations in the Chira
river will be conducted.[33] The
missions assigned to these units include mine clearance, technical survey,
minefield marking, victim assistance and limited mine risk education
campaigns.[34]
In 2001, the government of Ecuador and the OAS signed a framework agreement
to establish the Program of Comprehensive Action against Antipersonnel Mines
(Acción Integral Contra las Minas Antipersonal, AICMA) in Ecuador. The
OAS assists the Ecuador in executing and managing the national demining plan,
training personnel, and provides technical support, international monitoring,
specialized equipment, logistical support and
insurance.[35]
In 2005, nine MARMINAS monitors from Brazil, Chile and Honduras worked in
Ecuador; in 2006, plans included at least five
monitors.[36] The Assistance
Mission for Mine Clearance in South America (Misión de Asistencia a la
Remoción de Minas en Suramérica, MARMINAS) was established by the
Inter-American Defense Board in May 2003, to support mine clearance in Ecuador
and Peru.[37] The team provides
technical advisory services to the OAS and monitors the equipment and training
of demining units and operations conducted. MARMINAS also verifies and
certifies that demining methods comply with International Mine Action
Standards.[38]
CENDESMI reports that meetings are held every month or so with the DGC, OAS
and MARMINAS in order to assess progress of operations and discuss future plans.
CENDESMI is regularly in contact with its counterpart in Peru in order to
coordinate joint operations, as are the armies of both countries. The OAS also
helps to facilitate coordination between Peru and
Ecuador.[39]
The Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) was installed at
the OAS office in Quito in January
2002.[40] An upgrade from version 3
to version 4 was expected by the end of
2007.[41] Information concerning
impact studies, quality control and demining generated in the field are sent
monthly to the OAS office which verifies and enters the data into IMSMA.
Information concerning victims and mine risk education campaigns are sent to the
OAS after completion of
fieldwork.[42]
Strategic Planning and Progress
Ecuador’s National Demining Plan was adopted by CENDESMI on 15 January
2000. It included mine risk education, assistance to mine survivors and
stockpile destruction, as well as demining and an operational
timetable.[43] However, CENDESMI
amends demining priorities every year based on results of impact surveys,
reports of newly found mines, and the availability of funds and mine action
capacity in both Peru and Ecuador.[44] For example, demining of the Tiwinza square kilometer was planned for the
early 2000s but postponed to 2010, given that Peru is required to first
construct a road for Ecuador to access the land. Joint clearance operations
with Peru in the Cordillera del Condor did not start in early 2005 as planned
due to delays in European Union (EU) funding and lack of agreement between the
two countries regarding fees for the use of a
helicopter.[45]
Similarly, joint clearance operations with Peru in the Chira river area were
supposed to start in June 2005, but started in April 2006 because of delays in
reaching an agreement between the two armies and Peru’s difficulty in
mobilizing funds expected from the
OAS.[46]Joint clearance operations
were previously conducted in 2003 on two sites near the Zarumilla
river.[47] Both Peru and Ecuador
have emphasized that these joint operations represent mutual trust in the wider
context of the Peace Agreement signed in
1998.[48]
Plans for 2006 included completion of demining in Loja province (with Peru)
and in Chacras sector in El Oro province. It was expected that impact studies
would be concluded in Morona Santiago, Zamora Chinchipe, Orellana and Pastaza
provinces.[49] In 2006-2007,
Ecuador expects to clear at least 506 mines in 15 dangerous areas in Teniente
Ortiz area, Tiwinza canton, Morona Santiago province, with EU funding;
operations were expected to start in August
2006.[50]
Summary of Efforts to Comply with Article 5
Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Ecuador is required to destroy all
antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as
possible, but no later than 1 October 2009. In 2005, Ecuador noted that,
“demining operations are projected to be completed by
2010.”[51] The OAS stated
that, “as a result of the continuation of operations in the Morona
Santiago Province, Ecuador will be able to achieve the objective of declaring
its national territory free of antipersonnel landmines in
2010.”[52]
In May 2006, Ecuador noted that its National Demining Plan schedules
clearance to end in Morona Santiago in 2008, in Zamora Chinchipe, Orellana and
Pastaza provinces in 2009 and in the square kilometer of Tiwinza in
2010.[53] However, CENDESMI
indicated that Ecuador “would make all the necessary efforts to conclude
operations in 2009, and therefore achieve the deadline mandated by the
Treaty.”[54] Ecuador claimed
that two elements were fundamental to its compliance with the Article 5
deadline: appropriate mechanical equipment and international financial
support.[55]
Demining
There were 60 deminers with the Engineers Brigade in 2005. A basic course in
humanitarian demining, a course for mine clearance leaders, and three refresher
courses for deminers were organized by MARMINAS in 2005; according to the OAS
and CENDESMI, the entire mine clearance staff was retrained in
2005.[56]
Identification and Marking/Fencing of Mined Areas
As mentioned above, as of June 2006, impact surveys are ongoing in four
provinces: Morona Santiago (San Juan Bosco canton), Zamora Chinchipe, Orellana
and Pastaza. Previously, impact surveys were conducted in the provinces of El
Oro, Loja, and the canton of Tiwinza in Morona
Santiago.[57]
CENDESMI claims that all mined areas have been marked. The center is,
however, aware of some markings being taken away by locals or damaged and stated
that it was “a concern for CENDESMI to maintain
them.”[58]
Mine and ERW Clearance
In January 2006, Ecuador reported on mine clearance results through December
2004, and in May 2006 it reported on clearance for calendar year 2005. Ecuador
reported that, during 2004, 12,431 square meters were cleared, resulting in the
destruction of 35 antipersonnel mines and two antivehicle
mines.[59] In 2005, 7,681 square
meters were cleared with 32 antipersonnel mines and three UXO destroyed (4,570
square meters less than in 2004).[60] CENDESMI explained that this decrease was due to the difficulty in
accessing the areas where operations took place, late approval of the EU funds,
and the need to coordinate with Peru.[61] As of December 2005, a total of 103,902 square meters of land had been
cleared in Ecuador; 4,409 antipersonnel mines, 61 antivehicle mines, and five
items of UXO had been destroyed.
Cumulative Mine/UXO Clearance (square meters) and Mines/UXO Destroyed in Ecuador
by 31 December 2005[62]
Province
Area cleared
Antipersonnel mines
Antivehicle mines
UXO
El Oro
46,419
186
59
1
Loja
28,720
54
2
1
Morona Santiago
28,763
4,169
0
3
Totals
103,902
4,409
61
5
Joint clearance operations with Peru started at the Chira river in Loja
province on 17 April 2006; completion scheduled for 31 May was delayed by a road
accident involving Peruvian deminers and difficult topography. Two of the three
phases had been completed by mid-June, with no mines
found.[63]
All clearance operations in Ecuador are conducted manually. As of May 2006,
discussions were being held with the US Southern Command to acquire machines in
order to clear areas in the provinces of El Oro and Loja where manual techniques
are not applicable.[64] Given the
depth at which mines are buried, Ecuador believes that an excavator is required;
as of June 2006, Ecuador had not received
machines.[65]
Ecuador reported many challenges in clearance operations: in Loja and El Oro
provinces, work has to be conducted on sandy terrain. In Morona Santiago, it
rains almost constantly, the paths are difficult to access and the ground has a
very high metal content; for each mine detected, around 1,000 rocks with metal
content are discovered. Ecuador reported that, since August 2005, it has used
mine detectors better suited to the Ecuadorian context, improving clearance
efficiency.[66]
As of June 2006, there had been no demining accidents which caused casualties
since operations started in Ecuador.[67] All deminers have personal insurance when conducting
operations.[68]
Mine Risk Education
Mine risk education (MRE) is carried out by the Army, OAS and Ecuadorian Red
Cross. In 2005, 2,123 people benefited from MRE campaigns and 600 received
warning flyers. In February 2006, 590 people participated in a school-based MRE
activity; the same day, up to 5,000 people received safety messages via the
radio.
OAS AICMA provides a toll-free telephone number for the public to report
mines and UXO and listen to prevention
messages.[69]
According to the OAS, priorities for awareness and education campaigns are
determined by the degree to which the local population is affected by mines, the
behavior of the local population, whether there have been mine incidents in the
area, and any clearance operations carried out in the
area.[70]
In 2005, the Demining General Command and the Ecuadorian Red Cross, in
coordination with OAS AICMA, conducted awareness campaigns in the provinces of
El Oro, Morona Santiago and Loja. In March 2005, MRE started in the canton of
Tiwinza (Morona Santiago), aimed at educating 15 Shuar communities living in
risk areas. By the end of 2005, three of four phases of the campaign had been
completed in 12 of the 15 communities. Phase 1 involves training of local
leaders and teachers; phase 2 involves the trainees implementing MRE; phase 3
involves the use of audiovisual and printed materials in Spanish and Shuar; and
in phase 4 a repetition is planned including refresher training. The campaign
was expected to be finished in the second half of 2006. The total number of
beneficiaries of this campaign was estimated as 2,000, including children,
farmers and the community in
general.[71]
In Zapotillo canton, Loja province, from 11 to 13 April 2005, flyers were
distributed as a reminder of the August 2004 MRE campaign to the households of
approximately 600 people living close to seven marked areas. This was repeated
on 8-9 November 2005.[72]
In El Oro province, on 9-10 August 2005, an awareness campaign was conducted
in the parish of Chacras, Arenillas canton. The campaign started with a meeting
with the authorities of Arellinas, followed by door-to-door visits of seven
families living near marked areas during which MRE materials were handed over;
finally a meeting was held in the parish’s community center with the
community and its local leaders, teachers and primary and secondary school
students, reaching 123 people. On 7 November 2005, the campaign was reinforced
with the handing over of flyers to 35 people living close to marked
areas.[73]
Up to March 2006, no MRE had been carried out in the canton of San Juan
Bosco, Morona Santiago province, or in the province of Zamora
Chinchipe.[74]
Funding and Assistance
The United States reported mine action donations of US$770,985 to Ecuador in
2005. This consisted of $263,985 from the Department of State through OAS AICMA
for the joint border clearance project, and $507,000 provided by the Department
of Defense.[75] In August 2005, the
Department of State indicated that US mine action funding for Ecuador would be
discontinued in 2006 due to termination of the cross-border
project.[76]
The bulk of mine action funding for Ecuador in 2006 will be provided by the
European Commission (EC) following an agreement made with the EU on 30 December
2005 for funding of €1 million ($1,244,900) to mine action in Peru and
Ecuador. [77] The funding period is
for one year from March 2006. The total cost of the project is €1,405,038
($1,749,132) including the EC funding. The project description includes joint
mine clearance and MRE.[78] Ecuador
is to contribute to the project with deminers and logistic
support.[79]
Italy designated €9,000 ($11,204) to mine action in Ecuador in 2006
from a larger funding commitment of €100,000 to the
OAS.[80]
Landmine and UXO Casualties
No new landmine/UXO casualties were reported in 2005 and in 2006 as of
April.[81] For comparison, seven
casualties were reported in 2004.[82]
The total number of mine/UXO casualties in Ecuador is not known as there was
no systematic data collection mechanism for landmine incidents prior to the
establishment of the national mine action program. The OAS AICMA office
receives information on new casualties in reports made after every field or
research visit.[83] As of June
2006, OAS AICMA registered 19 civilian landmine casualties (four people killed
and 15 injured) from nine incidents dating from January 1981 to May 2004; eight
casualties were in Loja province, eight in Morona Santiago province and three in
Zamora Chinchipe province.[84] The
register also includes three military survivors, including a veteran of the
Cenepa conflict, but the dates of the incidents were not
recorded.[85]
According to the US Department of State, there were about 120 landmine
casualties in Ecuador between 1995 and
1999.[86] Impact studies conducted
in 2005-2006 were designed to identify mine and UXO casualties in specific
areas, as well as mine-contaminated
areas.[87]
Survivor Assistance, Disability Policy and Practice
The Ecuadorian military has a healthcare system that provides integrated care
to military casualties through the Armed Forces Social Security Institute.
Civilians injured by landmines do not receive the same level of attention;
existing services remain
inadequate.[88]
Ecuador included details of victim assistance activities with its Article 7
reports for 2004 and 2005.[89]
Since 2002, the OAS AICMA Ecuador program has provided medical care and
rehabilitation to mine survivors.[90] The program also refers survivors to the National Council of Disabilities
(Consejo Nacional de Discapacidades, CONADIS) to obtain their disability
documents.[91] In 2005, seven mine
survivors received medical assistance in Loja province, including post-surgery
check-ups, psychotherapy sessions and provision of prosthetic
services.[92]
A landmine survivor and former Ecuadorian soldier concluded a three-year
prosthetic and orthotic training at Don Bosco University in El Salvador in 2005,
and received his qualification in early
2006.[93] The training was partly
sponsored under the OAS AICMA
program.[94]
On 26 June 2005, five mine survivors, members of the Héroes del Cenepa
sports club, participated in the Hope and Possibility Five Mile Run/Walk with
support from the Achilles Track Club of New York, Ecuadorian Army, OAS and
Marathon Sport.[95] On 6 November
2005, five military mine survivors also participated in the New York City
Marathon, with the support of the OAS-Achilles Track
Club.[96]
Ecuador has legislation to support survivors of the Cenepa
conflict.[97] It also has
legislation to protect the rights of people with disabilities to access
healthcare and state services, education and employment, which is generally
implemented. The interagency National Council on Disabilities monitors
government disability policies.[98] In January 2006, the Labor Code was reformed to guarantee four percent
access of people with disabilities to public and private
employment.[99]
[1] Article 7 Report, Form A, 3 May
2006; Article 7 Report, Form A, 30 April 2005. [2] While 3 May 2006 is the UN
submission date, the report itself is dated 30 April 2005 (apparently a
typographical error for 30 April 2006). Previously, Ecuador submitted Article 7
reports on 24 January 2006 (for calendar year 2004), 23 June 2004, 31 May 2002,
5 March 2001, 23 August 2000 and 29 March 2000. A report dated 30 April 2003
has not been posted on the UN website. [3] Article 7 Report, Form G, 30
April 2003. [4] Article 7 Report, Forms B and
D, 3 May 2006. This includes 1,400 T-AB-1 (Brazil), 459 VS/50 (Singapore), 100
PRB M-409 (Belgium), 25 P-4-B (Spain), 11 PRB M-35 (Belgium) and six PMD-6M
(ex-USSR) mines. [5] Statement by Ecuador, Sixth
Meeting of States Parties, Zagreb, 1 December 2005. The mines destroyed were:
1,000 VS/50; 700 T-AB-1; 200 PRB M-409; and 70 PRB M-35. The statement notes
that the total before destruction was 3,971, one more than previously reported,
because an additional PRB-M 35 was identified. See Article 7 Reports, Form D,
24 January 2006 and 23 June 2004. [6] See Landmine Monitor Report
2004, pp. 402-403. [7] UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS),
“Inter-Agency Assessment Report: Ecuador,” 15 November 1999, p.
9. [8] Ibid, p. 10. [9] Article 7 Report, Form G,
Table 1, 3 May 2006. [10] Article 7 Report, Form C,
Table 1, 3 May 2006. [11] UNMAS, “Inter-Agency
Assessment Report: Ecuador,” 15 November 1999, p. 9. [12] Ecuador notes that all the
mines were laid before the signature of the Mine Ban Treaty (26 October 1998).
See Article 7 Report, Form C, Table 1, 3 May 2006. [13] Responses to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Guillermo Leal, National Coordinator, OAS AICMA, 18
April 2006, and by Jaime Barberis Martínez, Director-General of National
Sovereignty and President of CENDESMI, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Quito, 17
May 2006. [14] Article 7 Report, Form C,
Table 1, 30 April 2006. OAS and CENDESMI reported the area affected as 46,032
square meters. Responses to Landmine Monitor Questionnaire by Guillermo Leal,
OAS AICMA, 18 April 2006, and by Jaime Barberis Martínez, CENDESMI, 17
May 2006. [15] Responses to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Guillermo Leal, OAS AICMA, 18 April 2006, and by Jaime
Barberis Martínez, CENDESMI, 17 May 2006. [16] Article 7 Report, Form C,
Table 1, 30 April 2006. [17] Responses to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Guillermo Leal, OAS AICMA, 18 April 2006, and by Jaime
Barberis Martínez, CENDESMI, 17 May 2006, and telephone interview with
Jaime Barberis Martínez, Quito, 14 June 2006. [18] Responses to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Guillermo Leal, OAS AICMA, 18 April 2006, and by Jaime
Barberis Martínez, CENDESMI, 17 May 2006, and telephone interview with
Jaime Barberis Martínez, Quito, 14 June 2006; see Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 328. [19] Article 7 Report, Form C,
Table 2, 3 May 2006; telephone interview with Jaime Barberis Martínez,
CENDESMI, Quito, 14 June 006. Ecuador previously stated in its Article 7 report
of June 2004 that the provinces of Pastaza and Orellana, which had previously
been mine-affected, were no longer considered to be affected. See Landmine
Monitor Report 2004, p. 403. [20] Responses to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Guillermo Leal, OAS AICMA, 18 April 2006, and by Jaime
Barberis Martínez, CENDESMI, 17 May 2006. [21] Ecuador’s Article 7
reports submitted on 3 May 2006, 26 January 2006 and 23 June 2004 do not list
Tiwinza as mine-affected. Earlier reports do list Tiwinza as mine-affected.
Article 7 Reports, Form C, 31 May 2002, 5 March 2001 and 29 March 2000. [22] UNMAS, “Inter-Agency
Assessment Report: Ecuador,” 15 November 1999, pp. 6, 9 [23] Email from Guillermo Leal,
OAS AICMA, 9 May 2006. [24] OAS Ecuador website,
accessed at www.aicma-ec.org on 9 June 2006. [25] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2004, p. 406. [26] Email from Guillermo Leal,
OAS AICMA, 9 May 2006; telephone interview with Jaime Barberis Martínez,
CENDESMI, Quito, 14 June 2006. [27] Article 7 Report, Form C, 24
January 2006. [28] Responses to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Guillermo Leal, OAS AICMA, 18 April 2006, and by Jaime
Barberis Martínez, CENDESMI, 17 May 2006. [29] UNMAS, “Inter-Agency
Assessment Report: Ecuador,” 15 November 1999, pp. 11-12. [30] Executive Decree 1297, 22
September 1999. [31] Ministry of Exterior
Relations, “El Centro de Desminado del Ecuador”
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