Key developments since May 2005: In 2005, demining operations cleared
more than 4.3 square kilometers of land, a 10 percent increase on productivity
in 2004, destroying 719 antipersonnel mines, 30 antivehicle mines, 977 cluster
bomblets and 1,378 other items of UXO. In December 2005, Handicap International
ended its demining activities in Kosovo after six years of operations. By the
end of 2005, 15 dangerous areas still required clearance; of these, three
contained a mine threat and the remaining 12 were contaminated with cluster
bomblets. There were also 53 areas requiring a technical survey and possibly
also clearance. At least one of the demining operators is convinced that this
understates the residual contamination, and planned an assessment mission for
mid-July 2006 to define the remaining threat from cluster munitions and
landmines. In 2005, 11 new casualties were recorded, a decrease from 2004; all
were caused by cluster bomblets or other unexploded ordnance, and most were the
result of tampering.
Background
Kosovo is a province of Serbia and Montenegro (formerly the Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia, FRY), but has a predominantly ethnic-Albanian population.
Conflict between Yugoslav armed forces and the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) led
to a NATO bombing campaign against the FRY and Serbian forces in Kosovo. Since
June 1999, the province has been under the administration of the United Nations
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). The KLA disbanded in September 1999, but several
other ethnic-Albanian armed groups emerged. On 24 October 2005, the UN Security
Council agreed to start negotiations on the future status of Kosovo.
The situation in Kosovo remains volatile with occasional acts of violence,
directed mainly against the remaining Serbian minority. In July 2005, an
unknown group detonated three bombs simultaneously at UNMIK headquarters, the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe headquarters and a
government building, all in Pristina. There has also been an increase in
attacks on UN personnel, with a large number of car bombs placed under UN and
police vehicles.[1]
Use
There were no reported cases of landmine use during 2005 or early 2006,
despite the continuing unrest in Kosovo.[2] The last reported use of antipersonnel mines occurred in 2002 and of
antivehicle mines in 2003.[3] In
previous years, mines were used in attacks against the remaining Serbian
minority in Kosovo, and against Serbian military and police forces on the
province’s border with southern Serbia.
In May 2005, the internationally-staffed Kosovo Protection Force (KFOR)
reported finding 13 antitank mines in an unused
house.[4] There were no other
discoveries or seizures of antipersonnel mines in 2005 or in early
2006.[5] Weapons possession is a
criminal offense for all Kosovo residents except those holding UNMIK
authorization, with penal sanctions for
violations.[6]
Landmine and UXO Problem
Kosovo was affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) following the
conflict between the Serbian authorities and ethnic Albanian fighters that
erupted in the late 1980s, and subsequently, the war between the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia and NATO in 1999. During 2005, a review of contamination
concluded that the residual threat was mainly from UXO, such as hand-grenades
and cluster bomblets, with only a limited risk from antipersonnel
mines.[7]
UNMIK continues to find cluster bomblets on the surface of areas not
previously considered affected during the UN-managed mine action program
(1999-2001), such as in Dulje Pass, Banjica and Gjocaj. These are mountainous
areas covered with dense woodland away from population centers, frequented by
illegal woodcutters and smugglers crossing into the province from
Albania.[8] It was also believed that
a number of previously unknown mine/UXO-contaminated areas might be reported in
2006 as people continue to exploit the densely vegetated forests and mountain
areas.[9]
Two main mine and UXO threats remain to be addressed in
Kosovo.[10] Firstly, mined areas
are being reported for which no minefield records are available. These areas,
which are mainly along the Kosovo-Albania border and in areas of strategic
military importance,[11] were
discovered during 2005.[12] Secondly, there remain
dozens[13] of cluster bombs and
other UXO lying in dense vegetation within heavily forested areas, which were
not part of the UN Mine Action Coordination Centre (MACC) clearance plan between
1999 and 2001.[14]
Mine Action Program
National Mine Action Authority: The Office of the Kosovo Protection
Corps Coordinator (OKPCC) is responsible for mine action and all matters related
to explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), under the direct authority of the Special
Representative of the UN
Secretary-General.[15] In the
absence of a national mine action authority, the EOD Management Section of the
OKPCC assumes this role. The EOD Management Section plans to transition to a
national mine action authority as soon as the status of Kosovo is
decided.[16] Accordingly, among the
section’s objectives for 2006, were the employment and training of a
national director to take on the managerial role over mine
action.[17]
Mine Action Center: The EOD Management Section of the OKPCC is also
responsible for coordinating all operational clearance and survey activity in
Kosovo. UNMIK reports that throughout 2005, the EOD Management Section
continued to coordinate the clearance operations of the Kosovo Protection Corps
(KPC) EOD teams and demining NGOs working in Kosovo. This has been achieved by
daily communication between the organizations involved in UXO and mine
clearance, and by conducting site visits and inspections on a daily
basis.[18]
Within the EOD section, the post of quality assurance (QA) officer was
downsized after the last incumbent’s contract ended in December 2005, due
to personnel cuts within UNMIK, and the national staff QA assistant was promoted
to deputy chief of EOD management.[19] The structure in early 2006 was: one international post (chief of EOD
management), one deputy chief of EOD management and QA, one QA assistant, one
MRE assistant and a victim assistance/public information
assistant.[20]
UNMIK reported that throughout 2005, there was a continued exchange of
technical information and advice between the EOD Management Section and KFOR.
Regular updates of the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA)
database were said to have been provided to all KFOR units requesting
them.[21] As of January 2006, IMSMA
had not been handed over to the KPC, which was in the process of restructuring.
When this is complete, it was intended that IMSMA training would be carried out
and administration rights for the system would remain with the national
authority.[22]
As of January 2006, there had been no new developments regarding the EOD
section’s involvement with the South Eastern Europe Mine Action
Coordination Council. The section had, however, maintained close liaison with
the mine action center in Albania, as Kosovo shares a border with Albania, and
minefields often straddle each side of this
border.[23]
No mine action legislation or standards are currently in force in Kosovo.
According to the chief of the EOD Section, this will not be possible
until/unless Kosovo becomes an independent state after the current status talks
are resolved. However, KPC uses a set of standing operating procedures that are
written within the International Mine Action Standards
(IMAS).[24]
Strategic Planning and Progress
In January 2006, there remained 15 dangerous areas requiring clearance by
NGOs or the KPC; three contained a mine threat and the remaining 12 were
contaminated with cluster bomblets.[25] There were also 53 areas re-designated as KPC tasks; these required, as a
minimum, technical survey and possibly also clearance (depending on the survey
findings).[26] The tasks are of a
low priority, mainly in densely forested and mountainous areas away from any
communities. UNMIK believes that the KPC can work on them “well into the
future” after the demining NGOs have left
Kosovo.[27]
In late 2005, the UN reported that if the required funding for demining NGOs
to augment the national capacity in Kosovo were secured for 2006, there should
be no further need for any donor funding beyond 2007, as two more years of
consolidated clearance should see the EOD Management Section meet its
objectives, which were:
To clear all the remaining dangerous areas;
To hand over remaining EOD response tasks to the national capacity;
To survey remaining suspicious and dangerous areas; and,
To create a national mine action authority within a Kosovo government
ministry.[28]
In order to fulfill the objectives, the following support was required from
NGOs to augment the national capacity: a technical survey team to conduct
surveys of suspicious and dangerous areas and where possible clear small numbers
of UXO and mines; and a mine and battle area clearance team to continue clearing
the remaining dangerous areas known to contain a
threat.[29]
Summary of Efforts to Comply with Article 5
The province of Kosovo is currently part of Serbia and Montenegro, although
negotiations as to its future status were ongoing in early 2006. Under Article
5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Serbia and Montenegro must destroy all antipersonnel
mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but
not later than 1 March
2014.[30]
Evaluations of Mine Action
Following the Praxis evaluation of mine action in Kosovo in 2001, the UN Mine
Action Service (UNMAS) conducted biannual assessments in 2003 and in
2005.[31] From 25 to 28 September
2005, the Chief of Program Support Section at UNMAS visited the province with
the Kosovo program officer at UNMAS. The objectives of the mission were to:
Review the capability of the KPC EOD teams to respond to the residual mine
and UXO threat;
Determine the requirements for ongoing support/augmentation of this
capacity; and,
Make recommendations on the EOD management and operational response
systems.[32]
The UNMAS mission also visited Handicap International/KPC operations in the
Dulje Pass, HALO Trust task sites in Goden and Banjica, the Mines Awareness
Trust task site in Kabas, the Roehll task site in Dulje Pass, and EOD response
locations in Samadraxha, Jasic and Velika
Hoca.[33] The mission report
identified a number of areas which required strengthening and recommended
“additional Technical Survey training to bring all KPC teams up to an
appropriate level of competence in this
area.”[34] It also called on
the OKPCC to “develop a plan that transitions the responsibility for
long-term EOD management from the UN to an appropriately structured local
capacity within the Department for Emergency
Management.”[35]
Demining
In 2005, six organizations were engaged in demining in Kosovo: Handicap
International (HI), HALO Trust, KPC, KFOR, Mines Awareness Trust (MAT) and
Roehll, a commercial clearance company.
On 16 December 2005, Handicap International ended its demining activities in
Kosovo after six years of operations, including four years of providing training
and supervision to KPC mine action
teams.[36] In 2006, the three
remaining demining operators in Kosovo were the KPC EOD teams, HALO and Mines
Awareness Trust.[37] All
organizations conducting mine clearance also carry out community liaison in
their areas of operation.[38]
Since its EOD teams were downsized during 2005, KFOR, in cooperation with the
OKPCC, decided to pass to the KPC the responsibility for EOD response to
call-outs.[39] According to the
OKPCC EOD Management Section, the KPC has taken to the role very well and has
performed with dedication and in a professional manner. The only negative point
was that the EOD Management Section had lost two clearance teams to these EOD
response duties, which had cut the section’s capacity slightly. There was
a plan, however, to double the number of teams from seven to 14 during the
course of 2006, if funding for new equipment were made available. Funding from
the US Department of State for the replacement of critical demining equipment
was provided during June and July; this equipment will be purchased by the
Slovenian International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance
(ITF). Replacement equipment purchases funded by the US will total
approximately $180,000 in
2006.[40]
It was also planned to increase the size of each team from 13 to 19 members
in 2006.[41] This would create
“two teams within a team. Each KPC EOD team can then be broken down into
two teams of nine with one overall commander. The nine-person teams will
consist of a team leader, six deminers and two medics. The teams can be broken
down into two for small tasks or EOD response duties or work together as one
large team for large
tasks.”[42]
HALO and MAT were expected to have the same staffing in 2006 as in 2005. The
EOD Management Section hoped that by the end of 2006, these two remaining
international NGOs could disengage and the national director and national
capacity would continue any residual
clearance.[43]
In 2005, HI’s Phoenix Project trained the KPC in house clearance and
booby-trap clearance, and ran a map-making course. The need for house and
booby-trap clearance resulted from the ethnic violence of 2003, when some
families returned to their homes to find them booby-trapped. The map-making
course was required as the KPC is now responsible for making its own maps and
diagrams to add to completion reports and EOD response call-out
reports.[44]
Mine and UXO Survey
The MAT technical survey team was retained on contract by the EOD Management
Section during 2005, with funding from the OKPCC budget. It was tasked to
perform technical surveys on any reported suspicious or dangerous areas that
remained or were newly reported by KFOR, KPC, the Kosovo Police Service or the
public. As in previous years, the survey team either discredited or confirmed
that the area contained a threat, and then carried out clearance of any mines,
cluster bomblets or other UXO found.
[45]
The survey team conducted more than 150 individual technical surveys in 2005,
of which 83 identified an explosive threat, 65 were discredited as having no
“significant threat whatsoever,” and 11 tasks were handed back to
the EOD Management Section as either incorrectly reported or were hoax
reports.[46]
From 1 February 2006, MAT was funded by UNMAS for nine months to continue
technical surveys and to conduct clearance. MAT’s main task in 2006 was
to survey and clear some of the 15 remaining clearance tasks and 53 KPC tasks.
MAT’s technical survey team was operational as of 27 February 2006.
According to the chief of the EOD Management Section, “at the end of
October there should be no need for any more NGOs in Kosovo and the remaining
tasks will be handed to the KPC to clear at their own
pace.”[47]
MAT also had UK funding for a small team to train the KPC in technical survey
during 2006. On 1 February, MAT started by monitoring KPC EOD teams’
refresher training. The nine-month project had two parts: to assist and monitor
KPC EOD yearly refresher training, and, from 10 April 2006, to train all seven
KPC EOD teams in technical survey
skills.[48]
From 1 April 2006, MAT was also funded by the Kosovo Consolidated Budget for
a six-month period to enhance the technical survey capacity. The main aim of
this second survey team, which became operational as of 10 April 2006, was to
help KPC EOD teams on difficult manual mine clearance and battle area clearance
survey tasks.[49]
In 2005, HALO’s survey team was tasked to perform outstanding survey
tasks reported by KFOR, the Kosovo Police Service or members of the public
during 2005. In some cases the technical survey team discredited the area as
containing no explosive threat, but in other cases identified a threat from
mines, cluster bomblets or other UXO; these were to be added to the list of 15
dangerous areas being worked on.[50] A total of 36 tasks were technically surveyed by HALO in 2005; 27 require
battle area clearance and nine require manual clearance. A total of eight
antipersonnel mines and 109 submunitions were found by the team during the
surveys.[51] Where a surface threat
from cluster bomblets was discovered, the survey team would clear the immediate
threat and then conduct area reduction to identify the area that would require
future sub-surface clearance. The technical survey team was also capable of
clearing limited numbers of mines and delineating the mined area for future
clearance.[52]
Based on its experience working in Kosovo, HALO is convinced that claims by
the OKPCC that there are only 15 known dangerous areas and 51 suspect areas
requiring technical survey are incorrect. HALO reported plans to conduct a
survey in mid-July 2006 with other agencies to define the remaining threat from
cluster munitions and
landmines[53 ] “Without such a
re-survey and transparent review of all task dossiers to establish which
partially or surface-only ‘cleared areas’ from 2000 and 2001 still
need sub-surface clearance, HALO fears that another premature exit date may be
set by UNMAS for the departure of international clearance agencies. This would
result in further unnecessary civilian deaths while the...KPC addressed the
remaining problem over the next five to ten
years.”[54]
HALO also believes that, “between 130 and 140 contaminated areas still
exist with an average of three more reported each month. The national clearance
capacity is not able to address this scale of
problem.”[55]
UNMAS has taken a different view. In May 2006, it reported that:
“Since 2002 there have been 14 newly reported Suspected Hazardous Areas.
All of these areas have now been either cleared or discredited. The last such
report occurred in late 2004.... There is currently an extremely limited and
manageable threat posed by landmines and CBUs [cluster bomb units] in Kosovo,
and this will be even further reduced by the end of 2006 when the current and
planned tasks are completed.... Such threat as remains may easily be dealt
with, and eventually eliminated, by a “report and response” system
and capability that is able to respond to requests for clearance by dispatching
a suitable team to investigate, and clear if necessary.... Although it is not
possible to completely rule out further incidents, landmine and CBU related
casualties through accidental contacts have been reduced to very low levels in
Kosovo. Further clearance and survey efforts during 2006 will add to this
situation and there are no economic or developmental blockages caused by the
actual or suspected presence of landmines or
CBUs.”[56]
As a consequence, UNMAS advised the KPC coordinator that, “UNMAS
believes that as a result of the current and planned clearance activities in
2006, as well as training activities being conducted this year, the KPC
explosive ordnance disposal teams will be capable of addressing the residual
landmine and UXO threat in Kosovo from 2007 and beyond. As a result, UNMAS does
not intend to continue funding support for international mine action
organizations operating in Kosovo next
year.”[57]
HALO pointed out that it disagreed with UNMAS in 2001 and again in 2004-2005
about the residual mine and submunition threat in Kosovo, including
UNMAS’s description that Kosovo has no greater threat than post-World War
II Europe. The total of 749 landmines and 977 cluster bomblets cleared in 2005
is more than “residual.” HALO cleared three times more than the KPC
in 2005; by mid-June 2006, HALO had cleared another 537 mines and 650 bomblets.
It therefore seemed illogical to HALO that the OKPCC did not want HALO to
continue working in Kosovo after 2006. HALO also said that that the OKPCC
continues to deny open access to all the task dossiers so that HALO can review
how many tasks since 1999 received only surface clearance instead of surface and
sub-surface clearance.[58]
Mine and ERW Clearance
The plan for 2005 was to clear as many as possible of the dangerous areas
that remained, turn any priority tasks where only a sub-surface threat remained
into EOD response tasks, and survey any outstanding suspicious areas reported by
members of the public, to either verify or discredit them. With ongoing
clearance, the target for 2005 was to reduce the number of dangerous areas to
just over 20, which would then be addressed in the 2006 clearance
plan.[59] The chief of the EOD
Management Section notes that the target for 2005 was exceeded as there were
only 15 dangerous areas at the start of 2006; these were being addressed as of
April 2006.[60]
In 2005, demining operations cleared more than 4.3 square kilometers of land,
destroying in the process 719 antipersonnel mines, 30 antivehicle mines, 977
cluster bomblets and 1,378 other items of
UXO.[61]
Area (square meters) Cleared and Mines and UXO Destroyed in Kosovo in
2005[62]
Operator
Clearance
Antipersonnel mines
Antivehicle mines
Cluster bomblets
UXO
KPC EOD
1,706,670
207
2
126
203
HI
222,990
24
0
215
4
HALO
917,270
374
2
395
18
MAT
1,264,078
70
1
155
187
Roehll
207,958
0
0
57
2
KFOR
--
44
25
29
964
Total
4,318,966
719
30
977
1,378
Note: KFOR only conducts EOD response so does not report clearance figures
in square meters.
Accumulated Mine/UXO Clearance June 1999 to end 2005
Year
Clearance
Antipersonnel mines
Antivehicle mines
Cluster bomblets
UXO
June 1999-2001
32,224,107
19,457
5,515
15,940
13,896
2002
203,360
9
0
206
29
2003
799,242
161
59
423
2,381
2004
3,942,580
910
15
772
2,554
2005
4,318,966
719
30
977
1,378
Total
41,488,255
21,256
5,619
18,318
20,238
All types of land were said to have been cleared, from pasture to dense
forest and mountain sides. Tasks were prioritized based on the closeness of the
threat to communities or areas, such as forests and grazing land, from which the
population makes a living. All of the clearance was done by manual deminers; in
2005 machines and mine detecting dogs were not used by any of the clearance
teams working in Kosovo.[63]
In 2005, KPC EOD teams revisited the cluster munition site at Qafe Prushit.
The teams also cleared over half a square kilometer of land around Pristina
airport. Each team spent three weeks at a time in the Dulje Pass improving
their demining skills alongside an experienced team from Handicap
International.[64]
All known mined areas in the Dulje Pass were reported to have been cleared
during 2005 by HI and the KPC. According to UNMIK, there were four dangerous
areas containing cluster bomblets remaining in Dulje Pass that were due to be
cleared in 2006.[65] HALO battle
area clearance teams were initially deployed to sites in Gjocaj and Banjica to
continue sub-surface clearance of large cluster bomblet-contaminated sites. The
teams used large loop detectors in open ground and Schonstadt metal locators
loaned from the EOD Management Section for the densely forested
locations.[66]
HALO also had two outstanding antipersonnel mine clearance tasks close to the
Albanian border at Koshare and Goden. The Koshare task had previously been
worked on by MAT. At the end of 2004, MAT had cleared more than 150
antipersonnel mines from the site before snow stopped operations. HALO took
over the site in April 2005 and continued until its completion in November 2005.
The antipersonnel mine clearance task in Goden was taken over from DanChurchAid
in late 2004; HALO worked on it for most of 2005 until its completion in late
November.[67]
During 2005, HALO destroyed 791 explosive devices from gardens, fields,
tracks and schools in Kosovo. More than half of the items were removed from
sites not recorded as dangerous areas by the OKPCC EOD Management
Section.[68]
In 2005, the MAT technical survey team worked on several suspected mined
areas and located and removed mines that were fairly close to outlying
communities. One task of particular note was to confirm or discredit reports of
cluster munitions on the surface in a mountainous range close to the Montenegro
border. In order to reach this site, the survey team had to hire mules from a
nearby village and transport all detection equipment and explosives
overland.[69]
The MAT technical survey team worked on EOD response (Quick Response Team,
QRT) during the winter period and completed 12 EOD tasks, mostly in the
southwest of the province. The team also conducted one manual mine clearance
task during this period. Distinct from other agencies, MAT’s QRT also
responded to evening and nighttime calls. During these tasks, MAT’s EOD
team destroyed 11 items of UXO.[70] The chief of the EOD Management Section notes that because the KPC EOD
response teams only work an eight-hour day, MAT was funded and tasked to conduct
any EOD response tasks after hours so that there was in fact a
“24/7” EOD response being
provided.[71]
The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs made funding available through the
International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF) for a
commercial UXO and mine clearance company in 2005 to work on a project in the
Dulje Pass; Germany said the funding had to go to German clearance organizations
on a list of approved contractors.[72] The Roehll company arrived in Kosovo in August; it cleared three dangerous
areas contaminated with cluster bomblets and
UXO.[73]
The EOD Management Section’s QA inspectors carried out daily visits to
the KPC and NGO task sites throughout
2005.[74] Quality assurance is
conducted internally by KPC and NGO team leaders who have to check a certain
amount of each person’s clearance per day.
There were no demining injuries or deaths in Kosovo in 2005. All deminers in
Kosovo are insured through local
companies.[75]
Other Risk Reduction Measures
Marking and fencing of newly discovered contaminated areas continued in 2005.
The chief of the EOD Management Section reports, “at the end of each
demining season we physically mark any known dangerous areas and warn the
public. This usually takes place in November before the heavy
snowfalls.”[76] However, as
in previous years, marking and fencing materials are either removed by the
public or stolen. “We also conduct community liaison in contaminated
areas so at least the people living in the communities know what areas are
dangerous.”[77]
Mine Risk Education
Mine risk education (MRE) was implemented by the OKPCC and by the Kosovo
branch of the Red Cross supported by the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC). In 2005, a total of 22,631 people received MRE messages
directly.[78] KPC and KFOR also
carried out MRE in the course of their duties. The basic message in Kosovo is
“Don’t touch anything suspicious!” and “Report suspect
items to KPC, KFOR or the Police.” According to the OKPCC, 76 percent of
all accidents in Kosovo since 2002 have been caused by people touching or
tampering with mines and
UXO.[79]
The OKPCC EOD Management Section coordinates all MRE activities in Kosovo; it
continued to hold monthly coordination meetings with all relevant MRE actors in
2005. All MRE activities are said to accord with
IMAS.[80]
The OKPCC’s MRE assistant visited communities and individuals to
conduct “on the spot MRE” when incidents were reported by the
police, KPC or KFOR. The assistant also provided monthly landmine and UXO
safety briefings to all incoming UNMIK and other personnel; threat assessment
briefings to KFOR were also delivered. The MRE assistant provided MRE/community
liaison refresher training to the HALO and MAT teams.
[81]
The Red Cross of Kosovo continued to carry out the Kosovo-wide MRE program
handed over by the ICRC in 2004. The campaign targets children aged 12-16
years, at-risk groups and Red Cross volunteers. In total 12,202 people (11,734
children and 468 adults) attended MRE sessions, and exhibitions were organized
in schools.[82] Red Cross field
offices arranged MRE sessions for adult at-risk groups, such as hunters and
fishermen, and held regular meetings with MRE volunteers to gather information
about areas affected by mines/UXO. The Red Cross had seven field offices
covering 26 of the 30 municipalities, and 60 to 65 volunteers who serve as a
link between communities and the field
offices.[83] Red Cross MRE
personnel received refresher training in
2005.[84]
KPC teams delivered MRE messages to primary and secondary schools, including
distribution of notebooks, T-shirts, calendars, diaries and
posters.[85] From 20 May to 30 June
2005, the EOD Management Section invited children and youth in all primary and
secondary schools to an MRE drawing
competition.[86] Training of KPC
MRE teams was completed in early 2004, with each of the six KPC Protectorate
Zones having at least one team to visit schools regularly. The seven KPC EOD
teams share four community liaison staff; OKPCC monitors and supports community
liaison.
The most popular and effective means for disseminating MRE to the public is
through television, radio and print media, according to information from MRE
coordination meetings.[87] During
2005, a half-page color advertisement was placed in all daily newspapers in
Kosovo and published daily for a week at a time. The most popular radio
stations aired MRE messages and TV spots were shown on the three most popular TV
stations in Kosovo.[88]
OKPCC sees a need to continue MRE in order to maintain the declining
incidence of mine/UXO casualties and as long as formerly unknown areas of
contamination are reported.[89]
Funding and Assistance
Landmine Monitor identified six donors which contributed a total of at least
$1,895,252 for mine action in Kosovo in 2005, an increase from approximately
$1,578,059 donated by three countries in
2004.[90] Donors reporting funding
in 2005 were:
Belgium: €150,000 ($186,735) as value of in-kind contribution (three
EOD experts with KFOR);[91]
Germany: €150,000 ($186,735) of its 2005 contribution to ITF was
earmarked to Roehll (mine clearance) and
HI;[92]
Netherlands: €766,108 ($953,728) to HALO for mine clearance and
MRE;[93]
Spain: €177,600 ($221,094) for equipment, explosives and UXO risk
education;[94]
UK: £153,000 ($278,460) to HI for training of
KPC;[95]
US: $68,500 through ITF, consisting of $38,500 to UNMIK for MRE, and $30,000
for the training of nurses and rehabilitation
workers.[96]
According to a media report, UK funding for the KPC training program was due
to end in 2005, but a further £114,000 (about $207,480) was pledged for
specialist mine survey training in
2006.[97]
No landmine casualties were reported in 2005. However, there were 11 new
UXO/CBU casualties in six incidents, including three killed and eight injured.
All the casualties were male and at least five were children; none were deminers
engaged in mine action.[99] This
represents a decrease from the 14 civilian mine/UXO/CBU casualties (one killed
and 13 injured) recorded by OKPCC in
2004.[100]
Three children were killed and two injured when a hand grenade they were
tampering with exploded. All but one of the incidents were also due to
deliberate UXO tampering. Of the eight people who were seriously injured, four
had received MRE and were aware that tampering with UXO was dangerous.
Collecting UXO amongst scrap metal for economic reasons was not the cause of any
casualties in 2005. Two of the incidents happened in the border areas with
Albania.[101]
The EOD Management Section, in cooperation with the Institute of Public
Health, investigates all mine/UXO/CBU incidents in Kosovo and the victim
assistance/public information assistant interviews the survivors or family
members after each incident is
reported.[102]
Survivor Assistance
There are no programs in Kosovo specifically developed to assist people with
disabilities, including mine
survivors.[103] The main services
offered are community-based and developed by NGOs, but they target children from
3 to 18 years of age.[104] While
there is some cooperation between organizations working with mine survivors in
Kosovo, this has not led to specific survivor assistance
programs.[105] Decision-making
and financing of the social welfare system is centralized, although
decentralization of the social welfare system to the local level is foreseen in
Kosovo. Among the main challenges to survivor assistance are the unresolved
status of people with disabilities, and the lack of adequate public health,
social welfare, rehabilitation, vocational training and education services.
Service provision is further hampered by the lack of statistics regarding the
total number of survivors, their social status, type and severity of injury, as
well as an assessment of their rehabilitation and reintegration
needs.[106]
Disabled people’s organizations advocate that the government take
financial responsibility for community-based services, which have been wholly
dependent on international donors. As the international community is gradually
withdrawing from Kosovo, these services are at
risk.[107]
The EOD Management Section’s victim assistance/public information
assistant worked in close cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social
Welfare and the Institute of Public Health during 2005 to identify and register
UXO/mine casualties, and to inform survivors how and where to address their
needs.[108]
Kosovo has an extensive network of medical support, although the standard of
facilities can vary widely. The Qendra University Hospital in Pristina is the
only hospital capable of handling major trauma cases. KFOR units provide an
evacuation capability and immediate medical attention. However, public
facilities reportedly cannot meet the demand for
services.[109]
Facilities for physical rehabilitation are reportedly poor, there is limited
or no capacity to provide occupational therapy, and there are no concrete plans
to train occupational therapists.[110] The Qendra National Ortho-Prosthetic Center is the only facility for the
production and fitting of lower limb prostheses; there are no facilities for the
production of upper limb
prostheses.[111] Only the
provision and fitting of lower limb prostheses is free, as are the first 10-12
days of rehabilitation; after that, rehabilitation costs €19 ($24) per
day.[112] All upper limb
prostheses are made in Skopje (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), and
prices range from €1,000 to €2,000 ($1,250-$2,500). Eye prostheses
are made in Skopje and Zagreb, Croatia; the cost is €900 ($1,120). With
an average national income at €170 to €200 ($211-$249) per month and
families eligible for social welfare receiving approximately €60 ($75) per
month, the cost of optional prostheses is
prohibitive.[113]
In 2005, the Qendra center received no applications from mine survivors; it
produced 126 prostheses, 798 orthoses and 1,041 orthopedic shoes; 60 prostheses
were repaired.[114] One of the
two senior technicians whose training was sponsored by HI graduated in July
2005; the second technician was due to graduate in May
2006.[115] HI handed over full
responsibility for the center to the Ministry of Health in May 2004, and in 2005
HI ceased management advice to the center. The Qendra center had to reduce its
activities due to a lack of financial support; in 2005, the Ministry of Health
supported only the costs of prosthetic production materials and salaries for
approximately 30
workers.[116]
HI continued to support the establishment of a three-year degree course in
physiotherapy at the University of Pristina. From the 85 students enrolled in
2003/2004, 70 had graduated as of February 2006; 52 new students were
enrolled.[117]
Mine/UXO survivors also receive assistance through the ITF at the Slovenian
Institute for Rehabilitation in Ljubljana, which has a specialist rehabilitation
unit for mine survivors. In 2005, one landmine survivor from Kosovo received
rehabilitation services at the
institute.[118]
Both peer-to-peer and professional psychosocial support is available in
Kosovo. There are eight vocational training centers supported by the Ministry
of Labor and Social Welfare in Pristina, Ferizaj, Gjilan, Gllogovc, Mitrovica,
Peja, Podujevo and Prizren. However, these centers do not specifically target
people with disabilities. Job placement programs for people with disabilities
do not exist but, reportedly, they have good chances of employment in banks,
ministries and schools.[119] A
strategy for vocational training was under development by the Department of
Labor of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, but disabled people’s
organizations had not been included in the
process.[120]
The EOD Management Section’s victim assistance/public information
assistant is a mine survivor, as is the MRE assistant employed by the Mines
Awareness Trust.[121]
HandiKos, a local disability NGO with offices in 26 municipalities and 12
community centers throughout Kosovo, provides physical rehabilitation,
psychosocial support, vocational training, lobbying, and advocacy for the rights
of people with disabilities, including mine survivors. HandiKos collaborated
with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare in some areas; it hosts the
ministry’s vocational training center in Pristina. HandiKos has been
dependent on international funding; in case this does not continue in the
future, it believed that full responsibility for the services and the licensing
of service providers should be transferred to the
government.[122]
During 2005, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) continued to work with young
mine survivors, but had to reduce its activities due to decreased funding. In
2005, the program provided medical support, materials, and psychosocial
assistance to 63 mine survivors, including visits to two new
survivors.[123] JRS stated that
one of the greatest difficulties faced by mine survivors is that upper limb
prostheses and eye prostheses are not available within Kosovo. In July 2005,
JRS organized a 10-day summer-camp in Ohrid, Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, for 24 young landmine
survivors.[124]
Other providers of vocational training for people with disabilities include
Oxfam and World Vision.[125]
Kosovo has legislation that provides all people who sustained injuries
between November 1998 and June 1999, including mine survivors, with a small
monthly stipend. However, there is no provision in the legislation for those
suffering injuries from mines, UXO or CBU after this date. Mine survivors
receive a small pension from the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare depending
on their level of incapacity (to be eligible for the pension, the level of
incapacity has to be more than 40 percent). In January 2004, a law initiating a
disability pension scheme was approved by parliament. Generally, social
benefits in Kosovo are inadequate for a reasonable standard of
living.[127]
In December 2000, UNMIK established a task force on disability with the
primary aim of developing a comprehensive disability strategy for Kosovo. As of
March 2006, the Comprehensive Disability Policy Framework had not been approved
or implemented.[128]
[1] Email from Steven Saunders,
Chief, EOD Management Section, Office of the Kosovo Protection Corps Coordinator
(OKPCC), UNMIK, 30 January 2006. [2] Interview with Ahmet Sallova,
Deputy Chief, EOD Management Section, OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 21 March 2006. [3] See Landmine Monitor Report
2003, p. 748; Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 955. [4] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 30 January 2006. [5] Interview with Ahmet Sallova,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 21 March 2006. [6] See Landmine Monitor Report
2002, p. 822. [7] “UNMIK OKPCC EOD
Management Section Annual Report 2005,” UNMIK, Pristina, 18 January 2006,
p. 2. [8] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 30 January 2006. [9] Email from Ahmet Sallova,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 9 March 2006. [10] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 30 January 2006. [11] Ibid. [12] Email from Ahmet Sallova,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 9 March 2006. [13] The number is not in the
hundreds or thousands. Email from Ahmet Sallova, OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 9
March 2006. [14] UN, “2006Portfolio of
Mine Action Projects,” New York, p. 457. [15] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 956. [16] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 30 January 2006. See Evaluations of Mine Action
section for a UNMAS recommendation on transition to national ownership. [17] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 30 January 2006. [18] “UNMIK OKPCC EOD
Management Section Annual Report 2005,” UNMIK, Pristina, 18 January 2006,
p. 1. [19] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 25 April 2006. [20] Ibid, 30 January 2006. [21] “UNMIK OKPCC EOD
Management Section Annual Report 2005,” UNMIK, Pristina, 18 January 2006,
p. 2. [22] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 30 January 2006. [23] Ibid. [24] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 25 April 2006. [25] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 30 January 2006; “UNMIK OKPCC EOD Management
Section Annual Report 2005,” UNMIK, Pristina, 18 January 2006, p. 10.
[26] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 30 January 2006. [27] “UNMIK OKPCC EOD
Management Section Annual Report 2005,” UNMIK, Pristina, 18 January 2006,
p. 2. [28] UN, “2006 Portfolio of
Mine Action Projects,” New York, p. 458. [29] Ibid. [30] See the report on Serbia and
Montenegro in this edition of the Landmine Monitor Report. [31] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 25 April 2006. [32] UNMAS, “UNMAS Mission
Report, Kosovo, 25-28 September 2005,” 13 October 2005, p. 1. [33] Ibid. [34] Ibid, pp. 3, 6. [35] Ibid, p. 5. [36] Email from Stéphanie
Pillet, Assistant to the Mine Action Desk Officer, Mines Department, HI, 28
February 2006. [37] Interview with Ahmet
Sallova, OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 21 March 2006. [38] Interview with Rajmonda
Thaqi, Mine Risk Education Assistant, EOD Management Section, OKPCC, UNMIK,
Pristina, 21 March 2006. [39] Email from Ahmet Sallova,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 9 March 2006. [40] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 25 April 2006; email from H. Murphey McCloy Jr., Senior
Demining Advisor, US Department of State, 7 July 2006. [41] Email from Ahmet Sallova,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 9 March 2006. [42] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 25 April 2006. [43] Ibid, 30 January 2006. [44] “UNMIK OKPCC EOD
Management Section Annual Report 2005,” UNMIK, Pristina, 18 January 2006,
p. 7. [45] Ibid, p. 9. [46] Ibid. [47] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 25 April 2006. [48] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 30 January 2006; email from Mika Toivonen, Program
Manager, MAT, Kosovo, 23 February 2006. [49] Email from Mika Toivonen,
MAT, Kosovo, 9 June 2006. [50] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 25 April 2006. [51] Email from Matthew Hovell,
Caucasus and Balkans Desk Officer, HALO Trust, 1 June 2006. [52] “UNMIK OKPCC EOD
Management Section Annual Report 2005,” UNMIK, Pristina, 18 January 2006,
p. 8. [53 ] Telephone interview with
Matthew Hovell, HALO, 23 June 2006. [54] “Kosovo,” HALO
Trust website, www.halotrust.org, accessed 7 May 2006. [55] Ibid. [56] “UNMAS Report on the
Landmine and Cluster Bomb Threat in Kosovo 2006, Situation Analysis and
Evaluation of the Kosovo Protection Corps Capacity to Address the
Problem,” UNMAS, New York, 14 May 2006, pp. 2, 6-7. [57] Letter from the Director of
UNMAS to Maj. Gen. Chris Steirn, CBE, KPC Coordinator, New York, 14 May
2006. [58] Email from Guy Willoughby,
Director, HALO, 23 June 2006. [59] UN, “2006 Portfolio of
Mine Action Projects,” New York, p. 457. [60] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 25 April 2006. [61] Ibid, 30 January 2006. [62] “UNMIK OKPCC EOD
Management Section Annual Report 2005,” UNMIK, Pristina, 18 January 2006,
Annex D: “Clearance statistics by organization.” HALO informed
Landmine Monitor that it cleared 20, not 18, UXO in 2005. Email from Matthew
Hovell, HALO, 1 June 2006. [63] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 30 January 2006. [64] “UNMIK OKPCC EOD
Management Section Annual Report 2005,” UNMIK, Pristina, 18 January 2006,
p. 6. [65] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 30 January 2006. [66]“UNMIK OKPCC EOD
Management Section Annual Report 2005,” UNMIK, Pristina, 18 January 2006,
p. 8. [67] Ibid. [68] Email from Matthew Hovell,
HALO, 21 June 2006. [69] “UNMIK OKPCC EOD
Management Section Annual Report 2005,” UNMIK, Pristina, 18 January 2006,
p. 9. [70] Email from Mika Toivonen,
MAT, Kosovo, 23 February 2006. [71] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 25 April 2006. [72] Ibid. [73] “UNMIK OKPCC EOD
Management Section Annual Report 2005,” UNMIK, Pristina, 18 January 2006,
p. 11; ITF, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 39. [74] Ibid, p. 2. [75] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 30 January 2006; see Landmine Monitor Report
2005,
p. 956. [76] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 25 April 2006. [77] Ibid, 30 January 2006. [78] Interview with Rajmonda
Thaqi, OKPCC UNMIK, Pristina, 21 March 2006. [79] Emails from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, 30 January and 18 April 2006; interview with Rajmonda Thaqi,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 21 March 2006. [80] Ibid. [81] “UNMIK OKPCC EOD
Management Section Annual Report 2005,” UNMIK, 18 January 2006, p. 3;
interview with Rajmonda Thaqi, OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 21 March 2006. [82] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, 30 January 2006; interview with Zekije Muriqi, Communication
Coordinator, Red Cross of Kosovo, Pristina, 21 March 2006. [83] Interview with Zekije
Muriqi, Red Cross of Kosovo, 21 March 2006. [84] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, 30 January 2006; interview with Rajmonda Thaqi, OKPCC, UNMIK,
Pristina, 21 March 2006. [85] “UNMIK OKPCC EOD
Management Section Annual Report 2005,” UNMIK, 18 January 2006, p. 3;
interview with Rajmonda Thaqi, OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 21 March 2006. [86] Email from Steven Saunders,
OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 30 January 2006. [87] “UNMIK OKPCC EOD
Management Section Annual Report 2005,” UNMIK, 18 January 2006, p. 3;
interview with Rajmonda Thaqi, OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 21 March 2006. [88] “UNMIK OKPCC EOD
Management Section Annual Report 2005,” UNMIK, 18 January 2006, p. 4. [89] UNMAS, “Country Fact
File: Serbia and Montenegro (Kosovo),” www.mineaction.org, accessed 2 June
2006. [90] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 961. [91] Belgium Article 7 Report,
Form J, 26 April 2006; email from Dominique Jones, Ministry of Defence, 17 May
2006. Average exchange rate for 2005: €1 = US$1.2449, used throughout
this report. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),”
3 January 2006. [92] Germany reported
contributing a total of €600,000 ($746,940) to ITF for mine clearance in
Serbia and Montenegro in 2005. ITF, “Second Donation of Federal Republic
of Germany to ITF in year 2005,” 23 June 2005; ITF, “Annual Report
2005,” p. 39; email from Gregor Sančanin, Program Manager, ITF, 6
July 2006. [93] Email from Ellen Schut,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 7 April 2006; email from Brechtje Paardekooper,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 18 April 2006. [94] Spain Article 7 Report, Form
J, 27 April 2006; email from Luis Gómez Nogueira, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Co-operation, 25 April 2006. [95] Email from Debbie Clements,
Ministry of Defence, 10 August 2005. Average exchange rate for 2005: £1 =
US$1.820. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3
January 2006. [96] Email from H. Murphey McCloy
Jr., Senior Demining Advisor, US Department of State, 7 July 2006; ITF,
“Use of Donations by Countries in Year 2005,” in email from Iztok
Hočevar, ITF, 11 May 2006; ITF, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 40.
[97] “Adam Ingram witnesses
Balkans conflict prevention work,” M2 Presswire (UK), 18 April
2006. [98] Unless stated otherwise, all
information in this section is from UNMIK, “UNMIK OKPCC EOD Management
Section Annual Report 2005,” Pristina, 18 January 2006, p. 5. [99] Email from Steven
Saunders, OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 30 January 2006; interview with Bajram
Krasniqi, Public Information Assistant, EOD Management Section, OKPCC, UNMIK,
Pristina, 21 March 2006. [100] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 962. [101] Interview with Bajram
Krasniqi, OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 21 March 2006. [102] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 962. [103] Email to Landmine Monitor
from Nexhat Shatri, Country Program Officer, HI, Pristina, 23 March 2006; email
from Bajram Krasniqi, OKPCC, UNMIK, 24 March 2006. [104] Email from Nexhat Shatri,
HI, Pristina, 23 March 2006. [105] Interview with Kastriot
Dodaj, Program Manager, Jesuit Refugee Service, Pristina, 22 March 2006; email
from Nexhat Shatri, HI, Pristina, 23 March 2006. [106] Emails from Nexhat
Shatri, HI, Pristina, 27 February and 23 March 2006. [107] Email from Nexhat Shatri,
HI, Pristina, 27 February 2006. [108] “UNMIK OKPCC EOD
Management Section Annual Report 2005,” UNMIK, Pristina, 18 January 2006,
p. 4. [109] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, pp. 962-963. [110] Interview with Nexhat
Shatri, HI, Pristina, 21 March 2006. [111] Interview with Bajram
Krasniqi, OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 21 March 2006; interview with Kastriot Dodaj,
JRS, Pristina, 22 March 2006. [112] Interview with Nexhat
Shatri, HI, Pristina, 21 March 2006; interview with Kastriot Dodaj, JRS,
Pristina, 22 March 2006. [113] Interview with Kastriot
Dodaj, JRS, Pristina, 22 March 2006. [114] Email from Lirije
Makolli, Qendra National Ortho-Prosthetic Center, Pristina, 27 February
2006. [115] Email from Nexhat Shatri,
HI, Pristina, 27 February 2006. [116] Interview with Nexhat
Shatri, HI, Pristina, 21 March 2006. [117] Email from Nexhat Shatri,
HI, Pristina, 27 February 2006; see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p.
963. [118] Interview with Bajram
Krasniqi, OKPCC UNMIK, Pristina, 21 March 2006; www.mineawareness.org, accessed 27 April
2006. [119] Interview with Nexhat
Shatri, HI, Pristina, 21 March 2006. [120] Email from Nexhat Shatri,
HI, Pristina, 27 February 2006. [121] Information provided by
Rajmonda Thaqi, OKPCC, UNMIK, Pristina, 21 March 2006. [122] Email from Nexhat Shatri,
HI, Pristina, 27 February 2006. [123] Interview with Kastriot
Dodaj, JRS, Pristina, 22 March 2006. [124] Email from Fr. Stjepan
Kusan S. J., Regional Director, JRS, 31 January 2006; JRS, “Annual Report
for Landmine Survivors Kosovo 2005,” Pristina, February 2006. [125] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2004, p. 1219. [126] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 964; Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 1219-1220. [127] Interview with Kastriot
Dodaj, JRS, Pristina, 22 March 2006. [128] Ibid.
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