Contaminated by: improvised mines and other unexploded ordnance (UXO).

Article 5 deadline: 1 April 2017
(Clearance declared complete)

The People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria submitted a Declaration of Fulfilment of Article 5 on 10 February 2017. Algeria reported the release of 28.1km² of land in 2016[1] but has not clarified how much was clearance and how much was released by other means. Demining operations during 2016 destroyed 62,589 antipersonnel mines and 225 antivehicle mines.

Contamination

Algeria was affected by antipersonnel mines as a result of World War II, the French colonial occupation, and the insurgency of the 1990s. During Algeria’s struggle for independence, mines were laid by the French along the Challe and Morice lines on the eastern and western borders of the country. Algeria estimated that more than 10 million mines were laid.[2] Some 80% were blast mines, while most of the remainder were fragmentation mines.[3]

In clearance between 1963 and 1988, some 500km² of mined area was cleared with the destruction of more than 7.8 million antipersonnel mines. A second clearance phase began in November 2004, which resulted in the destruction of 850,000 mines; a further 159,000 stockpiled mines were destroyed.[4] As of April 2016, clearance had reduced contamination to two contaminated provinces (wilaya), Guelma and Nâama. Clearance in Nâama was completed by July 2016.[5] Clearance of known mined areas in Guelma was completed on 1 December 2016.[6]

Occasionally, “isolated” antipersonnel mines have been found outside known mined areas. In addition, the north of the country is said to be contaminated by an unknown number of improvised mines and other explosive items laid by insurgent groups.[7] In the first half of 2017, Algerian police reported seizing 121 landmines from groups linked to terrorism or arms smuggling.[8]

Programme Management

The Interministerial Committee on the Implementation of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, set up by presidential decree in 2003, is the governmental focal point for all mine action activities in Algeria.

Operators

All demining in Algeria has been carried out manually by the Algerian army.

Land Release

Clearance in 2016

As in previous years, Algeria has not reported clearly on the size of areas cleared in 2016. Demining operations during 2016 destroyed 62,589 antipersonnel mines and 225 antivehicle mines.[9] This included 599 colonial-era antipersonnel mines found outside known mined areas.[10]

In its formal declaration of compliance with Mine Ban Treaty Article 5, Algeria reported the release of 28.1km² of land in 2016[11] but has not clarified how much was clearance and how much was released by other means. Its Article 7 transparency report suggests an even higher figure of 29.65km².

In addition to mined areas laid by France in the colonial era, clearance in 2016 addressed four further mined areas in Tindouf province, close to the borders with Mauritania, Morocco, and Western Sahara. One area at Meksem El Dahma (5,000m²) involved destruction of 102 antipersonnel mines and 37 antivehicle mines; a second at Oum El Achar (882m²) involved 20 antipersonnel mines and 2 antivehicle mines; and two areas in El Bêtina, one of 64,000m² and the other of 4,800m², involved the destruction of a further 6,566 antipersonnel mines and 186 antivehicle mines. Clearance of the latter three areas was completed on 16 December 2016.[12]

Article 5 Compliance

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, and in accordance with the five-year extension granted by States Parties in 2011, Algeria was required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 April 2017.

Algeria’s accelerated pace of demining in 2015 and 2016 led it to complete clearance before the end of December 2016, in advance of its extended deadline. Algeria submitted a Declaration of Fulfilment of Article 5 on 10 February 2017.[13]

Algeria systematically funded its mine action program through its own resources. Algeria has indicated that the specialized army and police units remain ready to destroy any further mines that are reported or discovered.[14]

The Monitor acknowledges the contributions of the Mine Action Review (www.mineactionreview.org), which has conducted the mine action research in 2017, including on survey and clearance, and shared all its resulting landmine and cluster munition reports with the Monitor. The Monitor is responsible for the findings presented online and in its print publications.