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Treaty Status | Management & Coordination | Impact (contamination & casualties) | Addressing the Impact (land release, risk education, victim assistance)

Country Summary

Landmine and cluster munition remnants contamination in Mauritania is a legacy of the conflict over Western Sahara between 1975–1978.

Mauritania declared fulfilment of its Mine Ban Treaty clearance obligations in November 2018, and fulfilment of its Convention on Cluster Munitions clearance obligations in September 2014. However, in June 2020 Mauritania submitted a request to extend its Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 clearance deadline by one year after discovering previously unknown mined areas. The purpose of the extension was to conduct a survey to gain a more accurate contamination estimate.[1] After this initial one-year extension, Mauritania submitted a fourth extension request in June 2021 to extend its Mine Ban Treaty clearance deadline.[2]

Mauritania also reported discovering previously unknown cluster munition contamination, and in June 2021 requested an extension to its Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 4 clearance deadline until August 2024. The extension was granted at the second part of Second Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions in September 2021.

Risk education and victim assistance are included within Mauritania’s National Mine Action Strategic Plan for 2016–2020. The National Humanitarian Demining Program for Development (Programme National de Déminage Humanitaire pour le Développement, PNDHD) is the focal point for victim assistance. The Mauritanian government provides a grant for victim assistance to PNDHD and the national rehabilitation center.[3] Though some assistance is provided through PNDHD and this center, few specific activities or services have been reported by Mauritania.

Treaty Status

Treaty status overview

Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 clearance deadline

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, and in accordance with the five-year extension request granted by States Parties in 2015, Mauritania was required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 January 2021.[4] In November 2018, at the Seventeenth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, Mauritania declared that it had fulfilled its Article 5 obligations.[5]

In June 2020, Mauritania submitted a request to extend its Article 5 deadline to 31 January 2022 after discovering previously unknown mined areas.[6] The purpose of the extension was to assess the extent of contamination. Having confirmed the contamination through survey in the first quarter of 2021, Mauritania submitted a fourth Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 extension request in June 2021, with a deadline of 31 December 2026.[7]

Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 4 clearance deadline

Under Article 4 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Mauritania is required to destroy all cluster munition remnants in contaminated areas under its jurisdiction or control by 1 August 2022.

In September 2014, at the Fifth Meeting of States Parties to the convention, Mauritania submitted a declaration of compliance with its Article 4 clearance obligations.[8] Hoyever, in January 2020, Mauritania reported newly discovered cluster munition contamination in the Tiris Zemmour region, and submitted a request to extend its Article 4 deadline in June 2021 .[9] In September 2021, Mauritania was granted two additional years, to 1 August 2024, to meet its clearance obligations.

Management and Coordination

Mine action

Mine action management and coordination overview

Coordination

PNDHD, formed in 2000, coordinates mine action operations in Mauritania.[10] Since 2007, mine action has been the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior and Decentralization with oversight from an inter-ministerial steering committee.[11] PNDHD is based in the capital, Nouakchott, and a regional mine action center is based in Nouadhibou.[12]

Strategies and policy

In 2017, Mauritania reported that a National Mine Action Strategic Plan for 2016–2020 had been developed. Its objectives included verifying contamination in border areas and clearing any newly identified contamination by 2020, continuing risk education and victim assistance, and maintaining national mine clearance capacities.[13]

Information management

The national mine action database in Mauritania is maintained by PNDHD. PNDHD was using version 6 of the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) software.[14]

National standards

The Mauritanian National Mine Action Standards were approved in 2007. They are reported to be in line with International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) but are adapted to local geography and available equipment.[15] They include standards for technical and non-technical survey, that were developed with support from the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) and Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA).[16]

Mauritania plans to conduct a review of its national mine action standards during its Mine Ban Treaty fourth clearance deadline extension period, to ensure that they are still adequate and up to date.[17]

Risk education management and coordination

No specific coordination mechanism for risk education was reported, although PNDHD is the government focal point.

Victim assistance management and coordination

Victim assistance management and coordination[18]

Coordination

No specific coordination mechanism was reported, though the Mauritanian government provided a grant to PNDHD and the National Orthopedic and Functional Rehabilitation Center (Centre National d’Orthopédie et de Réhabilitation Fonctionnelle, CNORF) for victim assistance services.[19]

Laws and policies

Discrimination against persons with disabilities is prohibited in Mauritania, and the law mandates access to public buildings. However, legislation was not enforced and persons with disabilities generally did not have adequate access to public buildings.[20]

Since December 2017, persons with disabilities in Mauritania have been eligible to apply for a disability card, which provides free access to healthcare services in public hospitals, and access to transportation and healthcare services in private hospitals at discounted rates.[21]

In April 2020, the Ministry of Social Affairs, Childhood, and Family signed an agreement with the National Health Insurance Fund (Caisse Nationale d'Assurance Maladie, CNAM) for 2,000 persons with disabilities in Mauritania to benefit from health insurance. Both the ministry and CNAM are responsible for selecting beneficiaries.[22]

Impact

Contamination

Contamination (as of December 2020)[23]

Note: ERW=explosive remnants of war; N/R=not reported.

Landmine contamination

In 2018, Mauritania reported the release of all known antipersonnel mine contaminated areas, totaling 40 areas and covering 67km². In 2020, Mauritania reported newly discovered landmine contamination, and submitted a one-year request for an extension to its Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 clearance deadline, in order to assess the extent of contamination.

A survey conducted in February and March 2021 identified 19 mined areas, covering a total of 16.18km².[24] The majority of areas were located on the Nouadibou peninsular (16 areas) with two areas in Tiris Zemour and two areas in Adrar.[25] In addition, local authorities have reported a mined area in Ouadane, in the Adrar region, the size of which is yet to be determined.[26] Some of the newly discovered mined areas are thought to “lie outside of Mauritanian jurisdiction but [are] under Mauritanian de facto control,” and require coordination with relevant authorities to determine the extent under Mauritanian jurisdiction.[27] Antipersonnel and antivehicle mines have been identified in the newly discovered contaminated areas.

In addition to the human cost, the remaining contamination in Mauritania has a socio-economic impact, preventing access to pastures and other community resources, and killing livestock.[28]

Cluster munition remnants contamination

In 2020, Mauritania reported discovering previously unknown cluster munition contaminated areas, dating from 1980 and 1990.[29] After an initial assessment in February 2021, 14.02km² of land was found to be contaminated with cluster munition remnants. These areas are all located in the region of Tiris Zemmour in the north of Mauritania, bordering Western Sahara.[30] Further survey will need to be carried out to determine the exact size of these contaminated areas.[31]

Casualties

Casualties overview[32]

Note: ERW=explosive remnants of war.

Casualties in 2020: details

Two mine/ERW casualties were reported in 2020.[33]

The Monitor has recorded a total of 627 casualties in Mauritania for all time, based on PNDHD updates. However, from 2016–2019, PNDHD repeatedly recorded a total of 618 casualties for all time due to mines/ERW, while also reporting additional annual casualties.[34] As of June 2021, PNDHD reported an updated total of 624 casualties for all time.[35] Mauritania indicated that the total number of casualties was likely to be higher, particularly among migrants, smugglers, and shepherds crossing mined areas.[36] Over 80% of known casualties in Mauritania were men, and most incidents occurred during activities such as farming, herding, and fishing.[37]

Cluster munition remnant casualties

The first cluster munition remnant casualty in Mauritania was recorded in 2021, as no casualties had been reported previously.[38] However, national casualty data is not disaggregated according to the type of device (landmine or cluster munition) and reporting indicates that cluster munition incidents involving livestock had previously occurred in the country.[39] It is possible that cluster munition incidents have occurred which were not disaggregated from mine/ERW casualties.[40]

Addressing the Impact

Mine action

Clearance operators

Clearance activities in Mauritania are conducted by the Engineer Corps of the Armed Forces of Mauritania, under the direction of PNDHD. Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) had previously undertaken clearance in Mauritania from 2011–2015, and assisted PNDHD in carrying out a survey of newly identified contaminated areas in February and March 2021.[41]

Land release

Landmines

No release of mined or cluster munition contaminated land took place in 2019 or 2020; although PNDHD reported conducting survey to confirm the newly identified contaminated areas.[42]

Following survey of the newly identified mined areas, Mauritania developed a workplan as part of its fourth Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 extension request, submitted in June 2021.[43]

To complete demining work in the north, Mauritania estimated that it requires US$650,000 for equipment and $1.8 million annually to run the program. The costs for local PNDHD staff and office space will be paid for by the Mauritanian government.[44] As of March 2021, international funding for clearance had not yet been secured.[45]

Mauritania estimated that the deployment of eight demining teams, over five years, is required to complete clearance by 31 December 2026.[46] The first six months of the extension period will be devoted to the identification of funding, staff, equipment, and any other required resources, while the last four months will be used for the preparation and completion of reporting.[47]

Mauritania reported that most of the land to be released from mine/ERW contamination is used by nomadic or semi-nomadic communities for pastures. Mauritania anticipates that some of the newly discovered contaminated land could also be used for mining activities once cleared.[48]

Cluster munition remnants

A survey was conducted in February 2021, after which Mauritania determined that areas found to be contaminated by cluster munition remnants were under its jurisdiction and control. In June 2021, Mauritania submitted a request to extend its Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 4 clearance deadline by two years, until 1 August 2024.[49] The extension was granted at the second part of Second Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions in September 2021.

Mauritania foresees the deployment of four battle area clearance teams, to survey and clear the residual contamination during the extension period for a total budget of $1.8 million.[50]

Residual risk

Mauritania reported that additional previously unknown contamination could still be discovered in the future, given the size of its desert areas. Mauritania plans to strengthen and maintain its national clearance capacity to respond to residual risk.[51]

Border cooperation

Mauritania reported that some of the newly discovered mined areas are not under its jurisdiction, although they are under its de facto control. Clearance of these areas will require coordination with relevant authorities.[52]

Risk education

Implementation

Risk education in Mauritania is overseen by PHDHD and is provided to local administrative authorities, the staff of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), elected officials, teachers, shepherds, nomads, and fishermen.[53]

Risk education messages have been disseminated through radio campaigns, and awareness and information campaigns, in all areas where there were confirmed or suspected hazardous areas.[54]

Risk education has been provided in schools close to contaminated areas, and training has been provided for teachers to promote risk education in their communities. School notebooks, caps, and t-shirts with safety messages were distributed to schoolchildren.[55] Risk education materials take age, gender, and the diverse needs of affected communities into consideration.[56]

Victim assistance

Victim assistance operators[57]

Medical care and rehabilitation

Medical care for mine/ERW survivors is covered by the Mauritanian government.[58] Survivors receive physical rehabilitation and psychological support services at CNORF.[59]

There is no community-based rehabilitation program for persons with disabilities, although the law provides for its implementation.[60]

Socio-economic and psychosocial inclusion

PNDHD funds income-generation activities for the most vulnerable mine/ERW survivors.[61]