CONTAMINATION AND IMPACT

Nicaragua was contaminated by mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) as a result of armed conflict between 1979 and 1990.

Mines

In June 2010, at the Mine Ban Treaty Intersessional Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Nicaragua announced it had cleared all known mined areas and had therefore fulfilled its obligations under Article 5 of the treaty.[1] However, a residual threat from mines may remain as an incident subsequently occurred in October 2010.[2]

Explosive remnants of war

Nicaragua has a residual ERW problem, especially from unexploded ordnance (UXO) throughout the country. According to the Nicaraguan Demining Commission (Comisión Nacional de Desminado, CND), the problem is impossible to document on a national level.[3] With the completion of mine clearance, reports of ERW contamination are only received as a result of the risk education program.[4]

MINE ACTION PROGRAM

Key institutions and operators

With Nicaragua having completed mine clearance, CND’s role has diminished, as managing funds and conducting mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW) risk education in Nicaragua are the sole responsibility of the Organization of American States (OAS). In 2011, OAS and the Nicaraguan Army Engineers coordinated the clearance of ERW and quality assurance of operations, with Norway providing the funding through the OAS.[5]

In 2012, the OAS and 34 personnel from the Nicaraguan Army Engineer Corps planned to clear 1km² of ERW in the Gocen District, Mateare Municipality, on the Chiltepe Peninsula,[6] a nature reserve and popular weekend leisure and eco-tour destination on Lake Managua, 15km north of the capital, Managua.[7] Gocen is an impoverished area with no permanent water supply or electricity. The main means of earning a living is through crushing stone. There is concern that people may try to collect scrap metal from the ordnance in order to generate income.[8]

The OAS is due to complete its mission in Nicaragua by the end of 2012, and then withdraw.[9]

LAND RELEASE

Compliance with Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty (and in accordance with the one-year extension request granted in 2008), Nicaragua was required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 May 2010. In June 2010, Nicaragua announced it had cleared all known mined areas in time and had fulfilled its Article 5 clearance obligations.[10]

Battle area clearance in 2011

In 2011, in Las Palomas, Matagalpa, the Nicaraguan Army Engineer Corps cleared five areas covering 275,000m² and found and destroyed 4,106 ERW, of which 2,529 had been identified through reports to the army by the local population. In 2010, 125 reports had led to the destruction of 62 antipersonnel mines (all were reported prior to completion of mine clearance operations) as well as 838 items of UXO in 77 communities.

Quality management

The OAS conducted quality assurance on 25% of the area cleared in 2011.[11]

RISK EDUCATION

The OAS conducted 54 house visits for 425 persons in 2011 to inform them of possible ERW nearby.[12] In 2012 the OAS planned to conduct a short risk education campaign through local radio with an emphasis on safe behavior in case of encountering any ordnance.[13]