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

Country Summary

Landmine contamination in the Republic of Senegal is the result of 40 years of fighting between government forces and a non-state armed group (NSAG), the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (Mouvement des Forces Démocratiques de Casamance, MFDC). Despite a ceasefire being in place since 2004, sporadic fighting with some factions of MFDC has continued.

Senegal’s contaminated areas are in the Casamance region, between the border with The Gambia to the north and Guinea-Bissau to the south. Senegal has not yet established an accurate assessment of the extent of contamination. Reduced capacity and funds, and ongoing insecurity, have resulted in limited land release over the last five years. No clearance took place in 2018–2020. Humanity & Inclusion (HI) is the only remaining international clearance operator in Senegal. In June 2020, Senegal submitted a third request to extend its Mine Ben Treaty Article 5 clearance deadline, until 1 March 2026.

Risk education is coordinated by the Senegalese National Mine Action Center (Centre National d’Action Antimines, CNAMS). Risk education activities are implemented by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Solidarity Initiative for Development Actions (Initiative Solidaire des Actions de Développement, ISAD), when funding is available.

Casualties due to landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) increased in 2019 and 2020 compared with the previous four years. In 2020, a total of fifteen mine casualties were recorded. These incidents occurred while the Senegalese Armed Forces were conducting security operations to facilitate the return of displaced populations to areas that still required clearance.[1]

No major progress was made on victim assistance in 2020. The National Victim Assistance Action Plan expired in 2014. Since 1999, with the exception providing healthcare, the government has relied on national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to assist survivors.

Senegal has not provided funding for survivor assistance since 2015. Senegalese mine survivors receive prosthetic devices and repairs from the ICRC-supported Center for Motor Rehabilitation (Centro de Reabilitação Motora, CRM), in neighboring Guinea-Bissau. ICRC is scheduled to end its support to CRM in December 2022.

Treaty Status

Treaty status overview

Senegal’s first Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 extension request was for seven years, to 1 March 2016. Despite intending to complete clearance by this deadline, Senegal submitted a second extension request in June 2015, and was granted a new deadline of 1 March 2021. In June 2020, Senegal submitted a third request, extending its clearance deadline by a further five years to 1 March 2026.

Senegal stated that it did not meet its previous Article 5 deadlines due to insecurity; the reluctance of MFDC to agree to demining operations; concerns over deminer safety; declining technical and financial resources; and an inability to mobilize state funding for clearance operations.[2]

In June 2020, CNAMS reported that it required over US$7.3 million to complete technical survey and clearance.[3] Senegal previously stated that it contributes €460,000 (US$545,000) annually to cover the operating costs of CNAMS,[4] and noted difficulties in mobilizing national resources for the conduct of mine action activities.[5] Senegal stated that fulfillment of its clearance obligations by 1 March 2026 will depend on resource mobilization and security conditions.[6]

Management and Coordination

Mine action management and coordination

Mine action management and coordination overview[7]

The National Commission for the Implementation of the Ottawa Convention serves as the national mine action authority in Senegal. Demining operations in Casamance are coordinated by CNAMS, while regional coordination committees operate in Kolda, Sédhiou, and Ziguinchor departments.

Strategies and policies

The National Mine Action Strategy for 2016–2021 was adopted in January 2018 by the National Commission for the Implementation of the Ottawa Convention. The objective of the strategy was to clear all contaminated areas by 31 December 2020. Senegal failed to meet this target.[8]

Senegal provided a clearance workplan for 2021–2026 within its 2020 Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 deadline extension request.[9] Priority-setting for clearance is based on security considerations, the return of displaced populations, social cohesion, and planned economic activities in the area.[10]

Legislation and standards

Senegal’s national mine action standards were expected to be revised in 2018, but no progress was reported.[11] The standards were last updated in 2013.[12]

Information management

CNAMS is responsible for the collection and management of mine action data in Senegal.[13] Since 2008, CNAMS has used Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) reporting forms.[14]

Risk education management and coordination

Risk education management and coordination overview[15]

Coordination

The Risk Education and Victim Assistance Unit within CNAMS coordinates and supervises risk education activities in Senegal.[16] Risk education coordination was hampered in 2020 as most risk education operators were inactive.[17]

The National Mine Action Strategy 2016–2021 states that risk education and awareness-raising in Senegal are the responsibility of civil society organizations.[18]

National standards and guidelines

Risk education standards are included within the Senegalese Mine Action Standards. The standards were last updated in 2013.

Victim assistance management and coordination

Victim assistance management and coordination overview[19]

Note: DPO=disabled persons’ organization; ERW=explosive remnant of war.

CNAMS is the focal point for assisting civilian mine/ERW survivors.[20] CNAMS reported in 2019 that the National Victim Assistance Action Plan 2010–2014, which had long expired, was pending final evaluation before it could be revised.[21]

Laws and policies

Legislation prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities, and mandates accessibility, but Senegal did not enforce provisions adequately in 2020. A quota of 15% of new civil service positions are reserved for persons with disabilities, yet in regions outside Dakar, persons with disabilities could not access these jobs.[22] An “Equal Opportunity Card” initiative was launched in 2015, but was inactive in 2020.[23] A national policy on inclusive education was being developed.[24]

Impact

Contamination

Contamination overview (as of December 2020)[25]

Note: CHA=confirmed hazardous area; ERW=explosive remnant of war; N/R=not reported.

Mine contamination in Senegal is the result of 40 years of fighting between the Senegalese Armed Forces and MFDC. Sporadic fighting with some MFDC factions has continued, despite a ceasefire being in place since 2004.

Senegal’s landmine contamination is located in the Casamance region, between the borders of The Gambia to the north and Guinea-Bissau to the south. Four of Senegal’s 45 departments—Bignona, Goudomp, Oussouye, and Ziguinchor—contain confirmed or suspected mined areas. Senegal has yet to establish an accurate assessment of the extent of its mine contamination.

As of 31 December 2020, 37 mined areas, totaling 491,086m², remained to be addressed. Another nine suspected hazardous areas (SHAs) of unknown size were reported.[26] Senegal reported that as of the end of 2020, a total of 118 localities remained to be surveyed—including 101 in Bignona, four in Oussouye, and 13 in Ziguinchor.[27]

The mine/ERW contamination in Senegal poses a threat to local residents, hinders socio-economic development, prevents the return of displaced populations, and restricts access to agricultural land and livelihood activities.[28] Contaminated areas along the border with Guinea-Bissau hinder access to essential services and facilities.[29]

Casualties

Casualties overview[30]

In 2020, 15 casualties were recorded in Senegal, all of whom were military personnel, representing a sharp increase on previous annual casualty totals.[31] All incidents occurred while the Senegalese Armed Forces were conducting security operations to facilitate the return of displaced persons.[32]

Changes in the security situation in the Casamance region have resulted in variable annual casualty rates in Senegal.[33] While violence intensified in 2011, it decreased in 2013, explaining the decline in casualties among combatants from 2013–2019.[34] In the first half of 2021, the Senegalese Armed Forces conducted military operations against MFDC in southern Casamance, near the border with Guinea-Bissau.[35]

There is no casualty incident surveillance system in Senegal.[36] The Monitor has identified at least 877 mine/ERW casualties (191 killed, 673 injured, 13 unknown survival outcome) between 1988 and the end of 2020. Over the same period, CNAMS registered 847 mine casualties (190 killed, 657 injured).[37] CNAMS is responsible for collecting casualty data, with support from government authorities, local associations, NGOs, and the Senegalese Armed Forces.[38] CNAMS reported that there were 443 civilian and around 200 military mine/ERW survivors in Senegal, as of 2020.[39]

Addressing the Impact

Mine action

Operators and service providers

The withdrawal of Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) and Denel Mechem, and the loss of financial support from key donors, has reduced clearance capacities. HI is the only international clearance operator working in Senegal.

Clearance

Land release overview[40]

Despite a National Stakeholder Dialogue on mine clearance in 2018, and the granting of Senegal’s extension request in 2020, no clearance has taken place since 2017. Technical survey in Goudomp department was suspended following the kidnap of five HI deminers in May 2019.[41] The COVID-19 pandemic and limited funding caused the suspension of non-technical survey, which had begun in February 2020.[42] Non-technical survey activities carried out in February and March 2020 led to the release of 26 areas in the Bignona department.[43] The amount of land released was not specified, though it was reported that no contamination was found.

In 2021, HI secured funding from the European Union (EU) to resume clearance and risk education activities, and to support the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs). The project was expected to start in October 2021.[44]

Senegal has indicated that demining operations should be conducted within the framework of the ongoing peace talks, and approved by MFDC in meetings with Senegalese officials.[45] CNAMS is not a member of the negotiation group, the Reflection Group on Peace in Casamance (Groupe de Réflexion sur la Paix en Casamance, GRPC), making it unclear how mine action is included in the the peace talks.[46] CNAMS reported in 2020 that it relies on local leaders to secure access to contaminated areas.[47]

In its 2020 mine clearance extension request in 2020, to 1 March 2026, Senegal identified the following clearance targets: 12 CHAs (covering 113,975m²) in 2021, 16 CHAs (299,871m²) in 2022, 9 CHAs (77,240m²) in 2023, and nine SHAs and any further contaminated areas identified after non-technical survey in 2024–2025.[48]

Deminer safety

As of the end of 2020, HI was the only international operator in Senegal. HI reported that its task orders from CNAMS first took into account security conditions, before focusing on community requests.[49]

In May 2019, five deminers from HI were kidnapped by MFDC in Bafata-Brame, and released on the same day.[50] The incident led to the suspension of survey operations.[51]

While Senegal recorded a significant increase in clearance from 2012–2013, the kidnapping of 12 Denel Mechem deminers in May 2013 by MFDC led to the suspension of clearance operations.[52] CNAMS task allocation after this incident was criticized for directing resources to areas without a credible risk of mine contamination, while requests from operators to conduct survey prior to deploying clearance assets were denied.[53]

Risk education

Operators and service providers

Risk education operators[54]

ISAD’s last risk education project in Senegal was carried out in 2019.[55] ISAD has since suffered from a lack of funding to implement risk education activities.[56]

Beneficiary numbers

In 2020, CNMAS did not provide disaggregated data on risk education beneficiaries. The majority of beneficiaries were reached via ICRC broadcasts on commercial and community radio stations.

Target groups

In Casamance, men, especially farmers and hunters, are targeted for risk education sessions due to their activities in the forest and the high level of contamination in these areas. Women participating in these activities are also targeted. Children living in contaminated villages are also a target group, as they are generally unaware of the danger posed by mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO).[57]

Risk education messaging in Senegal addresses antipersonnel mines, antivehicle mines, and other ERW.[58] ICRC conducts quality assurance and quality control of risk education carried out by the Senegalese Red Cross, according to its Standard Operating Procedures. ICRC has also conducted Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) surveys in Senegal.[59]

Delivery methods

ICRC provides risk education in rural areas. Young volunteers in target areas are trained to ensure the continuity of risk education programs after ICRC staff leave.[60]

Risk education is not included within the school curriculum in Senegal.[61]

Victim assistance

Victim assistance providers and activities

Victim assistance operators[62]

Note: ERW=explosive remnant of war.

Major developments in 2020

CNAMS reported that victim assistance is not adequately funded in Senegal.[63]

In 2020, the availability of socio-economic inclusion services decreased, as funding was no longer available.[64] HI ended its support to physical rehabilitation, socio-economic inclusion, and inclusive education.[65]

Health and psychological support services were not accessible to mine/ERW victims living outside the regional capital of Ziguinchor.[66]

The COVID-19 pandemic further hampered the access of mine/ERW survivors, and other persons with disabilities, to services in 2020. Transport to access services which stayed open was limited, while accessible information regarding services was lacking. Persons with disabilities, including mine/ERW survivors, received financial support or foodstuffs during the pandemic.[67]

Needs assessment

No structured assessment on the needs of mine/ERW victims was carried out during 2020. Senegal however reported ongoing collection of data on the needs of survivors.[68]

Medical care and rehabilitation

Survivors generally have to pay to receive healthcare, as government funding to regional hospitals and departmental health centers to cover care for survivors has not been provided since 2015.[69]

Senegal did not fund physical rehabilitation services. The Ziguinchor Regional Orthopedic Center faced deteriorating equipment, a shortage of raw materials and parts for prosthetics,[70] and a lack of trained personnel.[71] As a result, it was unable to operate in 2020 or the first half of 2021.[72] The orthopedic center in Kolda had received support from HI, but this support ended in June 2019.[73]

Enabled through a 2016 agreement between CNAMS, ICRC, and ISAD, 12 Senegalese mine/ERW survivors received new prosthetic devices or repairs free of charge at the ICRC-supported CRM in Guinea-Bissau in 2020. This was down from 65 in 2019, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[74] The agreement will end when ICRC closes its program in Guinea-Bissau in December 2022.[75] HI indicated that it did not have the resources to take over supporting CRM from the ICRC.[76]

Support provided by the Academic Center for Educational and Professional Orientation (Centre académique de l’orientation scolaire et professionnelle, CAOSP), which included transportation and accommodation to access CAOSP services, was no longer free of charge for mine survivors in Senegal. However, the center lacks financial resources and was not operational in 2020.[77]

Socio-economic and psychosocial inclusion

Family security grants were provided to families in need in 2020, including mine/ERW survivors.[78] A number of training centers admitted persons with disabilities, while some organizations working on access to employment or micro-credit were in the process of developing inclusive measures for persons with disabilities.[79]

The development of a national policy on inclusive education was reported in 2020.[80] HI completed its support to inclusive education in Senegal during 2021.[81]

In 2020, treatment at the Kenya Psychiatric Center, as well as transport and accommodation which enabled patients to access the center, were no longer free of charge for mine/ERW survivors.[82]

Cross-cutting

The National Disability Action Plan 2017–2021 takes into account women with disabilities, and a committee of women with disabilities was set up under the Senegalese Federation of Associations of Persons with Disabilities. The committee aims to promote the rights of women with disabilities and ensure their participation in the design and implementation of public policies.[83]

Only 40% of children with disabilities were enrolled in primary school in Senegal, as teachers had not received adequate training in special education.[84]