Summary
Guinea Bissau has a small territory (roughly 36,000 square kilometres) with an almost exclusively agricultural economy. Its estimated 1.52 million inhabitants are therefore extremely dependent on the land and face significant impacts from contamination due to mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). Contamination often affects areas where people are growing market crops, such as rice in small flooded valleys, and subsistence fisheries in coastal mangroves.
A targeted Landmine Impact Survey (LIS), initiated in October 2007 and completed in May 2008, confirmed there are 80 affected communities in 7 of the country’s 8 regions. The survey estimated that 12 areas were considered to be minefields, covering 2,236,560 square metres. According to the survey findings, the most affected regions are Cacheu and Oio in the north, mostly as a result of mine contamination resulting from the Casamance conflict.
The survey reports that these regions, “together with Buruntuma in Gabu region,” constitute the highest priorities for clearance. The Buruntuma area has now been cleared by Humanitarian Aid (HUMAID), while two national non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are working on Barraca Mandioca, Suar and Binta. In addition to those identified in the survey, a further 30 affected communities have been identified, but remain to be surveyed to track the full extent of contamination and impact. It seems unlikely that there is significant landmine contamination that has not already been accounted for. In 2006, the capital city, Bissau, was declared free of mines. Almost 1 million square metres of land were cleared, with another one million square metres cancelled through a survey process coordinated by the National Mine Action Coordination Centre (CAAMI).
Each year, UN entities, nongovernmental organizations, national and local authorities and donors collaborate to assemble a national portfolio of mine action project proposals that together reflect the strategic response developed in the field to all aspects of the problem of landmines and explosive remnants of war. A Country Portfolio Coordinator, usually a representative of a UN agency or a national authority, coordinates meetings where all mine action actors agree on a set of projects and priorities and determine funding needs. The proposals in each country's portfolio are assembled with those of other participating countries and published jointly by the UN Mine Action Service, the UN Development Programme and UNICEF in an annual "Portfolio of Mine Action Projects." This publication serves as a tool for collaborative resource mobilization, coordination and planning of mine action activities. The Guinea Bissau Country Portfolio Team's funding appeal for mine action projects in 2007 totals US $2,959,720.
Scope of the Problem
Guinea Bissau’s landmine and ERW problem stems from three conflicts. The initial contamination occurred during the War of Liberation (1963 to 1974). More intense contamination took place during the internal conflict from 1998 to 1999. This affected the national capital and some strategically important areas outside it (notably the south). A third source of contamination has been military activity on Guinea Bissau’s borders, primarily involving the Casamance region of Senegal.
According to the completed victim census of 2004, out of 1,134 victims of conflict during the last three years, 94 were mine and ERW casualties. Roughly one-third were killed. The vast majority (80 percent) were male. Since the end of the independence war in 1974 to date, there have been 1,206 known casualties.
Between 2000 and 2008, 1,581,271.15 square metres were cleared; about 1,980,758.17 square metres have been cleared in total. The LIS, completed in May 2008 by a British NGO, Landmine Action, recorded 12 known minefields, with a total area of 2,236,560 square metres. It also identified 5 major battle area clearance tasks with an estimated area of 930,000 square metres.
Operations have been ongoing since the completion of the LIS. Eleven minefields with a total area of around 1,460,000 square metres remain. There are 15 more areas that were not visited by the LIS due to access problems. A further 19 areas are suspected of being contaminated, along with 46 areas suspected of ERW contamination. A British NGO, Cleared Ground Demining (CGD), has operated in Guinea Bissau since 2007, partnering initially with Lutamos Todos contra as Minas (LUTCAM) to undertake the clearance of unexploded ordnance (UXO) at Paiol de Bra. It is destroying Guinea Bissau’s small arms and light weapons stockpiles, and undertaking explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) spot tasks throughout the country. It has cleared a total area of 325,750 square metres and destroyed 4,567 UXO.
The mine clearance capacity of organizations operating in Guinea Bisau is around 600,000 square metres per year. In 2008, LUTCAM cleared 18,954 square metres and HUMAID 575,450 square metres.
Coordination and Consultation
CAAMI is the Government of Guinea Bissau’s national mine action centre. Located within the Ministry of Veteran’s Affairs, it operates under the guidance of a steering committee, the National Commission for Humanitarian Demining (CNHD). CAAMI was created under governmental decree number 4/2001, dated 17 September 2001. It determines the overall direction of mine action, sets priorities, coordinates all mine action activities, mobilizes resources, establishes operational clearance plans and tasks, accredits operators and conducts quality management of mine action activities. CNHD consists of government ministries with responsibilities for mine action. Under the framework of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Capacity Building Project in support of national mine action structures, CAAMI is currently supported by one international expert, and through the provision of training, equipment and coverage of running costs.
Strategy
Guinea Bissau aims to become free from mines by November 2011 in compliance with the anti-personnel mine-ban treaty. From 2009 to 2011, it has several strategic objectives.
Strategic objective one is to develop the national capacity for technical surveys.
- Bring in external support for the development of quality technical survey capacities.
- Ensure support and funding for technical survey capacities until the end of 2011.
- Ensure integration and effective tasking of technical survey teams as an integral part of CAAMI.
- Identify and define all remaining areas requiring mine action.
- Utilize current capacities (LUTCAM, HUMAID and CGD) to clear remaining minefields as more are clearly defined by technical surveys.
- As a safety measure, discuss with external organizations the possibility of operational support.
- Maintain quality by providing quality assurance teams from within CAAMI.
- Ensure an EOD capacity is established and applied to clearing all areas affected by ERW.
- Provide support for the rights of landmine survivors.
- Assist landmine survivors with reintegration into their communities.
- Create, support and facilitate partnerships through targeted awareness activities.
- Increase community participation in fostering adoption of safe behaviour through capacity building in information management.
- Ensure that all people, with a special focus on children who are out of school and women, have information and support to adopt safer behaviours.
- Strengthen the management capacity of CAAMI to support the Guinea Bissau vision for mine action.
- Develop the currently weak capacities for quality management and using the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA).
- Strengthen operational planning capacities.
- Implement adequate national mine action standards.
- Remove landmines and UXO from the ground of Guinea Bissau.
- Implement a strong mine risk education programme.
Date Anti-Personnel Mine-Ban Treaty signed: Dec 03, 1997
Date of Anti-Personnel Mine-Ban Treaty ratification or accession: May 22, 2001
Consents to be bound by Protocol II of Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons: N/A
Consents to be bound by Amended Protocol II of Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons: N/A
Date signed Protocol V of Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons: N/A