Team:Edinburgh/mapxmlnamibia



Namibia <![CDATA[While it is well known that landmines were used in regions that border Angola in the north of Namibia (Caprivi, Kunene, Oshana, Ohangwena, Oshikoto, and Okavango regions), it is uncertain to what extent Namibia remains affected by mines. According to its Article 7 reports, Namibia reported no known mined areas containing antipersonnel mines. In November 2007, the United States Department of State declared Namibia had achieved “impact free” status. The definition of impact-free, however, remains unclear.

There are indications that landmines still pose a problem for Namibia. As tourism is a major industry in Namibia, travel advisories can serve as an indicator of the awareness and threat of landmines. In November 2007, Canada warned its citizens that “You should be aware of the presence of landmines in the border area from Katwitwi (a village on the Okavango River in western Kavango region) to Kongola town (Caprivi region).” In a June 2008 travel advisory, Australia warned travelers in Caprivi and Kavango regions to stay on well-travelled routes because “Unexploded landmines and munitions remain in these regions.” In contrast, the US does not mention landmines in its own travel advisories to Namibia.

Other indications that Namibia has not cleared all the mines on its territory include a press report on 18 February 2008 in which the Minister of Home Affairs for Angola, Roberto Leal Monteiro, expressed the need for improved border security with Namibia in addition to “landmines clearance.” Also, on 25 June 2008, when Namibia announced an agreement with the Kunene Consortium to build a power station on the Kunene river basin bordering Angola, Namibia’s Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy, Bernard Esau, said that Angola and Namibia would have to ensure all landmines and explosive devices still in the area were cleared first.

Although a residual mine problem appears to exist, the threat from explosive remnants of war (ERW), primarily unexploded ordnance (UXO), is believed to be greater. In a March 2008 interview, Chief Inspector John N. Alweendo of the Namibian Police Force Explosives Unit said Namibia had a UXO problem in seven provinces in the north and there were no known minefields in the country. Chief Inspector Alweendo also said they had received reports of single landmines being found, but he could not recall when the unit had received the last report. Items of UXO have been mostly grenades found around former shooting ranges belonging to the South African army or from three South African ammunition storage areas in the north that exploded.

The last landmine casualty was in March 2005 involving one man who lost his leg. In 2007, there were seven injured and five killed from ERW (see below section on casualties). In 2008 through March, there were no reports of UXO being found. The Police Explosives Unit speculated that heavy flooding in early 2008 might result in UXO re-surfacing.[19]

Between 1999 and the end of 2007, more than 145 civilians have been killed by mines and ERW and at least 473 injured.

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