Key developments since May 2000: In March 2001, the Survey Action Center carried out an Advance Survey Mission in Somaliland and several regions of Somalia to plan for a comprehensive Landmine Impact Survey. The HALO Trust, the Danish Demining Group and others continued mine clearance activities. Following a mine ban advocacy workshop held 27-28 October 2000, the Somaliland authorities reportedly created a ministerial level commission to plan the destruction of landmine stocks. There were 107 landmine/UXO casualties recorded in Somaliland in 2000.

The self-declared Republic of Somaliland cannot become a signatory of the Mine Ban Treaty until it receives international recognition as an independent state. However, over the past several years it has pronounced its willingness to abide by all the Mine Ban Treaty requirements. The Minister of Rehabilitation and Reintegration and Reconstruction of Somaliland, Mr. Abdillahi Hussein Iman, reaffirmed Somaliland’s willingness to abide by the Mine Ban Treaty during a two-day mine ban advocacy workshop organized in Hargeisa by the UN Development Program’s Somalia Civil Protection Program on 27-28 October 2000. Somaliland also participated, as an observer, in the Horn of Africa/Gulf of Aden States conference on landmines held in Djibouti 16-18 November 2000.

Somaliland does not produce or export antipersonnel mines, nor does it appear to be a transit point for landmines. However, there are reports of small-scale arm deals, including landmines, by private traders to southern Somalia factions. In March 2001, several police officers in the central town of Burao were arrested after allegedly selling antitank mines earlier confiscated by customs officials from private dealers.

Officials acknowledge that there are large stocks of mines inherited from the disbanded army of the Somali Democratic Republic. The Danish Demining Group (DDG) informed the mine ban workshop in October 2000 that DDG has destroyed antipersonnel mine stocks confiscated by local police from individuals or militias. Following the workshop, the Somaliland government created a ministerial level commission to plan the destruction of landmine stocks.

In March 2001, the Somali Mine Action Center (SMAC) in Somaliland reported the existence of 402 mined areas (184 suspected minefields and 218 suspected mined roads).

According to the UN, "A major problem is that the location and extent of mined areas is largely unknown, and therefore the magnitude of the problem to be contained has not been determined." While limited surveys have been conducted in the past and some mine clearance is underway, it views the results of actions as "inadequate for use as a base for future mine action planning."

In March 2001, a team from the Survey Action Center carried out an Advance Survey Mission in Somaliland and several regions of Somalia to plan for a comprehensive Landmine Impact Survey for Somaliland and other regions of Somalia. A project proposal has been developed, and SAC plans to begin the survey in late 2001, depending on funding.

In 2000, the DDG invited the Assistance to Mine Affected Communities" (AMAC) project at the Peace Research Institute of Oslo (PRIO) to conduct a community study in the village of Adadley.

In Somaliland, the Ministry of Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Resettlement (MRRR) is responsible for overseeing mine action and it has established a National Demining Agency, which is charged with responsibility for policy on mine action. The Somali Mine Action Center (SMAC) was established by UNDP and its mission is "To establish and maintain a sustainable National Mine Action capacity in Somalia by September 2003." SMAC has six Regional Mines Offices in Somaliland, including an Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) and an external quality control system. According to UNDP Somalia, a support cell responsible for personnel, logistics and finance functions of SMAC will be established by September 2001.

In late 1999, the UN Development Program reorganized SMAC and appointed a new program manager. According to an international mine clearance organization active in Somaliland, the reorganized SMAC is now more effective in coordinating mine action. Various agencies are involved in mine action in Somaliland. Monthly progress reports are submitted to SMAC.

According to the UN, the current annual budget for mine clearance in Somalia, including Somaliland (which would account for nearly all the funds), is approximately $4.5 million, coming from the US, EU, Denmark and Germany.

The Somali Mine Action Program’s budget as put forward by the requesting agency, UNDP, seeks $9.83 million for 2001 (year one of the program) and $5.86 million had been received as of April 2001. For 2002, (year two) $11.24 million is sought while the budget for 2003 is $10.86 million.

UNICEF sought $300,000 for mine awareness activities in affected areas of Somalia in 2001, including an impact assessment and support of community-based rehabilitation programs. In 2001, the World Health Organization (WHO) sought $303,970 in funds for activities from June 2001 to June 2002, including assistance and support to mine victims. As of April 2001 neither proposal had received any funding.

The Danish Demining Group (DDG) will receive in 2000 and 2001 about US$1.6 million from DANIDA (Denmark), SIDA (Sweden) and the European Union. In 2000, DDG completed mine clearance activities at Haregisa International Airport, destroying 40 landmines, 895 UXO and 48 S-24 air bombs. DDG also completed mine clearance activity around six destroyed bridges along the Dila-Berbera road. This is the main road from the port of Berbera. The EU is funding the reconstruction of the destroyed bridges and culverts along this economically important highway.

HALO Trust, with support from the United States Department of State, began mine clearance in July 1999. HALO deploys five mine clearance teams -- four funded by the United States, and a new team in 2001 funded by the Dutch government. HALO’s operations target removal of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) that are perceived to constrain the return of refugees from Ethiopia and Djibouti. The US provided $3.8 million from July 1999 to February 2002. Additionally the US provided a $150,000 grant administered through HALO for regional office construction and office equipment for the national demining agency (NDA). Dutch funding through the end of 2001 is US$159,766. During 2000, HALO conducted an extensive five-month mine detection dog trial in Somaliland. In October 2001, HALO will again deploy mine dogs. HALO Trust workers and SMAC now believe that Somaliland may be declared mine-free in less than seven years if the current funding and clearance activity is maintained.

The Santa Barbara Foundation is engaged in mine clearance in Gabiley district, west of Hargeisa, with funding from Germany and private foundations. More than 50,000 square meters of ground had been cleared as of 1 June 2000.

Between August and September 2000, CARE International received 1,040,757 Euro (approximately US $916,000) in funds from the European Commission for mine action activities in Somaliland. It also received $343,817 from the U.S. between September 1998 and March 2000. CARE International’s mine action activities have included surveys and clearance contracted to Mine Tech, training of medical personnel, and a mine awareness project with a voluntary youth group.

There are three quality management teams in SMAC under UNDP supervision, which conducted external quality management on 32 areas cleared by international demining organizations. Almost 1.3 million square meters of cleared land was handed back to communities in Somaliland.

UNDP Somalia completed a mine awareness program in Somali refugee camps in Djibouti, in cooperation with UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP and Handicap International. It now intends to extend the project to Somali refugee camps in Ethiopia and to communities inside Somalia, in cooperation with the abovementioned partners.