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Hidden Killers 1998: The Global Landmine Crisis Chapter III: Mine-Affected Countries (continued)

COUNTRY PROFILE: NAMIBIA

Namibia is located in southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean on the west, Angola on the north, Zambia on the northeast, Botswana on the east, and South Africa on the south and southeast. Namibia's terrain, covering a landmass of 825,418 square kilometers, is mostly high plateau, with the Namib Desert along the coast and the Kalahari Desert in the east. A 1997 estimate placed the country's population at 1,727,183. Mining of minerals accounts for almost 25 percent of Namibia's GDP. Half of the population depends on agriculture--mainly subsistence agriculture--for its livelihood (footnote 66).

Landmine Problem

Most of the armed conflict during Namibia's struggle for independence took place in Angola, but, at the same time, the Peoples Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) waged a guerrilla war within the northern regions of Namibia proper. In an effort to protect vital military bases and facilities, the South African Defense Forces (SADF) and the Southwest African Territorial Forces (SWATF) mined 10 locations in the region of Namibia bordering Angola, an area of about 352 square kilometers. The SADF and SWATF also mined 409 electric power pylons that run from the northern town of Ruacana, near the Angolan border, south to the western part of the Etosha National Park. The roads in Namibia were not mined (footnote 67).

Characterization of the Problem. Namibia has an estimated 50,000 landmines in the ground (footnote 68). Estimates of UXO remaining in the country run into the thousands, but additional and more specific information is not available. Twenty-five different types of antipersonnel mines and 17 different types of antitank mines have been reported (footnote 69).

 

Location of Landmines. The 10 identified minefields in Namibia are located in the far north. Nine have been cleared since 1991, and the remaining site is expected to be cleared in 1998. The electric power pylons, previously described, are in the northwestern region of the country. A 900-square-meter area around each pylon was mined with about 24 to 48 antipersonnel mines and four to six antitank mines. The UXO problem exists throughout the northern area where most of the fighting took place (footnote 70).

Impact. About 50 percent of the population lives in the northern area where the minefields are located. As part of the independence settlement, a large number of Namibians were repatriated under UN auspices. Because the refugee situation has subsided and Namibia has a low population density, there is little pressure to open the demined areas, particularly since the minefields are mostly adjacent to former military bases, which are still off-limits. On the other hand, several of the cleared minefields are on valuable commercial land that has already been developed. The mines around the electric power pylons present a special threat to maintenance workers and herders and their livestock (footnote 71).

Casualties. Casualty rates have dropped 90 percent from a post-war high of 64 victims (22 killed) in 1991 to almost zero in 1997. The 22 victims in 1996 and only two in 1997 further demonstrate the progress in Namibia's demining program. Countering this, however, is an important new trend of landmines claiming the lives of or injuring increasingly younger victims. When the government cut off the sale of UXO for scrap metal, the rate at which older people were collecting it for sale diminished; however, the percentage of younger people injured, mostly stock herders, has increased. The two victims in 1997, both youngsters, were the result of an attempt to open or detonate UXO; after some effort, they succeeded, killing one and injuring the other (footnote 72).

Country Response

Namibia has an active and successful demining program. The government, defense force, and police force are actively involved in solving their nation's demining problem.

Organization for Demining. In lieu of a MAC, a Demining Coordination Center was established in the MOD to coordinate demining operations. The Namibia Defense Force (NDF), with support from the United States, has an ongoing and modern demining capability in the form of a dedicated unit of deminers. Despite a modest budget, the NDF is committed to this effort and has indicated that it will provide manpower and other resources to complete the project. Under Namibian law, the Namibian Police have the responsibility for the more difficult task of eliminating UXO, for which they use a dedicated EOD unit. While this unit has been hampered by a lack of transportation, the United States is remedying the problem through the purchase of 4x4 vehicles. With these vehicles, the unit will be able to move to various locations to clear up a large backlog in reported, but as yet undestroyed, UXO (footnote 73).

Mine Clearance. Since its inception in 1991, the demining program conducted by the NDF and Namibian Police has cleared more than 350 square kilometers of land and located and destroyed more than 101,500 landmines and UXO, thus reducing casualties significantly. The NDF has cleared virtually all of Namibia's minefields and will turn its attention to the removal of landmines from the berms around the 409 electric power pylons. The United States is actively supporting the demining program with the donation, in 1995, of $1.2 million in equipment and training assistance to the Namibian Government and, since 1995, the provision of military specialists as part of a train-the-trainer program; these specialists have trained 110 deminers, 20 EOD personnel, and 20 medical personnel in mine/UXO clearance and emergency medical treatment (footnote 74). The trained NDF deminers have, in turn, trained additional NDF personnel.

In March 1998, the U.S. Government sent a prototype machine, a Berm processor, to assist the Namibians with demining the 409 berms around the pylons. The vehicle mechanically scoops up dirt and shakes out the landmines, leaving them exposed on the ground for deminers to safely destroy. One U.S. contractor works with the NDF and U.S. military specialists to manage the vehicle's operations.

Looking to the future and building on his own country's success, Namibian President Nujoma has articulated the goal of using Namibian demining expertise to train other Africans. He has endorsed the concept of a Southern African Regional Demining Training Center, and, as a precursor to establishing this center in Namibia, the government has already requested that the United States provide a regional demining training course (footnote 75).

Mine Awareness. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) coordinates Namibia's mine/UXO awareness campaign with active support from the NDF and the police. U.S. military specialists have trained and equipped MIB personnel to provide mine awareness indoctrination and education. Public awareness programs have included a radio broadcast campaign conducted in five native languages/dialects while targeting specific areas by means of television commercials, regional mobile video shows, and distribution of printed mine awareness material. The United States has also donated state-of-the-art computers, software, and mine awareness material worth more than one million Namibian dollars to the MIB (footnote 76). In March 1998, with support from the United States, the MIB started its third mine awareness campaign, which focused on the mine/UXO-affected areas in the northern regions of the country. Special media events were planned, and printed material, tee-shirts, soccer balls, baseball hats, running shorts, pencil cases, and pencils with the message, "Don't Touch It, Report It," were distributed. The start of this campaign received extensive media coverage in the capital, Windhoek (footnote 77).

Victim Assistance. Overall, more than 2,000 people in Namibia are disabled. This number represents civilians and an estimated 600 former PLAN fighters and 500 from the SWATF who are war-disabled. Medical rehabilitation is usually conducted in the main hospital in Windhoek. For those in need of prostheses or other equipment, Windhoek has a modern, well-equipped national orthopedic workshop; this is the sole source for artificial limbs in the country. The workshop runs an outreach program in three northern centers located near the border. According to social workers in Oshakati, which is located in the northern region of the country, the number of war-disabled in the north increases the closer one gets to the border with Angola. Landmine victims find it difficult to survive in an economy with more than 40 percent unemployment. Despite training programs, as few as 5 percent of the war-disabled have found employment, often because employers discriminate against their disability (footnote 78).

Other International Involvement

Currently, only the United States is supporting Namibia's demining and mine awareness programs. U.S. assistance has included financial support, donated equipment, and military trainers.

Outlook for the Future

Namibia has achieved substantial success in clearing landmines and UXO, with the government, the NDF, and the police force actively engaged in, and committed to, the demining program. Dedicated deminers and EOD personnel have helped clear large areas of land and destroy a large quantity of landmines and UXO. Mine clearance and mine awareness efforts have contributed to a sharp decrease in landmine casualties. Further efforts in mine awareness are required to deter young people from tampering with landmines and UXO. Additional efforts are also required in victim assistance to reintegrate mine victims into the work force. With continued government support, Namibia should eliminate the remaining landmines and UXO in the near future and be able to return the land to its people.

 

 

Footnotes

66. CIA, 1997 World Fact Book, Namibia, http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/wa.html,
March 20, 1998, 1, 2.

67. AMEMBASSY Windhoek message, subject: Namibia, Antipersonnel Landmines: Updating Hidden Killers, P161327Z March, 1998, 1.

68. UNDHA, Landmine Database. Country Report: Namibia, March 1997, http://www.un.org/depts/landmine/ country/namibia.htm, 1.

69. Human Rights Watch, op. cit., 112-113.

70. AMEMBASSY Windhoek, op. cit., 1.

71. Ibid., 2.

72. Ibid., 3, 5.

73. Idem.

74. U.S. Department of State, Landmine Database. Comprehensive Report: Namibia, August 26, 1997, 4.

75. AMEMBASSY Windhoek, op. cit., 4, 5.

76. U.S. Department of State, Landmine Database. Namibia, op. cit., 3.

77. AMEMBASSY Windhoek, op. cit., 4.

78. Human Rights Watch, op. cit., 123-124.

[End of Section]

[End of Section]

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