Friday, December 26, 2008
HARGEISA, 26 December 2008 (IRIN) - The self-declared republic of Somaliland recorded a sharp drop in landmine-related accidents in 2008 compared with 2007, a mine clearance organisation official has said.
Hassan Ahmed Kosar, operations officer for the Halo Trust, the only international mine clearance organisation currently operating in Somaliland, said 15 accidents - down from 45 in 2007 - were recorded in Somaliland in 2008.
"Most of the accidents were caused by unexploded ordnance [UXO] and anti-tank mines planted in roads during the confrontation between the SNM [Somali National Movement - the liberation organisation in Somaliland between 1981 and 1991] and [former Somali President] Siyad Barre's regime in the late 1980s, as well as during the Ogaden war between Somalia and Ethiopia in the late 1970s," Kosar told IRIN on 22 December in Somaliland's capital, Hargeisa.
Kosar said Somaliland was one of five unrecognised nations to have signed the international landmine ban treaty, adding that the government had destroyed 3,014 anti-personnel mines in its stores in 2003.
He said the Halo Trust had destroyed more than 3,614 landmines or UXO, 90,694 small arms, and 37,760 anti-tank mines since 1999.
According to the Somaliland Mine Action Centre (SMAC), a government body, over two million mines were planted in Somaliland between 1964 and 1990.
Abdirahman Yusuf, a SMAC operations officer, said: "According to the last survey - conducted in collaboration with international mine clearance organisations, particularly the Halo Trust - over 600 roads were mined during the war; there are also 300 minefields scattered throughout the country."
International demining efforts
Demining operations have been going on in Somaliland since 1991.
Rimfire, a UK-based mine clearance organisation, began its first demining project in Somaliland in 1992-1993, clearing over 64,000 landmines and UXO.
"We are much bigger than Rimfire in terms of manpower and we also use modern demining equipment," the Halo Trust's Kosar said.
In 2003 the Danish Demining Group (DDG) cleared landmines from 300 roads. Santa Barbara, an international mine clearance organisation, was also active in Somaliland 2000-2002.
The Halo Trust is carrying out a new landmine survey due for completion in late 2009. Kosar made a plea for more international funding to speed up mine clearance operations.
maj/js/cb
Source: IRIN, Dec 26, 2008
Hold on your horses.....
Do you believe this farce. 2 million ordinance was planted by Siyad Barre regime!!! what a jole!!! How far you want to go to appease Somali traitors?!!
Wax iskula hara jaallayaal and be objective. Even dictators deserve justice. Somali Islamist will never ever believe any study done by people bent for g**los and destruction of this nation. Rain begin drip then pour
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A single saved Somali home is a great news for my bad-news broken brain!
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Respect for the politeness!
Waxaad u qalantaan Heesihii waaya,waayo iyo Soomaalidii aynu ahaan jiray qarnigii LABAAD!!
http://www.geocities.com/faaraxc/wadani.html
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The expectation of many decent true Somalis was that some help, out side of Somaliland is going to come and save the lives of so many people in the region and it has happened and we are happy for you guys. Let us all pray for the safety and the wellbeing of all Somalis in Somalia and in refugee camps.
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WAAAAAAW good job somalilanders. They will remain Somalis whether they are recognized or not and it is a 2nd home to some of us from the south.
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Good news. More Somalis saved.
But there's more devastating type of mouth-mine which needs to be tackled,the JAAD(Qaad),which is maiming almost 90% of the families.
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abdiaziz and quimico you guys are ingorent about somali affeirs who holds back who? the south or the north?
i thinks the north coz if the come with there brothers this war in somalia wil stop quickly. politic reasons are to bleme this war and the northerens are behind this they suport the ethiopins ,
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Its good news its not easy when they planted mines all over the country, its not easy to find them.
15 is still big number but dropping it by 30 or more than a half is great news, hopefully there is no incidents in 2009.
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I am glad to hear from such an open-minded and well-respected person such as mr. abdiaziz, absolutely somalilanders do appreciate such brotherly comments.
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Good News Our brothers and sister and cleaning up and moving forward..what is wrong with the southern people?Lets not hold them and lets somaliland find its ways to the world while we southern slaughter each other.
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