DATA ON ANTI-PERSONNEL LANDMINES: ZIMBABWE

UNCLAS HARARE 001176 SIPDIS STATE FOR PM/HDP NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR GURNEY PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: DECL. N/A TAGS: PHUM PGOV KDEM PINS ZI SUBJECT: DATA ON ANTI-PERSONNEL LANDMINES: ZIMBABWE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HARARE 01176 301031Z REF: STATE 7023 OVERVIEW -------------- ¶1. AT INDEPENDENCE IN 1980, THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE INHERITED A LANDMINE PROBLEM ALONG SOME OF ITS BORDERS, WHERE RHODESIAN SECURITY SERVICES HAD LAID MINES TO HINDER OPERATIONS BY REBEL GROUPS BASED IN MOZAMBIQUE AND ZAMBIA. ALTHOUGH MINE CLEARANCE BEGAN IN 1982 IN AFFECTED AREAS, THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT BEGIN TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS UNTIL 1998, WHEN THE NATIONAL DEMINING OFFICE (NDO) WAS FORMED TO COORDINATE NATIONAL DEMINING EFFORTS. THE UNITED STATES PROVIDED SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL, TECHNICAL, AND MATERIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE NDO AND TO A NATIONAL MINE CLEARANCE SQUADRON ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE ZIMBABWE DEFENSE FORCES. SCOPE OF PROBLEM -------------- ¶2. ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL DEMINING OFFICE, AN ESTIMATED 2.5 MILLION MINES WERE IN THE GROUND AT INDEPENDENCE. 700,000 MINES HAVE NOW BEEN REMOVED, LEAVING 1.8 MILLION STILL TO BE CLEARED. ¶3. AT INDEPENDENCE, 656 SQUARE KILOMETERS WERE AFFECTED BY MINES AT INDEPENDENCE. OF THOSE, 237 SQUARE KILOMETERS HAVE NOW BEEN CLEARED. ¶4. THERE ARE VERY FEW PEOPLE KILLED OR INJURED BY LANDMINES IN ZIMBABWE. IN 2000, HOWEVER, TWO PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND TWO INJURED IN TWO SEPARATE INCIDENTS INVOLVING LAND MINES. IN THE FIRST CASE, THREE CHILDREN WERE PLAYING IN THE EASTERN HIGHLANDS NEAR A MINE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 01176 301031Z FIELD WHICH WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING CLEARED. ONE OF THE CHILDREN FOUND AND PICKED UP A MINE; IT DETONATED, KILLING TWO OF THEM AND SERIOUSLY INJURING THE OTHER. IN THE SECOND INCIDENT, A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL MINE CLEARANCE SQUADRON LOST ONE OF HIS LEGS BELOW THE KNEE AFTER HE SLIPPED OFF A ROCK AND LANDED ON A MINE. IRVING UNCLASSIFIED >