Mogadishu, 04 April 2018 – Explosive remnants of war are impeding access to

land in the countryside, a top UN official in Somalia said today, while expressing
grave concern over the safety of civilian populations exposed to Improvised
Explosive Devices (IEDs).

Peter de Clercq, the UN Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for

Somalia, who is also the Resident Humanitarian Coordinator, said children are
especially under serious threat by landmines and explosive remnants of war left
behind after conflict.

“Each year, 75 children are killed or injured by mines and explosive remnants of
war in this country. And the impact on lives and livelihoods therefore is
devastating. Many many more people are killed through these Improvised
Explosive Devices along Somalia’s roads and across its cities; and we ofcourse
recall the horror of the 14th October terrible explosion. It’s not just the worst in
Somalia’s history, but it’s also one of the worst on this continent,” said De Clercq.

The UN official was speaking at an event to mark the International Day for Mine
Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, in the capital Mogadishu. This year’s
theme “The role of Mine Action in advancing protection, Peace and
Development”, underscores the importance of establishing national mine-action
capacities, in countries where mines and explosive remnants of war constitute a
serious threat to the safety, health and lives of civilian populations.

IEDs remain the deadliest threat to lives in Somalia, having killed and injured over
1,400 civilians in the last year, according to the United Nations Mine Action
Service (UNMAS). The gravity of the problem has negatively impacted on
Somalia’s socio-economic development, and is highlighted by the country’s
National Development Plan 2017-2019 as an impediment to growth and
development.
“Scaling up the Mine Action programme can play a key role in providing jobs in
rural areas and to improve livelihoods by making roads passable and allowing for
the movement of goods and people. And of course for access to land for farming
and pasture,”noted de Clercq.

The Head of UNMAS in Somalia, Alan MacDonald, advocated for the complete
removal of unexploded ordinances and landmines, to reduce the threat of IEDs.

“There is no doubt at all that the explosive remnants of war - of unexploded

ordnances and landmines are being used as the material to build IEDs. So, there is
a linkage here. The biggest problem or massive problem that Somalia has,
obviously, which is causing devastation is the IED threat, and basically if we can
remove the unexploded ordnance and remove the landmines, we will remove
some of the elements of that threat” McDonald stated.

Ambassador Abdulkadir Abdulle Hooshow, the Director General of the Somalia

Explosive Management Authority (SEMA), called for more support to mine
disposal initiatives in the country. He said his authority, which still awaits approval
from parliament to enable it effectively carry out its work, had developed a
National Mine Action strategy, to guide mine disposal programmes for the next
three years.

“There is no proper investment in efforts to dispose of mines in Somalia and there

is insufficient stakeholder coordination. There is also insufficient international
funding to landmine disposal programmes and poor training. Still, members of
parliament have not yet passed the law establishing SEMA,” he said.

The Anti Landmine Ban Treaty, which Somalia is a signatory, requires the country
to undertake full clearance of landmines by October 2022.

END