As a member of the board of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and as an International Humanitarian Mine Action organisation, DCA expresses sadness and concern over the US Government’s decision to transfer anti-personnel landmines to Ukraine.
While DCA fully recognises and supports Ukraine’s struggle to defend itself from the illegal Russian invasion and occupation, DCA believes that the increased deployment of anti-personnel landmines will cause further civilian harm, complicate future clearance efforts, and will set a dangerous precedence in undermining the decades long effort of the ICBL and the International Community to rid itself of the scourge of anti-personnel landmines.
Anti-personnel landmines do not discriminate between combatants and non-combatants and long after a conflict has ended, anti-personnel landmines will continue to maim and kill children and adults alike, hampering emergency aid, rendering agricultural lands and grazing fields unusable, impede reconstruction, and long-term development, and instil fear and trauma in the population.
With upwards of a quarter of the country contaminated by hundreds of thousands or landmines and explosive remnants of war, Ukraine already ranks as one of the most contaminated countries in the world.
Adding Ukrainian laid anti-personnel landmines to the anti-personnel landmines, anti-vehicle landmines, cluster munition remnants and other explosive remnants of war already present on the Ukrainian battlefield will only exacerbate the problem complicating present and future clearance efforts posing a threat to any returning civilians.
Since the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) came into effect in 1999, it has been adopted by 164 states worldwide, and the use of anti-personnel landmines has steadily decreased to a point where in 2023/2024 only Iran, Myanmar, Russia, and North Korea deployed new anti-personnel landmines. The US Government’s decision to transfer anti-personnel landmines to a signatory of the APMBC is a worrying departure from and reversal of an established international norm and will put Ukraine in breach of its APMBC commitments.
DCA recognises and appreciates the difficult circumstances Ukraine is operating under in the face of the illegal Russian invasion and occupation and recognises and appreciates the US Government’s longstanding and significant contributions to ridding the world of landmines and explosive remnants of war but can only express concern and sadness for the current development that is rolling back decades of work to reduce and remove the impact of anti-personnel landmines in the aftermath of wars globally.
DCA continues to work towards a mine free world to ensure that individuals and communities affected by conflict, crisis, and displacement are protected, have the resilience to prevent, withstand and recover from shocks, and live dignified and peaceful lives.
