Mine action - Information update

Information Update

Mine Action in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)
October 9th, 2001

I. General

1. After the cessation of the recent conflict within the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) several surveys of the conflict area were carried out by, UN MACC Kosovo, UN MAO Macedonia and the International Trust Fund from Slovenia (ITF). It has been established that of the threat of mines and UXO by far the greater is that of UXO, mines have been laid but there use was limited.

II. Coordination

2. On the deployment of Task Force Harvest (TFH) UNMAS supplied the taskforce with an Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) for the collection storage and dissemination of information on all suspected dangerous areas of mine or UXO contamination. This database was populated with information gathered by TFH, OSCE and UNHCR, with the draw down of TFH this database is now situated in the UN Mine Action Office (UNMAO) Skopje where, it will continue to be operated by military personnel until such time as a national operator can be trained. The information available is currently supplied in the form of map overlays to key agencies however more detailed hard copy information can be supplied to any agency on request.

3. The Government have recently appointed Mr Blagoj Tashevski as Mine Action Co-ordinator (MAC) he is based in the Civil Protection office in the MOD building adjacent to the military hospital and works in close liaison with the UNMAO.

III. Mine Action

4. The International Committee of the Red Cross representatives within FYROM have the lead in the implementation of mine awareness training, with UNICEF supporting their activities as appropriate through the MAO. This training is currently being carried out with the assistance of the Macedonian Red Cross.

5. The ITF has contracted to the Government to support mine action by deploying two thirty five men mine clearance teams from Bosnia by the 20th of October these teams will work to Government priorities and supply reports to both the Government, MAC and the UNMAO for inclusion on the IMSMA database. The ITF have also offered to train some 30 government personnel in mine and UXO clearance techniques over the winter period. In conjunction with this training the European Union (EU) have offered, with the assistance of the MAO, to identify and purchase the necessary equipment required by these newly trained personnel to carry out ongoing mine and UXO clearance.

6. The ITF has also offered assistance in the area of mine victim support in the form of two specialist doctors from the Slovenian Mine Victim Support Centre to act as advisors.

7. A proposal from the MAO for the provision of an extra UXO clearance capability to work in close support to the shelter programme was recently put to the Deputy Prime Minister Mr Filipovski. This, with the governments permission, will allow for two more small teams to be deployed in areas restricting the progress of the shelter housing repair programme.

IV. Conclusion

8. UNMAS believes that the current plan of deployment and support to the UN and local mine action response within FYROM is sufficient for the time being, based on the current threat identified. This assessment will be regularly reviewed, and further information provided to the international community as to any potential needs for funding or other support in the country.

9. For any further information in relation to the UNMAS response, please contact Mr. Sandy Powell, Head of MAO, on +389 2 464911 (ph), 070 252157 (mob) or by email at skmineaction@unicef.org.mk