Are there still landmines in Africa?

With an estimated 30 million mines strewn in at least 18 countries, Africa is the continent most severely affected by the large scale sowing of landmines .

Why are there landmines in Africa?

The use of antipersonnel landmines has been widespread in the colonial and post-colonial wars that have plagued much of southern Africa for the last three decades. During this period many millions of landmines were imported into southern Africa, while a smaller number were manufactured there.

Does South Africa have landmines?

It stated that all of the standard South African landmines are “dumb” (non-self-destructing) landmines. There were 186,408 AP mines (HE), 13,038 practice AP mines, 48,484 J69 Jumping mines; 2,059 practice Jumping mines; and 11,434 foreign mines making a total of 261,423 mines.

Why does Egypt have the most landmines?

Moreover, in Egypt agriculture is one of the mainstays of the economy. Landmines are planted in fields, around wells, water sources, and hydroelectric installations, making these lands unusable or usable only at great risk.

Are there still ww2 mines in North Africa?

According to the latest official state figures, there are around 20 million mines and unexploded remnants of war littering the country, with well over 16 million in Matrouh Governorate and the remainder planted along Egypt’s eastern borders.

Is land mine banned in war?

Anti-personnel landmines are prohibited under the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (or Mine Ban Convention), adopted in 1997. More than 150 countries have joined this treaty.

How many mines were used in North Africa during WWII?

While it is unknown how many mines were used throughout North Africa, it is known from the memoirs of Erwin Rommel that some 80,000 mines were laid at the Buerat-Line in Libya. Many of the mines are still operational and pose a risk to local populations. The responsibility for removing them has been left to the governments of North African nations.

Why are there so many landmines in Tunisia?

This was because of the vast numbers of land-mines that Italian and German sappers laid, one of which killed Major-General Edouard Welvert, commanding the “Constantine” Motorised Division, as they were entering Kairouan “. Today, the Tunisian Army is extracting between 200–300 mines every year.

Where are the most common mine fields in Libya?

Most mine fields are located in the coastal area, the most populated zone of the country. Libya also has a bad heritage of land mines from the Libyan-Egyptian war in 1977. During the Libyan civil war in 2011, Muammar al Qadafi ‘s regime laid land mines to check the advance of the rebel forces.

Are there still mines in the desert of Egypt?

Many of the mines are still operational and pose a risk to local populations. The responsibility for removing them has been left to the governments of North African nations. One of the United Nations ‘s missions estimated there are 19.7 million mines in the western desert of Egypt.