Beyond Sahara Conflict-land Mines

UNITED NATIONS United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara

MINURSO

NATIONS UNIES Mission des Nations Unies pour l’organisation d’un référendum au Sahara occidental

MINURSO HQ, LAAYOUNE, P.O. BOX 5846, NEW YORK, NY 10163-5846, USA TEL: (1) 212- 963-1953 or (212) 28–893828/57/59/24, 892662, FAX: (212) 28–892893, 890944

STATEMENT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE UNITED NATIONS MISSIONFOR THE REFERENDUM IN WESTERN SAHARA Laâyoune, 4 April 2007 Press release

On

4 nd

the 2

April,

2007,

the

United

Nations

celebrated

International Day of Mine Awareness. The day was chosen by

the General Assembly in December 2005 to raise the international community’s awareness on the risk of mines. Many countries are affected by indiscriminate dissemination of antipersonnel as well as antitank mines and Western Sahara, which was marred by conflict between 1975 and 1991, has one of the highest numbers of land mines per square meter in the world. MINURSO,

which

has

operated

in

Western

Sahara

since

September 1991, signed specific Military Agreements with Morocco and Frente POLISARIO to cooperate in the identification, marking and monitoring of the destruction of mines and UXOs. Since 1991, MINURSO has identified and monitored the destruction, in cooperation with the Moroccan and POLISARIO forces, of hundred of mines, artillery shells and other remnants of war.

Since January 2006, MINURSO has marked 152 Mines and UXOs and monitored the destruction of other 7238 similar devices. In order to increase the safety and security of the populations living in Western Sahara, MINURSO and the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) provide operational support to Land Mine Action. This British NGO carries out training programmes for demining and supports POLISARIO relevant activities. MINURSO

also

expresses

appreciation

for

the

efforts of the

Moroccan government in de-mining activities in Western Sahara. Recently, several mine accidents in Western Sahara increased concern in the local populations and authorities. Hundreds of people

have

been

wounded

by

mine

accidents

over

the

years within the Territory. With the aim of establishing a safe environment, essential for human, economic and social development of Western Sahara, MINURSO has enhanced its cooperation with the parties by promoting the exchange of information on mine-clearance related activities. During

a

Julian

ceremony Harston,

held

at

MINURSO

announced

the

HQ

in

Lâayoune,

message

SRSG

of

the

nd

Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon for the 2 International Day of Mine Awareness. On this day, MINURSO distributed, with the cooperation of the authorities of Morocco and POLISARIO authorities, information materials

and

conducted

presentations

to

the

population

in

Western Sahara, so as to raise perception and awareness regarding the danger of landmines and UXOs.