10 August 2000

The United States Government issued a statement August 10 condemning the brutal attack on a group of Afghan humanitarian deminers and five other Afghan citizens traveling with them over the weekend.

The U.S. "extends sincere condolences to the families of the victims, the deminers' colleagues at the Organization for Mine Clearing and Rehabilitation, a UN-affiliated non-governmental organization, and to the people of Afghanistan whose country suffers from landmine infestation and whose safety and economic recovery is threatened by such violence," State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said.

"Afghanistan is one of the most mine-affected countries in the world and approximately 10 to 12 persons a day are killed or injured by landmines there," Boucher said. "The United States calls on all sides to permit the deminers to proceed in peace with their activities that benefit everyone in Afghanistan."

Following is the text of Boucher's statement:

U.S. Department of State
Office of the Spokesman

August 10, 2000

U.S. Condemns Murder of Afghan Humanitarian Deminers

The United States condemns the brutal attack on a group of Afghan humanitarian deminers and five other Afghan citizens traveling with them over the weekend and extends sincere condolences to the families of the victims, the deminers' colleagues at the Organization for Mine Clearing and Rehabilitation, a UN-affiliated non-governmental organization, and to the people of Afghanistan whose country suffers from landmine infestation and whose safety and economic recovery is threatened by such violence.

The deminers had just completed a two-month tour of duty and were driving home to begin a leave break with their families before returning for another two months of arduous and hazardous landmine clearance. Their cars were intercepted by gunmen in southern Herat province who burned the bodies of several of the victims after the attack. Preliminary information indicates that seven deminers and five other Afghan passengers were killed. Reportedly, one deminer was critically wounded but survived this savage assault.

In cooperation with other international donors, the United States channels humanitarian demining aid through the UN's Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan to the UN's Mine Action Program for Afghanistan. The Mine Action Program for Afghanistan works with local non-governmental organizations, such as the Organization for Mine Clearing and Rehabilitation, to remove landmines from precious agricultural land, and from dwellings and other infrastructure. The United States has also directly funded the Organization for Mine Clearing in the past.

The attack on the deminers will hamper the work of that organization. The achievements by humanitarian deminers in Afghanistan have been recognized by all of the warring factions, so far. The United States calls on all sides to permit the deminers to proceed in peace with their activities that benefit everyone in Afghanistan.

Estimates of the numbers of landmines that have been laid in Afghanistan since 1978, and which continue to be planted by all of the factions, range from the hundreds of thousands to several million. Afghanistan is one of the most mine-affected countries in the world and approximately 10 to 12 persons a day are killed or injured by landmines there.

The United States government has provided more than $25 million in humanitarian demining assistance to Afghanistan since fiscal year 1989. The Office of Humanitarian Demining Programs at the U.S. Department of State allocated $3 million of humanitarian demining assistance to Afghanistan in fiscal year 2000. U.S. demining aid to Afghanistan continues to this day, despite the fact that the U.S. has no formal relations with the Taliban who control much of the country.

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Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov