01 July 2001

Fact Sheet: United States Humanitarian Demining Programs in Africa

The State Department's Office of Humanitarian Demining Programs July 6 issued a fact sheet listing the nations of Africa that are land-mine-affected and detailing the demining and other assistance provided by the United States to some of the countries.

Assistance is in the form of training and materials in mine awareness, demining, and medical technology. The United States is also implementing mine-detection dog programs in several African countries.

Following is the text of the State Department fact sheet:

Fact Sheet
Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Office of Humanitarian Demining Programs
Washington, DC
July 1, 2001
United States Humanitarian Demining Programs in Africa

The U.S. Government's Humanitarian Demining Program seeks to relieve human suffering while promoting U.S. interests. The Program's objectives are to reduce civilian casualties, create conditions for the return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes, reinforce an affected country's stability, and encourage international cooperation and participation. The Program seeks to accomplish these objectives by helping to establish and support sustainable indigenous mine action capabilities in mine-affected nations. Since FY 1993, the United States has committed almost $500 million to global mine action initiatives, including research and development.

• Among the nations of Africa, 27 are considered landmine/UXO-affected. The United States is providing humanitarian demining assistance to 14 of these countries: Angola, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Northwest Somalia, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

• Since FY 1993, total U.S. spending on humanitarian demining in Africa has been approximately $107,470,270.

• Mine awareness training and materials, such as various media/sign postings have helped to reduce landmine casualties.

• U.S. Department of Defense personnel have trained a minimum of 1,700 deminers and medical technicians in at least seven countries.

• Thousands of landmines/UXO have been destroyed in Africa.

• Deminers have cleared hundreds of square meters of land and thousands of kilometers of roadway in Africa, enabling hundreds of thousands of refugees to return to their homes.

• The United States is currently conducting or assessing implementation of mine-detection dog programs in several African countries, including Eritrea, Mozambique, and Rwanda.

• The United States has assisted several African countries by providing funding and training for prostheses services to fit over 7,000 amputees with prosthetic devices.

• Namibia and Rwanda have reached the sustainment phase in their humanitarian demining programs. Zimbabwe will reach the sustainment phase in 2001.