Landmine blight on Afghanistan's democratic landscape

The success of last year's elections for the country's first democratically elected president and national assembly marked a major step in securing democracy and stability in Afghanistan. But even with the foundations for change now scored on the political landscape, the real challenge for long-term security depends on how swiftly the new government can develop the economy, rebuild the infrastructure and provide housing, health care and stability for a population of almost 30 million Afghans that includes more than one million refugees.

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President Hamid Karzai is calling for $28 billion in aid over the coming seven years, against growing concerns that Kabul may be neglected as western reconstruction teams focus their efforts in Iraq. He managed to secure a pledge of $5.9 billion from international donors led by the US and UK at a crisis conference held in London in January. Meanwhile, despite the volatile security situation, there are currently some 2000 NGOs working in Kabul alone and a constant flow of incoming investors with new American and European companies setting up every week.

In the struggle to rebuild infrastructure, landmines continue to be a major barrier to both reconstruction and the resettlement of the population. Afghanistan remains one of the most heavily mined countries in the world despite years of intensive mine clearance and the situation remains particularly acute in the border provinces. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan reports a figure of eight million anti-personnel and two million anti-tank mines and UNMAP UN Demining Program believes mines and UXO contaminate some 530km. The process is not straightforward. Whereas mines laid by the Soviets and Afghan forces were catalogued, those deployed by the Taliban in later years were not.

From his base in Kabul, MineTech Country Manager, David Ahern is supporting MineTech demining and security teams in Afghanistan. Eighty-five manual deminers and four dog handlers have been working in Bagram, Kandahar, Qalat and Harat, clearing the ground across areas targeted for reconstruction. In Bagram, the teams have also been demining an area to allow for the extension of the airport.

Confirms David, "The dangers of EOD and landmines are not confined to rural backwaters. In Kandahar and Qalat we have been looking for EOD up to 2 metres deep to enable foundation digging to go ahead. Kabul itself is the most heavily mined capital in the world."

Over the past 12 months, MineTech personnel have unearthed more than 5,000 explosive remnants of war clearing 2.5 million square metres of contaminated land. In October, manual clearance teams, using trained Afghan personnel, headed 100 km north of Kabul to the Panjshir Valley, a mountainous region whose topography has made it the centre of some of the most bitter fighting over the past 20 years. Burned out Soviet tanks still line the rocky road sides, a legacy from the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s when Panjshir was the main stronghold of the Mujahideen rebel resistance. It then became a battleground against the Taliban before the regime was toppled in 2001.

In Panjshir, MineTech has been working directly for the International Organisation for Migration whose objectives are to support the resettlement and repatriation of refugees. To accelerate the clearance, MineTech deployed two Pookies to the project, low ground pressure platforms so named because of their resemblance to the small wide-eyed African bush baby of the same name.

Developed by MineTech to be used in conjunction with a range of different mine detection technologies including Ground Penetrating Radar, they have proved invaluable as a fast, cost effective and accurate solution for identifying and clearing mines from unsurfaced roads. They have already played an important role in opening up essential communication routes in countries such as Eritrea, Kuwait, Sudan, Somalia, Northern Iraq, Northern Iran and Lebanon.

Adds David, "The roads, like the pylons, power lines and dams, have been heavily mined, often to secure essential supply channels. Clearing communication routes that enable people to move safely from one area to another is a basic necessity. Many of the refugees fled the area because of the mines ... and many returnees have become victims."

An estimated 300 Afghan people a month are injured by a land mine or UXO. A shortage of adequate medical facilities has meant that 50% of reported injuries are subsequently fatal.

MineTech continues to expand its presence throughout Afghanistan, providing both mine clearance and security services to reconstruction teams and embassy personnel. Square metre clearance figures for landmines and EOD since 2004 are now in excess of six million.