Portfolio Ethiopia

Country in Eastern Africa, 1,127,127 sq km. Population 2003 ca. 66,5 million. Population composition: Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigre 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella 6%, Somali 6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%.

Cause and scope of the landmine problem
Ethiopia is one of the most mine-affected countries in Africa, with contamination stemming from a series of internal and international armed conflicts, including:

  • the Ogaden war between Ethiopia and Somalia (1977-1978),
  • the border war with Sudan (1980),
  • internal conflict (1974-1991), and
  • the Ethiopian-Eritrean war (1998-2000).

The Ethiopian Landmine Impact Survey (ELIS) found more than 1.9 million people living in a total of 1,492 mine-affected communities. Ten of the 11 regions are affected to some degree, but the bulk of the contamination is in Afar and Tigray (bordering Eritrea, with ‘classic’ defensive minefields along trench lines stretching for hundreds of kilometres) and Somali (site of the Ogaden War, with more dispersed landmine and UXO contamination). The ELIS also recorded 16,616 casualties, more than half of whom had been killed.

NPA history in the country
In December 2001, NPA was sub-contracted by the Survey Action Centre (SAC) to conduct a national Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) in Ethiopia. The Survey was completed in March 2004.

In May 2005, NPA started a Mine Action Programme in support of the Ethiopian Mine Action Office (EMAO). The support is aimed particularly at developing Mine Detection Dogs and Technical Survey capacities within EMAO. 27 Mine Detection Dogs have been transferred to Ethiopian handlers and 5 Technical Survey Teams are conducting a national survey aimed at updating impact and technical data regarding the landmine and ERW problem in the country.

Capacity
Personnel: 102 national staff, 4 international staff.

Donors
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Links

Landmine Monitor Report for Ethiopia: http://www.icbl.org/lm/2007/ethiopia


If they can find them here, they’ll find them anywhere.

Take a mine-detection dog from the desert of the Somali region, to 3000 meters above sea level at Entoto Mine Action Training Centre. Make him used to the new and very different environment, and re-test him. Then you can be sure that he will operate according to international standard procedures.

Read more(15.08.2008)

Positive End-Review

–We have been waiting for the End-Review to take place for quite some time, and are naturally very pleased with the conclusions being so positive for NPA and EMAO, says Mr Per Breivik, Mine Action Program Manger for NPA in Ethiopia.

Read more(29.06.2008)

Expansion contract signed

On December 17th, NPA signed a 4 million Birr contract with the Ethiopian Mine Action Organization (EMAO) and a local engineer company named Afro-Tsion PLC with the aim of expanding the Mine Action Training Center at Entoto.

Read more(01.02.2008)