Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has urged global action to address the humanitarian impact of improvised anti-personnel mines.
He emphasized that these weapons have devastating effects and called on all states that are signatories to the Anti-Personnel Mine Convention to ratify it. The Vice President also reiterated the government’s commitment to promoting a world free from the scourge of landmines and explosive remnants of war.
These remarks were made at the opening of a three-day “Regional Conference on Addressing the Humanitarian Impact of Improvised Anti-Personnel Mines within the Framework of the Convention,” in Accra, on Tuesday. ‘
The conference, organised by the Government of Ghana, through the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons, the European Union, and the Anti-Personnel Mine Convention Implementation Support Unit, provided a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and exchange of best practices and innovative solutions to address the challenges posed by improvised anti-personnel mines globally.
The Convention on the prohibition of the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines and on their destruction, also known as the “Mine Ban Treaty”, has 164 State Parties, including Ghana. It seeks to achieve universal adherence, clear mined areas, destroy stockpiled mines, assist victims, and more.
According to Minesweepers, an estimated 110 million landmines are scattered across the globe. The cost of removing mines ranges from $3 to $30, with the total expenditure for clearing all existing mines projected to range from $50 billion to $100 billion. The Landmine Monitor (2022) report indicates that at least 4,710 individuals were killed or injured by landmines or Explosive Remnants of War (ERWs) in 49 states in 2022, with civilian casualties constituting 85% of the total.
In light of these issues, Vice President Bawumia highlighted the urgent need for concerted action to address the humanitarian impact of improvised anti-personnel mines and called on all States that are not Parties to the Convention to strive towards its ratification. The presence of improvised mines in afflicted states such as Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Nigeria, and Togo exacerbates humanitarian and security challenges, warranting urgent mine clearance and risk mitigation strategies.
The use of improvised anti-personnel mines poses a grave threat to civilians, disrupting livelihoods and impeding socio-economic development. Therefore, compliance with legal instruments is essential to preventing further human suffering and fostering a safer, more secure world for all.
