Facts about land mines and land mine victims in Angola

Download The annual report on mine fields and landmine accidents from INAROEE here. 

Key figures from the annual report

Number of mine accidents and mine victims

Number of reported accidents and victims by province

Reports on known or suspected minefields and locations of unexploded ordnances

Reported known or suspected minefields by province and their priority for clearing

Number of mine accidents and mine victims

Accidents and victims of landmines and unexploded ordnance are reported to the Mine action database at INAROEE by military and civilian authorities, hospitals and non-governmental organizations working with mine awareness campaigns. The real number of accidents and victims are presumed to be higher than what has been reported.

The table shows a sharp rice in the number of accidents reported to INAROEE few years before 2000. This is an expression of the establishment of a information system on mine accident rather than an expression of a increase in the number of accidents and victims in these years. 

Number of reported accidents and victims by province

Accidents and victims of landmines are reported from all over Angola. However the capacity to report mine accidents and victims varies. It is therefore important to remember that the actual number of mine accidents and victims in the provinces can be quite different.

The table shows that most of the reported mine accidents occurred in the provinces of Malanje and Moxico.

Top Reports on known or suspected minefields and locations of unexploded ordnances

The landmine survey in Angola was one of the first of it’s kind. Since 1998 the survey report forms are based upon the International Standard for Mine Action Surveys that was implemented partly based upon results from the Angolan experiences and recommendations.

The landmine survey for Angola is not yet complete and can not be regarded as a decisive tools for defining parts of Angola that are mine free or less affected by mines than others. Only when peace is achieved in Angola it will be possible to complete a national survey of Angola.

The table above shows that the number of surveys conducted since the beginning of the survey in 1997. Most of the minefields were identified in 1995 and 1996 before new intensive fighting erupted all over the country in 1992. However a small number of landmine surveys have been conducted every year since. There have been no reports of remining of cleared mine fields, however there have been reports regarding new mines being laid.

Reported known or suspected minefields by province and their priority for clearing

Surveys for mine fields are conducted in two different ways in Angola. A level one survey or impact survey is a general inquiry among experts, health and aid workers, village authorities and ordinary members of a community for areas known or suspected of containing landmines or unexploded ordnance. The known and suspected areas are visually inspected from safe distance and mapped as points, lines and polygons. 

In Angola there has been made distinctions between areas known for having landmines or unexploded ordnance and areas suspected of having being contaminated by such weapons. In addition a third distinction is made in order to identify survey reports filed by organizations that does not posess satisfactory training in land mine surveying.

A level two survey or technical survey is a detailed demarcation the size, shape and location of an area with mines or unexploded ordnance. During such investigations minefields are mapped on large scale maps and marked physically in the terrain. Such investigations are very rare in Angola due to lack of capacity.

A level three survey or completion report are reports from actual demining operations. It is normal to distinguish between reports from clearance operations start, when it eventually is suspended for some reason and when it ends. The final report brings with it detailed information on the number of landmines and unexploded ordnance found and the area or distance cleared. Due to the lack of technical survey data and capacities, the area cleared tends to be relatively high and the number of devices found relatively small compared with clearance operations in other countries.

The table shows that the number of minefields reported is the highest in the provinces of Bie, Benguela, Kuando Kubango, Bengo, Huambo, Huila and Kuanza Norte. The provinces of Moxico, Zaire, Kunene, have moderate numbers of reported minefields and locations of unexploded ordnance. The provinces of Lunda Sul, Cabinda Uige, Namibe, Luanda, Lunda Norte have lower number of minefields.

When looking on the degree of coverage of the minefield surveys we know that particularily the provcines of Moxico, Kuando Kubango, Bie, Lunda Norte and Kunza Sul has not been completed. Particularily Moxico and Lunda Norte remains unexplored territory.

The number minefields and unexploded ordnance has to be seen in relation to the population it affects.