OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER,MINE
ACTION CENTER
AU – Challenges to Meeting Clearance Deadlines under the APM & CCM 5th to 7th March 2013, Addis Ababa
Cooperation Among AU States
WOBOYA VICENT/Coordinator UMAC
Back Ground
o GoU signed the APM in 1997 and joined the 156
State Parties by ratifying it in 1999.
o 2005, Uganda Mine Action Programme
established
o 2006-2007- Training & EOD ops carried out
o 2008 –Actual demining took shape
o 2008- Uganda signed the CCM
o 2010-2011- National Surveys carried out
o 2012 – Uganda declared free of Land mines
Map of cleared mined areas
Cooperation amongst AU States
• AU Mine affected States have diverse
experiences & expertise in mine action
• Cooperation amongst AU States would be
a good driver in knowledge & experience
transfer
• Cooperation can help AU States expedite
their clearance obligations
• Cooperation amongst AU States could
solve some of the difficulties in mine
clearance
Uganda’s Experience
• 2005- 2007 Uganda cooperated with the Govt. of
Kenya in training Ugandan de-miners (Police &
UPDF) at Nairobi IMATC
• Visitation to Tanzania, studied Tanzanian model of
demining by use of rats, though this could not work
for Uganda
• Contributed in mobilizing AU States to sign the
CCM. Sept.
• 2008, like Zambia, Uganda hosted the Africa
regional meeting on CMs, the Kampala Action Plan
was adopted
Uganda’s experience
• 2011-2012, cooperation with the South Sudan
Government in bringing in mine wolf machines
from NPA
- Facilitated boarder entry
- South Sudan Govet. mobilized boarder
communities to accept the clearance operation
- Uganda cleared the boarder area including part
of South Sudan territory
A mine wolf machine in clearance
operating in Bibia, N/Uganda
Summary Areas of Cooperation
• Human resources- personnel can be moved to AU
states in need, once clear requests are made
- Senior level Managers
- De-miners at different levels
-Particular expertise; LIS, IMSMA,
developing of NMAS, Work plans etc
• Equipment- for example
-Uganda can offer some equipment &
personnel to Somalia for if a request is made & funded
• Training is another area of cooperation
How Cooperation can be enhanced
• Thru’ exchange programmes- AU could
take this up
• Inter State Discussions
• Engagement of donors/partners
• Studies of certain mine action models
• Resource mobilization
• Engagement of regional bodies; IGAD,
EAC,ECOWAS, AMISOM, EASF H’qters
based in Adis Ababa
Conclusion
Let us work to realizing clearance deadlines
through seeking for solutions from within
as we maintain strong relations with other
Mine Action Partners
THANK YOU