AU expresses deep concern as Africa faces growing challenges for mine action  

Date | 2 June 2025

The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council’s (PSC) 1271st session, on 1 April, dedicated to the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine  Action, highlighted growing challenges for mine action in Africa. The session served as an occasion to review the state of affairs around anti-personnel landmines, Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) on the continent as well as to highlight the threats posed by Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA). A communiqué was adopted as the outcome of the session.

2025 marks the final year to meet the deadline set by the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Convention) and the 2014 Declaration of State Parties to the Convention and the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines (Maputo Declaration) for a mine-free world, now extended to 2029 following the 5th Review Conference in Siem Reap, Cambodia last year. According to the latest 2024 Landmines Monitor Report, offering a comprehensive global overview of developments in mine ban and action since 1999, as of October 2024, 33 States Parties have yet to fulfil their mine clearance obligations under Article 5. Of these 14 are AU Member States: Angola, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Zimbabwe.

Map: State parties to the 1997 Anti-Personnel Ban Convention (Source: https://www.apminebanconvention.org/en/membership)

This session came against the background of global setbacks facing the Ottawa Convention, including the use of anti-personnel landmines in some conflicts and the announcement by some European countries of a plan of withdrawal, citing the deteriorating security situation in the region, marked by military threats to States bordering Russia and Belarus. At the continental level, the re-emergence of landmines in some countries previously declared mine-free—including Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, and Mauritania—has raised alarm. Mozambique, which was declared mine-free in 2015, also faces renewed threats due to the use of improvised mines by insurgents in the Cabo Delgado province. Ethiopia also reported massive antipersonnel landmine contamination in 2023, with over 100 km² affected, while Angola, Chad, Eritrea, and Mauritania reported contamination levels ranging from 20 to 99 km².

As one of the regions of the world affected by landmines and increasingly by the use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas, the issues highlighted in this session are of significance for the safety and well-being of civilians on the continent. The human toll of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) remains high. In 2023, at least 5,757 casualties were recorded globally, with civilians bearing the brunt of the impact. Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Ethiopia were among the ten countries with the highest casualty rates, pursuant to the Landmines Monitor Report.

In view of the foregoing, the PSC expressed deep concern over the persistent threat posed by anti-personnel mines, ERW and the growing danger of IEDs, which have become the weapon of choice for non-state armed groups, including terrorist organisations, across the continent.

Funding was one of the critical issues with respect to which the PSC voiced deep concern. It noted that dwindling financial support for Mine Action severely hampers demining efforts in Member States affected by landmines and ERW. This funding shortfall is compelling nations to significantly scale back their Land Mine Action Programmes and clearance operations. There are concerns that shifts in policy and funding priorities of major funding countries, notably the U.S., could have severe repercussions for demining efforts in more than 14 AU Member States reported to be contaminated by landmines. At the same time, despite the increase in international funding for mine action, which surpassed $1 billion in 2023, no African country was among the top ten recipients of international support. Ukraine alone received $308 million—39% of all international donor funds—while African countries, including Chad, Ethiopia, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal, received a combined total of just $19 million over five years (2019–2023), representing less than 1% of global mine action funding.

In addition to a general appeal to the international partners to increase support for Africa’s efforts to eradicate landmines and ERW, the PSC focused on two other supplementary measures. First was the need for national ownership and the primary responsibility of states, including in mobilising resources for mine action. Second, and notably, it called for ‘the establishment of a continental mechanism for mine action.’ What is missing in this respect is how to source and mobilise the requisite funds for supporting member states and for the continental mechanism to play the role of filling in the growing gaps in mine action.

This year’s session additionally put a spotlight on the issue of the use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA), in light of the increasing urbanisation of armed conflicts and the use of explosive weapons, as recently observed in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The use of such weapons in populated areas has been documented to have devastating impacts on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Instead of mobilising political commitment for ending the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, the PSC resorted to a less ambitious policy position. It thus encouraged member states to urgently review and adapt their military policies and practices, and to adopt policy measures that limit the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas—unless adequate mitigation measures are in place to reduce their broad impact and the risk of civilian harm.’ It was a missed opportunity that the use of the words ‘encourage’ and ‘limit’ watered down the force of the policy course of action to be adopted by member states. Not only are member states encouraged only to ‘limit’, but also such limitation can be put aside if ‘adequate mitigation measures’ for reducing the broad impact of the use of explosive weapons are taken. Despite the significance of the formulation of the PSC’s request as a negotiated compromise, the qualifications can additionally undermine effective implementation.

Regarding the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas—formally endorsed by 83 states in November 2022—the PSC requested the AU Commission to continue sensitising Member States on the humanitarian impacts of such weapons and the importance of the Declaration. The PSC also urged those Member States that have not yet done so to endorse the Declaration, given that only 11 AU Member States have done so to date. In view of the upcoming Second International Conference on the Political Declaration, scheduled for November 2025 in Costa Rica, the PSC encouraged AU Member States to actively participate in preparations, including through the drafting of a Common Plan of Action outlining steps in support of the Declaration.

Despite these growing challenges, the policy response and review by the AU shows no progress. Accordingly, in terms of the PSC’s long-standing request for the review of the AU Mine Action and Explosive Remnants of War Strategic Framework (2014–2017) and the development of a Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED) Strategy, the session underscored the urgent need for the AU Commission to share the draft of these documents with Member States for review and validation. Although Regional Economic Communities (RECs) are not explicitly mentioned in this context, their engagement in the review and validation process will be important before their submission to the Council for consideration.

The content of this article does not represent the views of Amani Africa and reflect only the personal views of the authors who contribute to ‘Ideas Indaba’

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