Cablegate: Data On Anti-Personnel Landmines: Zimbabwe

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

301035Z Mar 01

UNCLASSIFIED PTQ6268

PAGE 01 HARARE 01176 301031Z
ACTION PM-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00
INL-00 DINT-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 EUR-00
FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00
L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01
PA-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 IRM-00 STR-00
TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-01 DRL-02
G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /009W
------------------D943A2 301031Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8538
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

UNCLAS HARARE 001176

SIPDIS

STATE FOR PM/HDP
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: DECL. N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KDEM PINS ZI
SUBJECT: DATA ON ANTI-PERSONNEL LANDMINES: ZIMBABWE

UNCLASSIFIED

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REF: STATE 7023

OVERVIEW
--------

1. AT INDEPENDENCE IN 1980, THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE INHERITED A
LANDMINE PROBLEM ALONG SOME OF ITS BORDERS, WHERE RHODESIAN
SECURITY SERVICES HAD LAID MINES TO HINDER OPERATIONS BY REBEL
GROUPS BASED IN MOZAMBIQUE AND ZAMBIA. ALTHOUGH MINE CLEARANCE
BEGAN IN 1982 IN AFFECTED AREAS, THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT BEGIN TO
MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS UNTIL 1998, WHEN THE NATIONAL DEMINING
OFFICE (NDO) WAS FORMED TO COORDINATE NATIONAL DEMINING EFFORTS.
THE UNITED STATES PROVIDED SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL, TECHNICAL, AND
MATERIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE NDO AND TO A NATIONAL MINE CLEARANCE
SQUADRON ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE ZIMBABWE DEFENSE FORCES.

SCOPE OF PROBLEM
----------------

2. ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL DEMINING OFFICE, AN ESTIMATED 2.5
MILLION MINES WERE IN THE GROUND AT INDEPENDENCE. 700,000 MINES
HAVE NOW BEEN REMOVED, LEAVING 1.8 MILLION STILL TO BE CLEARED.

3. AT INDEPENDENCE, 656 SQUARE KILOMETERS WERE AFFECTED BY MINES
AT INDEPENDENCE. OF THOSE, 237 SQUARE KILOMETERS HAVE NOW BEEN
CLEARED.

4. THERE ARE VERY FEW PEOPLE KILLED OR INJURED BY LANDMINES IN
ZIMBABWE. IN 2000, HOWEVER, TWO PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND TWO INJURED
IN TWO SEPARATE INCIDENTS INVOLVING LAND MINES. IN THE FIRST CASE,
THREE CHILDREN WERE PLAYING IN THE EASTERN HIGHLANDS NEAR A MINE
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 HARARE 01176 301031Z
FIELD WHICH WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING CLEARED. ONE OF THE
CHILDREN FOUND AND PICKED UP A MINE; IT DETONATED, KILLING TWO OF
THEM AND SERIOUSLY INJURING THE OTHER. IN THE SECOND INCIDENT, A
MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL MINE CLEARANCE SQUADRON LOST ONE OF HIS LEGS
BELOW THE KNEE AFTER HE SLIPPED OFF A ROCK AND LANDED ON A MINE.

IRVING

UNCLASSIFIED

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