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Posted by Benoit Darrieux (Tripoli, Lebanon) on 21 July 2009 in People & Portrait and Portfolio.

Few days in Somaliland...

In a village around Hargeisa city, Capital of Somaliland, a man is participating to Mine Risk Awarness briefing, given by an International NGO.

History of minelaying

Somaliland is an unrecognised de facto independent state located in northwest Somalia in the Horn of Africa. Minelaying occurred during the 1964 and 1977 - 78 Ogaden wars, when minefields were laid along the Ethiopian border. This border was heavily mined, including along important access routes. Between 1981 and 1991, the Somali National Movement, a rebel army of mostly northern Somali following, waged an armed insurrection against the regime of Mohamed Said Barre, which saw indiscriminate use of landmines against the civilian population, their homes and farmlands. The most recent use of landmines in Somaliland took place between 1994 and 1995 when militias opposed to the regime of Somaliland President Mohamed Ibrahim Egal and loyalist forces fought fierce battles in Hargeisa and areas south and east of Hargeisa.

The problem

Hargeisa was heavily mined around military bases, refugee camps, private houses and the airport. The war between Ethiopia and Somalia also left behind large amounts of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Somaliland. Thousands of items of unexploded ordnance littered Hargeisa and other regional centres. Large perimeter anti-tank minebelts, which surround former military camps remain uncleared, as do some border minefields and suspect roads.

The majority of mines found in Somaliland are plastic-bodied minimum metal mines. This combined with rocky laterized and metal contaminated ground and inconsistent depths at which the mines were laid, makes it difficult to find mines consistently using conventional metal detectors.

The existence of mines and UXO in various areas of Somaliland threatens the lives and livelihoods of both static and nomadic populations. Many roads remain unused due to the threat of anti-tank mines and areas around locations that were previously army positions or military bases remain a serious threat to the local population.

Sorry if I cannot answer your messages, I'll be out for few days. I will be back early december with pics from Indonesia ! Cheers

As well... loubnan.aminus3.com

All images are copyrighted © Benoit Darrieux and are not to be used without permission.