Land mines a grave danger
2004-03-10 20:24
Addis Ababa - More than 1 200 Ethiopians have been killed or injured by land mines in this Horn of Africa nation during the past two years, and the lives of 2 million people are endangered by the weapon and other unexploded ordinance, according to a survey.
The survey, conducted by Norwegian People's Aid and a government body, found that more than 30 types of mines of have been used in Ethiopia since Italian troops invaded the country in 1935, causing misery throughout the country, Adam Combs, operations chief with the aid group, said on Wednesday.
"There is a chance that anyone of these 2 million people could be injured or killed by land mines or unexploded ordnance," Combs said. "Their daily lives are hindered in one way or another by land mines."
The survey, which is to be released on Thursday, found that land mines and unexploded ordnance affect 1 492 communities and 1 295 people have been killed or injured by the weapons in the last two years, Combs said. Some 16 000 people have been the victims of blasts since mines were first laid in Ethiopia, he added.
The worst affected areas are northern parts of the country, close to the border with Eritrea, and eastern regions bordering Somalia because of wars Ethiopia fought with its neighbours, the survey found.
Ethiopia fought a brutal border war with Eritrea that formally ended in December 2000, and both countries littered the border region with mines. Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after fighting a 30-year guerrilla war.
Ethiopia fought a war with Somalia after Somali troops invaded eastern parts of Ethiopia in 1977.
Norwegian People's Aid spent two years carrying out the survey with the government's Mine Action Office and visited 4 500 villages and towns, Combs said.
- AP