How affects, in general, the problem of mines in Colombia?

When we speak of Integral Action Against Antipersonnel Mines (AICMA) we are actually talking about three main types of explosive devices: MAP or Anti-Personnel Mines, MUSE or UXO and IEDs or Improvised Explosive Devices with characteristics of Antipersonnel Mine. They talk about all these types of devices because they all have the characteristic of not discriminating, because they do not distinguish who would exploit; cause injury or unnecessary suffering, because they have a high ability to maul people; and cause serious and lasting damage to the environment because they leave contaminated, intransitables e inservibles zonas extensas de territorio.

Given this, Official statistics indicate that Colombia is the second country in the world -for behind Afghanistan- more victims minors and the third country in the world -for behind Afghanistan and Cambodia- with victims by MAP / MUSE / AEI. Much of Colombian municipalities in virtually all departments are affected by the presence of such artifacts, lo que hace que sea un problema realmente importante.

How many municipalities affected? How many could have?, it's known?

The problem of MAP / MUSE / AEI affects hundreds of municipalities in Colombia since they are scattered all over the territory where they have been fighting or presence of armed non-state actors. The Directorate for Integrated Mine Action (DAICMA) -state entity who worked on the project management territorially, has identified 12 departments in which they have prioritized 76 highly contaminated municipalities. In all of them we are working. The Colombian Campaign Against Mines (CCCM), an association of great relevance in this topic, with whom I work on another project and is partner in the project mentioned method, has 57 prioritized locations along 10 departamentos colombianos.

Sin embargo, we must bear in mind that it is prioritized municipalities and departments to have a lot of victims or the presence of artifacts, indicating that they are not only where there. It is estimated that 1200 Colombian municipalities, some 700 tienen afectación por este tipo de artefactos.

Is there to be an expert to identify them?

To mark minefields must be expert and may be dangerous both to point out the artifacts and report them to the authorities. Sometimes it is the farmers themselves or people in the community who see the artifacts and warn the authorities. I say sometimes because they call the authorities may end up relating them to the police-army, Air Force, marina or constable, which can put your safety at risk. To avoid risks and accidents that create new victims, debe ser un tema tratado por expertos adecuadamente preparados y equipados.

Can anyone help to locate them?

Of course yes, the DAICMA itself has a very robust data based on a system called IMSMA where artifacts are found and reported there demining battalion of the Colombian army dedicated to withdrawing and point. Además existe una organización británica llamada Halo Trust que es la primera organización civil acreditada para desminar.

There are also civilians who decide to withdraw. Many of them end up being victims of these artifacts; It is not supported by the government or organizations engaged in this practice, because when people unprepared and accreditation to do so at great risk. I heard curious anecdotes, like a farmer who retired tired that no mine and decided to remove his garden; or an indigenous community that was dedicated to removing and storing explosives in bombs cemeteries, because for security reasons they could not ask for help or the guerrillas or the army. Además, Imagino que contratar a un grupo de expertos para que se ocupen de encontrarlas y eliminarlas tendría un coste altísimo y por eso no se hace tanto como debería.

Do the FARC could not help locate?

And, probably they know where some of them even remember also Antipersonnel Mines (MAP) and IEDs (AEI) we are talking about duds (MUSE) which may have been scattered from either side. De hecho, in the joint statement of 7 March 2015 between the government and the guerrillas in the framework of the peace process being carried out, ya se ha acordado que miembros de las FARC apoyarán el desminado localizando estos artefactos.

Are the areas known mines sure there are marked?

Generally there is no signage; there are only signs where the army or are Halo Trust demining. The most common is that signs that point are placed while waiting to withdrawing. Sometimes ANSAs themselves prevent the population indicating that an area may be mined and not pass through it. Ahora, civilians can see artifacts and do not place the posters for fear, or interested persons can remove the posters. It can happen. Consider that when these devices are placed are made for something and probably puts them who are not interested in them removed. Then, basic advice Risk Education Mine (ERM) It is that "where there is a mine, there are more mines ", so if someone sees a signaling of these artifacts, puede suponer que hay una zona minada que debería evitar.

Are they carrying out demining? How I am fighting this?

As I said, if you are doing. But this is more complex because being an internal armed conflict or No International Armed Conflict (NIAC under international humanitarian law), responds to a different dynamics to those normally responds an International Armed Conflict (ARGUE), It characterized by territorial control and defined the war fronts. En este caso, There are several fronts very shifting armed and poorly defined along widely scattered places; lo que hace que a veces los actores armados ilegales se confundan con la población y que los artefactos puedan estar en cualquier sitio.

The Colombian conflict is characterized as dynamic as the warring groups move much, They are not static. If we consider that others do-the demining humanitarian demining clean or completely free of artifacts zone- It is horrendously expensive; this results only be done in places where there is assurance that they will not happen again illegal armed actors and are not going to replace mine, or not they will again give ammunition they can stop fighting around irrigated. Because, humanitarian demining moment is only carried out in some areas and what is more commonly it is the military demining, que tiene como objetivo limpiar puntos estratégicos o caminos por los que pasa el ejército.

Is the population is aware of this? Are you adequately informed of the deaths that occur?

I think the people who take them seriously is the population that suffers. I do not think the rest of the country is properly conscious of what this really means. The deaths are more or less accounted, but keep in mind that this type of artifacts rather than what they do is kill maul. Often these devices are designed for that, which makes them particularly cruel weapons and why they are contrary to International Humanitarian Law.

Además, It must take into account that in addition to the victims produced by such devices a phenomenon of contamination of territories is given, which means that you can not grow or move in places where they are, affecting freedom of movement and economic development of the areas affected by APM / MUSE / AEI. Not to mention what are called incidents, that is when no direct casualties occur but there has been a detonation that can affect animals, por ejemplo.

El post “Las minas se cobran vidas, pero también mutilan la libertad y el desarrollo económico de los pueblos” se publicó antes en Blog Grupo Método.