My task this afternoon is to discuss the issue of landmines. I will only give you an insight into landmines. Therefore on behalf of the Chief of Defense Staff who is unavoidably absent but would have liked to be here has mandated me to deliver this short and precise presentation. By way of introduction you may wish to know the definition of landmines. A mine used in warfare is an explosive device designed to destroy or damage personnel or equipment, a mine is often or may be detonated by an action of its victim, by passage of time or by controlled means. There are basically two types of conventional mines: the anti tank mines (AT) mines, then the anti-personnel mines (AP) mines.

You may wish to note the following: the firing mechanism, the casing, the main chart, the booster chart and the detonator or the igniter. This in a short form are the main components of all landmines.

In a conflict situation a discussion or lecture on this subject of landmines would be incomplete if other unexploded ordnances are not mentioned. This unexploded ordnances include: (a) unexploded mortar bombs which fail to detonate on impact (b) rocket propelled grenades designed to detonate on impact either because of swampy conditions where they landed or otherwise soft surface, did not detonate. Bombs fired from alpha jets which failed to explode on impact with a ground surface but are already in an excited state, example we have been able to locate Mayagba – on the Magburaka airfield or Magburaka axis, Mile 38. When you go toward Okro Hill, we have our battalion headquarters at Mgbonthoso, there is an alpha jet bomb which landed there; though it exploded it did not completely explode. It is there right now as I am standing here. Makeni, Kono, etc etc… These are all areas which the alpha jet bombed. Some bombs exploded others did not explode, but they are all excited i.e.. they are all in excited states.

This I want to make mention of… which is not in fact a landmine or an unexploded ordnance. The mere bullet you have, though is safe, you can play with it, but for bush fires – these bullets may have fallen from pouches of soldiers whiles they were on their operations in the bush – with bush fires, these bullets can explode and definitely civilians or those who don’t know may only say they are landmines. These types of explosives I made mention of i.e.. unexploded mortar bombs which fail to detonate, rocket propel grenades – RPGs which fail to detonate on impact, bombs fired from alpha jets are all in their excited states.

Often explode when trampled upon or unsuspecting person finds and touches it as it happens in the film (Handicap International showed a short film on victims of landmines) with those children – they are unsuspecting persons, they were playing and they touched an excited landmine or anti-personnel mine – so it exploded and they were victims. The tendency is for anyone to say whatever explodes is a landmine. We who are military personnel who have ideas in land mining we know they are not all landmines, they may be unexploded ordnances.

My aim therefore for this lecture is to give you an overview of the effect of landmines on the environment – and it’s remedies for the sustenance of peace in Sierra Leone. To cover this aim, I will look closely on the records of landmines in Sierra Leone, I will then jump on to the environment. Later we will discuss or I will give you an insight into discussing the remedial approach.

RECORDS

The first landmine hit recorded in Sierra Leone was at Wordu in the Kono District when the track of one of our Sierra Leone Army (SLA) tanks were destroyed in November 1992 by Revolutionary United Front (RUF) landmines. The second hit was at Jorgu in Kailahun District in 1993. Four more hits occurred in Kailahun where the Sierra Leone Army (SLA) lost Major H. Karo-Kamara, Lt. Kailie, Lt. Fornah just to mention a few officers and many other ranks. It is also worth remembering that the mine explosion in Mano junction took the life of Dr. Lavalie and seriously injured one of our senior SLA officers, Lt. Col. S.T. Davies.

There were however twenty recorded landmines with the RUF supplied by Liberia since I do not want to mention names. The AFRC-RUF junta embarked on mine warfare at the wake of their rule in 1997 and employed anti-tank and anti-personnel as a means of deterring ECOMOG advance toward their position. However they endeavored to keep records and maps of all landmines laid – that included anti-tank and anti-personnel which were demined by joint SLA and ECOMOG engineers – that is to say since we had the records and we had the maps – as peace is now in hand – both SLA and ECOMOG engineers have demined all these areas.

Areas you would like to know that were mined and demined: Gbaneh Bana in the Port Loko District. This was an area in which the RUF operated and therefore we don’t have enough details about the extent of landmines they laid there. However with constant touch with the leadership of the RUF we are gradually knowing whether in fact they laid mines there or not. This place can be found at the Port Loko District map area sheet 50, Sierra Leone series, Freetown environs, sheet 61, scale 1 to 50,000; Yams Farm sheet 61, foot path to Congo. Yams Farm sheet 61, Old Motor Road, Mortema Mountain region sheet 61, 1 to 50,000 scale, Congo that is the high ground beyond Hastings that can be found on sheet 61 scale 1 to 50,000. Yonibana area which I am sure, as was made mentioned by the previous speaker may have been those areas; that can be found in sheet 65 scale 1 to 50,000. Katema Map, Yonibana sheet 65 1 to 50,000 scale. Bahama, Yonibana area, also that can be found in sheet 65 scale 1 to 50,000. However a total of twenty-eight anti-personnel mines were removed by Kamajors and allegedly taken to their headquarters in Moyamba. But the positions they occupied were proof-checked by both SLA and ECOMOG engineers and declared the area mines free zone – that is to say the areas they occupied before they moved to Moyamba, ECOMOG and SLA engineers cross-checked all those areas, and discovered that those areas were mines free zone.

THE ENVIRONMENT

Land mining is an environmental abuse as is rightly put by the previous speaker and has a long term effect. You may also wish to know at this point that even after the second world war there are still mines that are exploding which were laid from that period. As I said, those mines were already in excited states and could be exploded either by handling by the victim or through time, which as laymen is called time bombs – through time they may explode even without touching them if they fail to explode on impact. It is like the AIDS virus in the body which is very disturbing.

SUSTAINABLE PEACE IN SIERRA LEONE

 For sustainable peace in Sierra Leone all warring factions should disclose their landmine positions. It is however not known whether AFRC-RUF alliance or the Kamajors in possession of the Yonibana collection laid landmines or not. However it is the responsibility of the Kamajors and the AFRC-RUF leadership to hand over any landmine or anti-personnel mines in their possessions to ECOMOG/SLA engineers for safe disposal. Remedies and the way forward to sustainable peace in our beloved country is for everyone of us to be sincere. The only way out for all and sundry is to pass on correct information to the appropriate authorities as to the whereabouts, appearances or indication of any strange objects of any colour any where across the country. The ex-combatants should realize that they were operating in their own home land, therefore any environmental abuse resulting in the process was damage done in their own motherland and to their own fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters.