Azerbaijan presents urgent mine issue at UN meeting, calls for global action

At the 28th International Meeting of Heads of National Demining Agencies and UN Advisors in Geneva, Azerbaijan presented the ongoing mine problem it faces and the extensive efforts being made to address it.

The presentation was made by the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA), which reported on the continued threat of landmines left in the wake of nearly 30 years of occupation by Armenia, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

The Azerbaijani delegation at the meeting was led by Samir Poladov, Deputy Chairman of ANAMA's board, who emphasized the global scale of the mine contamination issue, calling it one of the most severe humanitarian problems worldwide.

The event featured various panel discussions focused on the use of new technologies alongside traditional methods in humanitarian demining efforts.

Azerbaijan has been severely affected by landmine contamination due to the occupation of its territories by Armenia, which lasted nearly three decades. Even after the conclusion of the 44-day Patriotic War, Armenia's continued actions in planting new mines have prolonged the suffering of Azerbaijanis. This includes the placement of mines in areas crucial for the reconstruction and development of infrastructure in the liberated territories. Mines also hinder the safe return of displaced Azerbaijani families to their homes. The threat posed by these mines remains a constant danger to civilian lives.

Azerbaijan’s difficulties have been compounded by illegal activities carried out through the Lachin corridor, even after the conflict ended. In 2022, over 2,700 anti-personnel mines, produced in Armenia in 2021, were discovered in the Lachin and Kalbajar districts. This evidence further underscores the continued peril posed by the deliberate planting of landmines by Armenia in Azerbaijani territory.

The toll of landmine explosions on Azerbaijan has been catastrophic. Since 1991, more than 3,400 people have been victims of mine-related incidents, including 359 children and 38 women. The majority of these incidents have occurred in civilian-populated areas, infrastructure zones, and even cemeteries, suggesting a strategy by Armenia aimed at causing civilian casualties rather than targeting military objectives. This deliberate placement of mines in civilian areas appears to be part of a broader pattern of ethnic hostility against Azerbaijanis.

Despite multiple international calls for Armenia to provide accurate minefield maps, Armenia initially denied the existence of mines in the territories it occupied. Only after substantial international pressure did Armenia release some minefield maps, but they proved to be incomplete and unreliable. The maps covered only a small fraction of the mined areas and were found to be only 25% accurate. In fact, over 55% of recent mine-related incidents have occurred outside the areas covered by these maps, highlighting the inadequacy of the data provided.

Azerbaijan has been actively working to clear its liberated territories of landmines. The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) is the leading organization responsible for this task, as well as for facilitating the safe return of displaced Azerbaijanis and supporting post-war reconstruction.

ANAMA was officially established in January 2021 through the restructuring of the National Agency for Mine Clearance, which had been operating since 1998. The agency cooperates closely with international mine action organizations and follows International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) to ensure that cleared territories are internationally certified as safe.

The ongoing efforts of ANAMA are critical for the rehabilitation of the affected areas and the safe return of displaced families, highlighting Azerbaijan’s commitment to addressing the humanitarian crisis caused by landmines.

By Tamilla Hasanova