More than 1,800 fall victim to mines in Bosnia and Herzegovina, says official

More than 1,800 people have been killed or injured in mine-related incidents in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tarik Šerak, a representative of the country’s Mine Action Centre, said. 

He made the remarks at an international conference in Baku, highlighting the country’s ongoing efforts to accelerate mine clearance and strengthen its mine action capacity, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

“A five-year action plan has been developed in the country, outlining specific tasks for further mine clearance,” he noted.

Šerak emphasised the importance of international cooperation and support from the United States, the European Union, and other countries. One of the key priorities, he said, is developing local infrastructure and ensuring its financing.

“An especially large number of such cases were recorded during the first five years (after the 1992–1995 interethnic conflict). In recent years, the situation has improved significantly: in some years, not a single incident was recorded, while in others, only isolated cases were reported,” he added.

Šerak also highlighted the importance of public awareness and specialist training in preventing new incidents. He stressed the need to strengthen the institutional and human-resource capacity of countries involved in mine action.

By Jeyhun Aghazada