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A PMN-2 anti-personnel mine: 300 of these were removed from ground in Syria’s northern Idlib Governorate on March 12, according to a report by Human Rights Watch. |
MAG has condemned the use of landmines in Syria.
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Chief Executive, Nick Roseveare, spoke out after news surfaced this week of the Syrian army’s use of anti-personnel landmines near the borders with Lebanon and Turkey.
“We strongly condemn the reported use of anti-personnel landmines by the Government of Syria," he said.
“Landmines are indiscriminate killers during and after conflicts. These weapons don’t obey peace accords or ceasefire agreements. They will lie in the ground for decades after the conflict is over, often killing or maiming civilians trying to re-establish their lives and livelihoods.
"The Syrian Government’s actions have the potential to leave a lasting, deadly legacy – regardless of how the conflict is finally resolved.”
“MAG sees daily the devastation that these weapons cause. When conditions allow, it will be essential that the international community works to prevent further needless loss of life from landmines and other unexploded ordnance in Syria.”
MAG has been delivering Humanitarian Mine Action programmes in a wide range of countries, including in the Middle East, for the past 22 years, and has recently launched Clear Landmines Now – a week of action from 28th March to 4th April, to raise awareness of our work and come together with those who share our vision of a mine-free world.
For more information, see the Clear Landmines Now website.
See also:
Syria: Army planting banned landmines [Human Rights Watch]
ICBL urges world to protest Syria’s use of landmines [ICBL]
Clear Landmines Now: a week of action, 26th March – 4th April
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