Eritrea

Eritrea was in serious violation of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) for several years, as it failed to request an extension to its third extended Article 5 mine clearance deadline which expired on 31 December 2020. However, on 16 November 2023, Eritrea submitted a long-overdue fourth request to extend its clearance deadline. The interim request was granted by the Twenty-First Meeting of the States Parties (21MSP) and a new deadline set for 31 December 2024.Implementation Support Unit, “Eritrea”, accessed 12 August 2024, at: https://bit.ly/3WEcvDT. In its two-paragraph request, Eritrea stated that a restructuring of the Eritrean Demining Authority (EDA) was underway and pledged to work with the President, the Committee on Article 5 Implementation, and the Implementation Support Unit (ISU) to submit a detailed extension request by 31 March 2024 for consideration by the Fifth Review Conference in November 2024.Article 5 deadline Extension Request, submitted on 16 November 2023. As at mid-October 2024, no such request had been submitted. If no extension request is submitted and granted at the Fifth Review Conference, Eritrea will again be in serious violation of Article 5 after its current deadline expires on 31 December 2024.

Eritrea’s extension request of November 2023 was a reversal of its position four months prior when, in July 2023, the President of the Twenty-First Meeting of the States Parties to the APMBC announced that Eritrea had announced its decision to withdraw from the Convention. As mentioned, Eritrea’s Article 5 deadline had expired on 31 December 2020 after it was granted an interim extension a year earlier. Eritrea was expected to submit a more detailed extension request by 31 March 2020 but failed to do so and did not seek a further extension, placing it in serious violation of the Convention.

Prior to the President’s announcement that Eritrea had decided to withdraw from the Convention, the President had also stated that on 9 June 2023 that, following the Decision of the Twentieth Meeting concerning the situation of non-compliance by Eritrea, a request for clarification from Eritrea through the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General had been launched in accordance with Article 8(2) of the Convention.Email newsletter, “On the eve of the 2023 Intersessionals”, ISU, 9 June 2023. This is the first time in the history of the Convention that this formal procedure for the facilitation and clarification of compliance has been invoked.

Subsequently, the President of 21MSP announced that, on 21 June 2023, Eritrea responded to the request for clarification from the UN Secretary-General, indicating that the “Government of the State of Eritrea has decided to withdraw from the Convention in accordance with Article 20 of the Convention”.Letter from the President of the 21MSP regarding “Response from Eritrea to the Request for Clarification under Article 8.2”, 3 July 2023. Eritrea cited its reason for withdrawal from the Convention as “experts on mission for the United Nations assigned to oversee the implementation process … engaged themselves in unlawful activities, for the purpose of gathering unauthorized information of the state, which could have compromised the state’s classified intelligence and thereby threaten the national security.”Letter from Osman Saleh, Minister, Government of Eritrea, regarding “Decision for the withdrawal of the State of Eritrea from the Anti-Personal [sic] Mine Ban Convention” to the UN Secretary-General, 21 June 2023.

On 2 October 2023, Eritrea wrote to the UN Secretary-General stating its decision to rescind its notification of intent to withdraw from the APBMC. Following the establishment of a cooperative dialogue with the President of the 21MSP, Eritrea, on 16 November 2023, submitted its request to extend its Article 5 deadline, which was granted by the 21MSP. The States Parties welcomed Eritrea’s re-engagement with the work of the Convention and their participation at the 21MSP.“Draft Review of the Operation and Status of the Convention of the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction: 2019–2024, Submitted by the President of the Fifth Review Conference”, p. 37.

Eritrea has reported no progress in survey or clearance of mined areas or in the development of a national mine action programme in the last five years. It has wilfully failed to comply with its obligation under Article 5 of the APMBC to complete clearance as soon as possible. There is no indication of any demining since the end of 2013, which, without exceptional justification, would itself amount to a serious violation of the Convention. Eritrea has also not submitted an Article 7 report since 2014.

Prior to November 2023, Eritrea submitted its previous (third) extension request in November 2019, just before the Fourth APMBC Review Conference. In January 2014, Eritrea had previously secured a second Article 5 deadline extension to continue clearance and to complete re-survey of suspected hazardous areas (SHAs). The States Parties granted Eritrea its extension request at the Third Review Conference in June 2014, but noted that five additional years beyond Eritrea’s previous February 2015 deadline “appeared to be a long period of time to meet this objective”.Decision on Eritrea’s Second Article 5 deadline Extension Request, Third APMBC Review Conference, Maputo, 26 June 2014.

In the interim third extension request submitted on 11 November 2019, just two weeks before the start of the Fourth APMBC Review Conference, Eritrea said it had not gained any clarity on the remaining anti-personnel (AP) mine contamination during the second extension period as Eritrea’s demining capacity had been diverted to other government development programmes, such as construction and agriculture, and that mine action had faced financial and resource shortfalls and required external assistance to continue operations. At the time, Eritrea stated it believed that it had the necessary experience and expertise to address the challenges but would require international support.

The EDA was said to be in the process of restructuring and no information was provided in the interim extension on outstanding contamination, survey or clearance. Eritrea claimed it was planning to submit a more detailed extension request by 31 March 2020 with information on remaining mine contamination, progress made and a detailed work plan for implementation.Interim Article 5 deadline Extension Request, 11 November 2019, pp. 2–3. However, no such detailed extension request has yet been submitted.

Since the Fourth Review Conference in 2019, treaty presidents and the Committee on Article 5 Implementation have endeavoured to establish a cooperative dialogue with Eritrea.“Draft Review of the Operation and Status of the Convention of the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction: 2019-2024, Submitted by the President of the Fifth Review Conference”, p. 37. At the Nineteenth Meeting of States Parties in 2021, the States Parties collectively expressed grave concern that Eritrea had not engaged in a cooperative dialogue and remained in a situation of non-compliance. The Meeting noted that if the situation persisted, States Parties should consider seeking clarification and resolving questions relating to compliance by Eritrea through the UN Secretary-General in accordance with Article 8(2) of the Convention.Draft Final Report of the Nineteenth Meeting of States Parties to the APMBC, 18 November 2021.

At the Twentieth Meeting of States Parties in 2022, States Parties mandated the President of 21MSP to seek clarification and resolve questions on compliance by Eritrea through the good offices of the UN Secretary-General.Email newsletter, “Colombia concludes presidency, 20MSP recap”, ISU, 16 December 2022. The decision also noted that the President and office holders of the Convention stood ready to sustain a cooperative dialogue with Eritrea to see that this situation could be overcome as soon as possible, and that Eritrea would be supported in reengaging in the work of the Convention.“Draft Review of the Operation and Status of the Convention of the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction: 2019–2024, Submitted by the President of the Fifth Review Conference”, p. 37.

• Eritrea should urgently submit a request to extend its Article 5 deadline. for consideration by States Parties at the Fifth Review Conference, to ensure that it has an Article 5 clearance deadline in place and is in compliance with the APMBC.
• The government should ensure that identification and release of mined areas confirmed or suspected to contain AP mines is undertaken as a matter of urgency.
• Eritrea should urgently submit an up-to-date list of all confirmed or suspected mined areas and a detailed annual and multi-year work plan for survey and clearance.
• Eritrea must urgently submit its outstanding annual Article 7 reports, the latest of which was due by 30 April 2024.
• Eritrea should reconsider its policy of excluding international technical assistance in mine action, which would support efficient land release and re-open international funding paths.

Click here to download the "Clearing the Mines 2024" report for Eritrea.