The Falkland Islands are now finally free of lethal minefields
almost 40 years after the end of the conflict during which
thousands of exploding devices were laid.
A UK-funded programme which started in 2009 has completed its
dangerous mission to de-mine the islands in the South Atlantic
three years ahead of schedule.
The removal of the mines laid during the 1982 conflict with
Argentina means the UK has now met its obligations set by the
Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention.
As a result the warning signs and fences that have been a feature
on the islands since the end of the conflict will be removed
during a local event. The removal of the last mine means there
are no anti-personnel mines on British soil anywhere in the
world.
Islanders will mark the moment with the detonation of the final
mine and the cutting down of fences which will finally re-open
their access to beaches. Games of cricket and football will be
played on the beach itself, to enjoy unrestricted access.
Minister , UK Minister with responsibility for the Falklands,
said:
“This is a huge achievement for the Islands and we must pay
tribute to the brilliant team of deminers who put their lives at
risk day to day removing and destroying landmines to make the
Falklands safe.
“Our commitment to ridding the world of fatal land mines does
not end with our territories being mine free. A further £36
million of UK funding will allow demining projects across the
world to continue, protecting innocent civilian lives.”
The demining team from Zimbabwe, with supervising staff from
British companies SafeLane Global and Fenix Insight had to
struggle with the islands’ challenging physical conditions, often
working in remote locations and through the unpredictable and
sometimes extreme Falklands weather, to achieve the goal to rid
the Falklands of mines.
The UK is one of the world’s leading forces in ridding the world
of mines. An additional £36 million of funding has therefore been
given to the UK-funded Global Mine Action Programme 2, bringing
the total to £124m, to continue demining projects in Africa, the
Middle East and Asia. This recognises that landmines continue to
cause harm and damage lives, many years after conflicts are over.
Further detail:
- The Falklands will be officially declared landmine free on
the 14 November in a local celebration. There will also be an
official celebration hosted by the UK at Government House on the
17 November, where the deminers will be presented with
certificates signed by Minister Morton.
- Countries benefitting from the additional £36 million of
funding under the Global Mine Action Programme 2 are Afghanistan,
Angola, Cambodia, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan,
South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.
- GMAP2, which started in 2018, addresses the threat posed by
landmines and other explosive remnants of war. By June 2020 it
had cleared and confirmed safe the equivalent of 28,800 football
pitches of mines and delivered mine risk education to over 2
million people.
