Report on Land Mines 2002

FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA[1]

Key developments since May 2001: The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has initiated the process to accede to the Mine Ban Treaty. FRY reported destruction of 90,000 stockpiled antipersonnel mines from April 2001-May 2002, and has called for assistance to deal with future stockpile destruction and mine clearance. FRY established a mine action center in Belgrade in April 2002.

MINE BAN POLICY

Following the Federal Government's decision on 20 April 2001 to join the Mine Ban Treaty, preparations for accession were launched by the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In April 2002, the Ministry said that the legislative proposal had been approved by the Federal Ministries of Justice and Defense, and was before the Ministry of Finance. The government will then adopt the proposal and forward it to the Federal Assembly for adoption.[2]

In February 2002, the visiting Canadian Ambassador for Mine Action, Daniel Livermore, was reported in a Belgrade newspaper as expressing the belief based on his official contacts that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) would join the treaty by the end of 2002.[3] In March 2002, FRY's report to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) stated that the "General Staff of the YA [Yugoslav Army] believes that FRY should sign and ratify the 'Ottawa Convention.'" Yugoslavia "is planning in the next period to sign and ratify," and is also "supporting all the efforts that are directed to the unique prohibition of antipersonnel mines and non-deviation of the highest standards consisted in the [treaty]."[4]

The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia has claimed that the accession process has been unnecessarily delayed. It organized a panel discussion on the Mine Ban Treaty on 6 June 2001, which resulted in national media calls for progress on accession.[5]

At the June 2001 panel discussion, two representatives of the Yugoslav Army said the Army would give up antipersonnel mines only if replacement weapons were found and asserted that antipersonnel mines remained an extremely important weapon in the defense system of small countries.[6]

A Stability Pact mission in September 2001 said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was "very frank as to the reasons why they could not yet accede," noting the need for donor assistance to meet the four-year limit on stockpile destruction, and the "internal sensitive political considerations to overcome in terms of public opinion about the usefulness of APM for the protection of their borders from incursion by non-state actors."[7]

FRY attended the Third Meeting of States Parties in September 2001, in Managua, Nicaragua.[8] In its statement, FRY noted that on 20 April 2001, it had decided in principle to accede to the Mine Ban Treaty and would do so as soon as possible. But it also said extremist groups were still using antipersonnel mines on Yugoslav territory and that after accession, FRY would implement the treaty on the territory under its control, but could not implement it on Yugoslav territory not within its control. It noted that it would be difficult and costly to complete stockpile destruction within the time limit specified by the treaty, and substantial international assistance would be needed for the clearance of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO), including cluster bombs. FRY saw itself as being at the start of a long process.[9]

On 29 November 2001, FRY co-sponsored and voted in favor of UN General Assembly Resolution 56/24M, calling for universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty. FRY attended the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in January and May 2002.[10] During the May session, FRY also attended for the first time a meeting of the Reay Group on Mine Action, which is part of the Stability Pact for South East Europe.

FRY is a State Party to 1980 Protocol II, but not to 1996 Amended Protocol II to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW). It did not attend the Third Annual Conference of States Parties to Amended Protocol II in December 2001. It did, however, attend the Second CCW Review Conference in December 2001

PRODUCTION, TRANSFER AND STOCKPILING

In March 2002, FRY reported that it "is not producing new mines, nor selling them to other countries and in the stockpiles there are mines produced before 1990."[11] Military officials have stated categorically that, since 1992, the Yugoslav military industry has not produced landmines.[12] No information has been made publicly available about the size and make-up of the stockpile of antipersonnel mines.

In May 2002, FRY announced that since making the decision in April 2001 to accede to the Mine Ban Treaty, FRY has destroyed 90,000 antipersonnel mines, as an indication of its commitment.[13]

On 27 September 2001, a Stability Pact mission visited Belgrade, as part of an assessment in several Balkan countries of "the technical options and future requirements for the destruction of APM stockpiles in order to move towards realistic programs in this area in keeping with international obligations." The mission was conducted for the Reay Group on Mine Action, which forms part of Working Table III (Security Issues) of the Stability Pact for South-East Europe. The mission had expected that details of Yugoslav stockpiles would be given, but this did not occur. It reported that it believes Yugoslavia to possess the following types of antipersonnel mines: PMA 1, PMA 2, PMA 3, PMR 2A, PMR 3, PP Mi Sr and PROM 1, but in "unknown quantities."[14] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained later that the Ministry of Defense did not wish to provide the information because the FRY was still not a member of the Mine Ban Treaty and was, therefore, not obliged to do so.[15]

The mission found that storage conditions for the antipersonnel mines were good, but general explosives safety fell below international standards.

USE

Landmine Monitor Report 2001 reported on use of antipersonnel mines in the former Ground Safety Zone (GSZ) established by NATO between Serbia and Kosovo.[16] Before Yugoslav forces entered the buffer zone in late May 2001 in a NATO-approved operation, irregular forces based there deployed mines and other explosive devices against Serbian forces, including use in the municipalities of Bujanovac, Preševo, Medveda and Kuršumlija. An article in a military journal described the fear among farmers, and especially children, about mines planted on village roads in Preševo municipality, and casualties from antipersonnel mines.[17]

Mine incidents in southern Serbia have continued in 2001 and 2002, but it is unclear if these result from earlier deployment or represent new use. The frequency of mine incidents appears to have reduced in late 2001 and in 2002, as has the general level of violence.[18] Press accounts identify at least three antipersonnel mine incidents in 2001 (see Casualties section below).

The Ministry of Internal Affairs recorded a total of 34 incidents involving 109 mines and explosive devices in the southern Serbian municipalities of Bujanovac, Preševo, Medveda and Kuršumlija between 1 May 2001 and 5 March 2002.[19] In 15 cases, a total of 84 antipersonnel mines were found, all in the municipality of Bujanovac. One mine exploded causing the death of one civilian and injury to another, while the other 83 were deactivated and removed.

In addition, between 1 May 2001 and 5 March 2002, six weapons caches were discovered in southern Serbia, which included 152 antipersonnel mines and 38 antitank mines.[20] On 23 July 2002, Serbian police discovered a large cache of weapons including 150 mines in Dobrosin village.[21]

LANDMINE/UXO PROBLEM

Information on the mine/UXO problem in FRY remains incomplete. Different areas have been contaminated by mines and UXO in several different periods of time. Northwestern areas bordering Croatia, and the Montenegro/Croatia border, were mined in the early 1990s, by Serbian forces including the Yugoslav Army. Southern and other border areas were mined, to an unknown extent, by Serbian forces including the Yugoslav Army in 1998 and 1999, in anticipation of a NATO land invasion. Military and industrialized areas and communications centers were targeted (including with cluster bombs) in the NATO air bombardment of 1999, resulting in UXO. Irregular forces based in the GSZ used antipersonnel and antitank mines against Serbian forces, from 1999 until at least mid-2001.

The Army General Staff states that records exist of minefields placed by the Yugoslav Army, but not of minefields placed by paramilitary forces. However, the Engineer Department of the General Staff states that mined areas are known precisely, and that the areas are marked. The General Staff has not yet authorized publication of this information,[22] although FRY's OSCE report states that "FRY is ready to make an exchange of the information considering the laid mines and minefields...as the item of their destruction with countries that are interested in this matter...and international humanitarian organizations for mine actions."[23]

At a Stability Pact seminar in Croatia on 9-10 October 2001, two representatives from the Yugoslav Army described the problem as "primarily one of UXO clearance but there were some areas that would require the removal of mines."[24] According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, unexploded cluster bomblets and other UXO from the NATO bombardment in 1999 are scattered throughout inhabited areas, including Belgrade, and the responsible bodies are still not familiar with all the locations, and this represents a major threat to the civilian population.[25]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs compiled a report which identifies six municipalities contaminated with unexploded cluster bomblets, 31 municipalities contaminated with large aerial bombs, and 26 municipalities contaminated with mines and UXO from armed conflicts prior to 1999.[26] At the Standing Committee meetings in May 2002, the Yugoslav delegation presented this information, and added that the estimated cost of clearance was ?1.2 million ($1,077,600).

Also in May, a representative of the NATO Partnership for Peace (PfP) announced that a PfP Trust Fund program for FRY was being planned, including projects to deal with antipersonnel mines (sponsored by Canada), aerial UXO (sponsor undecided) and small arms/light weapons (sponsored by the Netherlands). A preliminary visit assessment was made in April 2002.[27]

From local sources it is known that, in Šid municipality bordering Croatia, most of the mined areas are forests and arable land, with the exception of Jamena village. Owners of arable land in this village have been unable to cultivate their fields since 1991.[28]

MINE ACTION COORDINATION

A Stability Pact seminar on 9-10 October 2001 concluded that "the humanitarian demining program in FRY is in its formative stages and the country could benefit considerably from the experience of other countries in the region and the mine action community as a whole."[29] According a report by UNOCHA in January 2002, in southern Serbia "coordinated action aimed at mine clearance is lacking. The JCB [Joint Coordinating Body of the Serbian and Federal governments] insisted on taking over the coordination of this activity, but have not initiated anything so far."[30]

However, the Yugoslav Mine Action Center was founded on 7 March 2002, under the aegis of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It will invite open tendering by international and local organizations for the clearance of mines, large-caliber aerial bombs and cluster bomb units. International funding is required.[31]

MINE ASSESSMENT, CLEARANCE, AND FUNDING

In May 2001, representatives of the International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF) established by Slovenia visited Yugoslavia. They discussed possible cooperation in clearing contaminated areas on the Montenegro-Croatia border, Serbia-Croatia border, in southern Serbia bordering Kosovo, and more widespread UXO contamination resulting from the 1999 conflict. The ITF had already received funds from Luxembourg and the Czech Republic for operations in FRY.[32]

The ITF reports that in early May 2001 it funded the Italian NGO Intersos to carry out an assessment of which clearance projects could be conducted by Yugoslav authorities with ITF funding. This assessment was funded by donations of the Czech Republic and United States. The assessment prioritized clearance in the areas of Kopaonik, Niš, Merdare, Bujanovac, Kopaonik II, Cacak-Kraljevo, Sjenica and Vladimirovci, which are all described as UXO-contaminated, and clearance of mines on the border with Croatia.[33] Intersos states that it carried out an ITF-funded general survey in June and July 2001 to assess the status and locations of mine and UXO contamination, especially cluster bomb units, in FRY, and identified 14 contaminated locations. It made a database from the information obtained.[34]

On 8 November 2001, FRY signed an agreement with the ITF for cooperation in mine/UXO clearance. The first project involves clearance of the Kopaonik area, for which training and equipping of Yugoslav personnel started at the ITF center in Ig, Slovenia, in January 2002. The clearance operation was planned to start in April/May 2002.[35] The ITF will provide funding of DM300,000 (US$134,700). A further project to be proposed for ITF funding is the clearing of air-dropped ordnance at five locations in Belgrade and the immediate vicinity. According to the Ministry for Internal Affairs, funds pledged via the ITF for mine-related action in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia total around $2,500,000, donated by the US, the European Union (EU) and others.[36]

On 14 November 2001, Serbian and Montenegrin representatives attended a meeting of the South Eastern Europe Mine Action Coordination Council in Tirana, Albania, and were accepted as full members of the Council. An initiative was proposed for a regional center for underwater demining based at Herceg Novi in Montenegro, financed by the ITF and the republican government of Montenegro. The center will offer its services to all interested countries in Southeastern Europe, on a commercial basis.[37]

As of April 2002, the Yugoslav Army and Serbian Interior Ministry had destroyed 727 pieces of UXO from the 1999 bombardment (missiles, aerial bombs, cluster bombs, mines, hand grenades and other unknown items of UXO). It is estimated that this operation has cost around ?697,000 ($626,000). Additionally, 3,120 pieces of UXO have been located, which will require ?1,962,000 ($1.76 million) for destruction.[38] In April/May 2001, the Yugoslav Army started humanitarian mine clearance near Jamena (Šid municipality, near the Croatian border). The operation was stopped for lack of funds.[39]

MINE RISK EDUCATION

UNOCHA reported in January 2002 that some mine risk education activities had been run by the Joint Coordinating Body and by international NGOs in southern Serbia.[40] The ICRC opened field offices in the towns of Presevo and Bujanovac in late 2000 and started mine risk education activities. With the easing of tensions in May 2001, local activities and travel increased so the ICRC increased its activities in order to reach more schoolchildren before the end of term. The ICRC reported that "workshops were organized for Red Cross staff from the municipalities bordering Kosovo, and new staff were employed to collect data and assess the situation in villages affected by mines." To raise the awareness of children in particular, two theatre companies (one Serbian, one Albanian) were commissioned to perform a specially-adapted play based on the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale. From October 2001 to January 2002, the play was performed for some 10,000 children. At the same time, mine awareness brochures were distributed to the audience and village populations, and local TV and radio stations broadcast mine awareness messages.[41]

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) devised a campaign focused on schoolchildren in Presevo municipality (including refugee children from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia). All schools in the municipality were visited, and teachers were given pamphlets used by the ICRC in Kosovo, and a Belgian document on mines and UXO which was translated into Albanian and Serbian. MSF found that most of the children were already well-informed about the danger of mines and UXO. The campaign was extended to include schools in Bujanovac municipality. Pamphlets were also distributed to the municipality building, police, shops, and others to be made visible on the streets and to be given to the remote areas of the municipalities.[42] The campaign, which had a budget of approximately $20,000, closed down at the end of 2001.[43]

LANDMINE/UXO CASUALTIES

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, landmines and UXO caused 32 casualties in southern Serbia in 2001. Mines and UXO killed 11 people (one Serb and four ethnic Albanian civilians including two children, four members of the Serbian paramilitary police, and two members of the Yugoslav Army) and injured 21 others (five ethnic Albanian civilians including four children, seven policemen, and nine soldiers). In 2000, five people were killed and 22 injured by landmines or UXO. No incidents for 2002 were recorded up to March. The Ministry of Internal Affairs report details each of these incidents, including the circumstances and identities of those involved.[44]

In contrast, the ICRC records three people killed and four injured in 2001; in 2000, five killed and six injured; and in 1999, two people killed and two injured by mines.[45]

The risk of casualties may have been increased by the return, in mid-2001, of some 5,300 people from Kosovo to southern Serbia; many of these found inadequate housing and returned to Kosovo later in 2001, with some returning to southern Serbia in 2002.[46]

According to media reports on antipersonnel mine incidents: on 1 June 2001, a Serbian soldier stepped on an antipersonnel mine near Lucani village (Bujanovac municipality), sustaining a serious leg injury;[47] on 20 August 2001, a ten year-old boy from Veliki Trnovac village (Bujanovac municipality) activated a directional fragmentation mine camouflaged in vegetation, sustaining serious injuries to the head and upper part of his body;[48] and, on 13 October 2001, an Albanian farmer was killed by a directional fragmentation mine while collecting wood near Veliki Trnovac village. His 16-year-old son was seriously injured in the same incident.[49]

SURVIVOR ASSISTANCE

The FRY formerly had well-developed surgical and rehabilitation services for mine survivors, as well as reintegration programs.[50] However, the economic situation has hurt the quality of health care services. People injured by mines or UXO receive immediate medical care in hospitals. During 2001, the ICRC donated emergency surgical kits to major hospital in the FRY, including Vranje, KBC Nis, Military Hospital Nis, Emergency Center Belgrade, and KBC Zvezdara Belgrade. The ICRC health program in southern Serbia included training for medical staff from mobile clinics and ambulance teams.[51]

Handicap International (HI) assists persons with disabilities, including landmine survivors, in southern Serbia.[52] HI supports partner organizations, including NGOs and associations for the disabled, with medical and orthopedic equipment and training. HI also provides psychosocial support and finances micro-credit programs for disabled persons.[53] In February 2001, HI signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Serbian Ministry of Social Affairs, and is now an official partner of the State in the process of reforms and creation of a new policy addressing the needs of persons with disabilities.[54]

Since receiving 40 mine survivors in 1999, the Institute for Orthopedics and Prosthetics in Belgrade has made no prostheses for members of the Yugoslav Army or Serbian police injured in southern Serbia due to a lack of funds, and has received no other patients injured by landmines or UXO. The Institute received no funds or other assistance in 2001 or early 2002.[55]

DISABILITY POLICY AND PRACTICE

A study by the Institute of Public Health of Serbia, in cooperation with WHO and UNICEF, reported that 62.5 percent of participants surveyed could not afford expenses for health care and medication.[56] In December 2001, the Serbian Ministry of Health facilitated an interagency health coordination meeting, which signaled its intent to lead international agencies in helping to improve the health status of the population. Monthly coordination meetings are planned for 2002.[57]

On 3 December 2001, International Day of Disabled Persons, a series of events were held in FRY to focus public attention on disability issues. The events focused on bringing persons with disabilities into mainstream society and using community resources to improve the situation of individuals and families living with disabilities. A follow up seminar was held on 7 December and included topics such as equal opportunities for persons with disabilities, access to education and psychosocial support, and lower prices for orthopedic devices. On 17 December, it was announced by the Finance Minister that as from 1 January 2002, the 20 percent tax on medicine, blood, and devices for the physically disabled would be abolished.[58]

Footnotes:

[1] In March 2002 it was announced that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) will be dissolved and replaced by the new nation of Serbia and Montenegro. The Serbian, Montenegrin and Yugoslav federal parliaments ratified this decision by the end of May 2002.

[2] Interview with Dušanka Divjak-Tomic, Director, Department for Disarmament, Arms Control and Military Aspects of Security, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Belgrade, 13 April 2002.

[3] "Tri žrtve svakog dana" ("Three Victims Each Day"), interview with Daniel Livermore, Danas (daily newspaper), 2-3 February 2002 (double issue), pp. viii-ix.

[4] Report of the Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to the OSCE, 4 March 2002, pp. 2-4.

[5] D. Dragic, "Ni Beograd nije sasvim bezbedan" ("Even Belgrade is Not Safe Enough"), Politika (daily newspaper), 7 June 2001, p. 13; I. S., "Skup proces razminiranja" ("Expensive Process of Demining"), Glas javnosti (daily newspaper), 7 June 2001, p. 6; "Ka svetu bez mina" ("Toward the Mine Free World"), Danas, 7 June 2001, p. 4.

[6] "Yugoslavia Finally Against Mines," Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, Belgrade, 24 September 2001. The representatives were Colonel Milomir Manojlovic and Colonel Branko Boškovic. Colonel Boškovic expressed similar views in a series of articles in a military journal, and the argument was repeated in an April 2002 assessment of the Army's combat-readiness. "Naša Vojska garant mira?" ("Our Army a Guarantor of Peace?"), Vojska (weekly magazine of the Yugoslav Army General Staff), No. 531, 4 April 2002.

[7] "Overview of Capability Reports", Reay Group on Mine Action, Working Table III (Security Issues), Stability Pact for South-East Europe, 17 October 2001, p. 6.

[8] It was represented by Dušanka Divjak-Tomic, Minister Plenipotentiary, Director, Department for International Military Organizations, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Lieutenant-Colonel Miodrag Popovic, Ministry of Defense.

[9] Speech by Dušanka Divjak-Tomic, Minister Plenipotentiary, Director, Department for International Military Organizations, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Third Meeting of States Parties, Managua, Nicaragua, 18-21 September 2001.

[10] It was represented by Dušanka Divjak-Tomic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

[11] Report of the Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to the OSCE, 4 March 2002, p. 3. For details of mines produced and likely to be in stockpiles, see Landmine Monitor Report 1999, pp. 827-829.

[12] Interviews with Col. Milomir Manojlovic, Engineer Department, General Staff of the Yugoslav Army, 2 and 6 June 2001, with Col. Branko Boškovic, Institute of Military Skills, General Staff, 6 June 2001, and with Lt.-Col. Miodrag Popovic, Engineer Department, General Staff, 17 December 2001. The Stability Pact mission also reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that production had ceased in 1992.

[13] Landmine Monitor notes, Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Geneva, 30 May 2002.

[14] "Overview of Capability Reports," Reay Group on Mine Action, Working Table III (Security Issues), Stability Pact for South-East Europe, 17 October 2001, pp. 5-6.

[15] Interview with Dusanka Divjak-Tomic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Belgrade, 13 April 2002.

[16] See Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp. 923-924.

[17] Col. Radoslav Mijailovic, "Mine na putevima" (Mines on Roads), Vojska, 17 May 2001, p. 12.

[18] UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, "UN Interagency Progress Report and Recommendations on the Situation in Southern Serbia, FRY," 29 January 2002, pp. 1-2. This report states that "the violence was brought to an end" in May-June 2001. However, it adds that: "At least six serious incidents occurred between August 2001 and January 2002 in which unknown persons attacked police targets or civilians.... Two new Albanian armed groups claimed to have organized in Southern Serbia or its hinterland in Kosovo." The report does not state if these incidents involved the use of mines, but does refer to the "risks remaining" from landmines and UXO.

[19] Report from the Ministry for Internal Affairs, signed by Minister Dušan Mihajlovic, 8 March 2002.

[20] Ibid.

[21] "Arms Cache-Balkan Briefs," Kathimerini (English language Greek newspaper, internet edition), 25 July 2002.

[22] Interview with Lt.-Col. Miodrag Popovic, Engineer Department, General Staff, Yugoslav Army, 17 December 2001.

[23] Report of the Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to the OSCE, 4 March 2002, p. 4.

[24] "Overview of Capability Reports," Reay Group on Mine Action, Working Table III (Security Issues), Stability Pact for South-East Europe, 17 October 2001, p. 8/65.

[25] Ibid., p. 6.

[26] Report of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, signed by Dušanka Divjak-Tomic, 13 April 2002.

[27] "NATO Demilitarization Projects," Steve Brown, Senior Technical Officer, Ammunition Section, Special Projects Program, NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency, Presentation to the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Geneva, 30 May 2002. Notes taken by Landmine Monitor.

[28] See Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp. 925-926.

[29] Report of the Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to the OSCE, 4 March 2002, p. 3; "Overview of Capability Reports," Reay Group on Mine Action, Working Table III (Security Issues), Stability Pact for South-East Europe, 17 October 2001, p. 8/65.

[30] UNOCHA, "UN Interagency Progress Report and Recommendations on the Situation in Southern Serbia, FRY," 29 January 2002, p. 3.

[31] Report of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, signed by Dušanka Divjak-Tomic, 13 April 2002.

[32] ITF, "Annual Report 2001," p. 36.

[33] "ITF Spreads its Operations to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia," ITF Newsletter, No. 6, July 2001, p. 6; ITF, "Annual Report 2001," p. 24.

[34] Interview with Stefano Calabretta, INTERSOS, Rome, 20 February 2001, and emailed questionnaire.

[35] "Memorandum of Understanding Signed with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia," ITF Newsletter, No. 7, December 2001, p. 7. It was signed by the ITF Director and Prvoslav Davinic, FRY National Coordinator of Table II of the Stability Pact for South East Europe.

[36] Report from the Ministry for Internal Affairs, signed by Minister Dusan Mihajlovic, 8 March 2002. Exchange rates at 1 December 2001: DM1 = US$0.449, and at 29 April 2002: ?1 = US$0.898, used throughout this report.

[37] Report of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, signed by Dušanka Divjak-Tomic, 13 April 2002.

[38] Ibid.

[39] Interview with Lt.-Col. Miodrag Popovic, Engineer Department, General Staff, Yugoslav Army, 17 December 2001.

[40] UNOCHA, "UN Interagency Progress Report and Recommendations on the Situation in Southern Serbia, FRY," 29 January 2002, p. 3.

[41] "Yugoslavia: ICRC Steps up Mine-Awareness Campaign," ICRC News, No. 25, 28 June 2001; "ICRC Activities in the FR of Yugoslavia, Update Jan 2001," 8 February 2002.

[42] Report from Belgrade office of Médecins sans Frontières, June 2001, sent by Stefan Adriansens on 18 March 2002.

[43] Telephone interview with Jean Pletinckx, MSF-Belgium, 1 August 2002.

[44] Report from the Ministry for Internal Affairs, signed by Minister Dusan Mihajlovic, 8 March 2002.

[45] ICRC, "ICRC Mine/UXO Awareness Programmes: Mine Incidents in South East Europe," 28 January 2002, accessed at www.reliefweb.int on 18 February 2002.

[46] UNOCHA, "UN Interagency Progress Report and Recommendations on the Situation in Southern Serbia, FRY", 29 January 2002, p. 5.

[47] "Vojnik teško povredjen" ("Soldier Seriously Injured"), Danas, 2 June 2001, p. 5.

[48] "Decak teško povredjen od mine" ("Boy Seriously Injured by Mine"), Danas, 21 August 2001, p. 4.

[49] "Otac poginuo, sin teško ranjen" ("Father Killed, Son Seriously Injured"), Politika, 14 October 2001, p. 7; "Mine Explosion Kills Ethnic Albanian in Southern Serbia," Agence France Presse, 13 October 2001.

[50] See Landmine Monitor Report 1999, pp. 834-836.

[51] World Health Organization, "Health Action in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, November-December 2001," 12 January 2002, accessed at www.reliefweb.int on 10 May 2002.

[52] Interview with Vladimir Citakovic, Handicap International, Belgrade, 17 December 2001.

[53] "Handicap International Review of Activities: 2001," pp. 150-155.

[54] Handicap International, "Annual Program Implementation Plan: Mission in Serbia - Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 2002," p. 3.

[55] Interview with Dr. Slavica Eremic, Director of the Institute for Orthopedics and Prosthetics, Belgrade, 11 April 2002.

[56] The study was conducted in June and July 2000, and included 17,000 citizens of all age groups. UNOCHA, "OCHA Belgrade: Humanitarian Situation Report 21 December - 31 January 2002," 31 January 2002, accessed at www.reliefweb.int on 10 May 2002.

[57] World Health Organization, "Health Action in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, November-December 2001," 12 January 2002, accessed at www.reliefweb.int on 10 May 2002.

[58] Ibid.

Marijana Obradovic