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The use of anti-personnel landmines in the conflict
According
to preliminary estimates, there are at least 70,000 landmines in Colombia,
scattered in 105 municipalities in 23 departments. This means that the population
of 10% of the country's municipalities is, or may be, exposed to the dangers
represented by these devices. Victims include both civilians and military
personnel. Information about mined areas is incomplete, and it is difficult
to determine their exact location. The municipalities with areas mined by
subversive groups are shown on the map, constructed from records of accidents.
According to some estimates, fifty thousand anti-personnel landmines and booby-traps have been indiscriminately planted by FARC and ELN guerrillas in grazing lands, rural roads and communal areas. The Military Forces have placed some 20,000 warning type landmines for the defense of strategic installations. Landmines will kill or maim combatants and non-combatants alike, and will continue to be a threat long after conflicts have come to an end. Because of their indiscriminate action and permanence, the largest numbers of victims of these devices are non-combatants. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, in 50% of landmine accidents people will die, and those who are injured will have part of their bodies amputated, in addition to the psychological disorders that may result. Victims are frequently those who plant the mines, or children who play with them. In Colombia 2,205 adults and 5,250 boys and girls have been injured or killed by mines. Information available on the population affected, coming from the Military Forces General Command and the International Committee of the Red Cross, indicate that mines planted by the ELN and the FARC in the first six months of 1998 caused 255 accidents. As a result of these accidents, 100 people died and 155 were injured. 45 of those who died and 87 of those injured were civilians. According to the Ministry of Defense, 98 military men died and 254 civilians were injured between 1992 and 1994 as a consequence of landmine explosions. During 1999, 22 Army soldiers were injured or killed by "quiebrapatas" mines planted by the guerrillas. According to Military Forces General Command figures, 87 members of the Military Forces, 80% of whom were soldiers, died in "quiebrapatas" mine explosions between January 1997 and February 2000. An additional 269 were wounded. About 7% of former guerrillas who "reinserted" themselves, or went back into civilian life following the peace agreements of the early 1990s, suffer from some kind of disability resulting from the armed conflict. This would suggest that, taking into account the present escalation and deterioration of the conflict, the figures could be much higher. International Humanitarian Law prohibits
the use of booby-traps and anti-personnel landmines because they inflict
unnecessary suffering on their victims, and cannot distinguish between
combatants and non-combatants. Landmines remain in place long after the
end of hostilities, and put the civilian population permanently at risk.
Mines also prevent vast areas from being incorporated into the economy.
Municipalities with mined areas
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