Country & Territory Reports - Landmine Action

other IEDs have been found throughout Colombia in recent
years, often manufactured using gas cylinders or milk cans
filled with explosives. 411
The Government’s Planning Department released a report
on the economic losses that the armed conflict has caused
to the country from 1999 to 2003. The report analysed
losses related to factors such as kidnappings and
ERW/mine contamination. 412 As noted above, the
Government of Colombia rarely distinguishes between
events caused by ERW and those caused by mines. 413 This
report suggested that the absence in the labour force of
individuals killed or injured by ERW or mines cost the
country more than 365 billion pesos (US$143,882,056)
between 1999 and 2003. The loss in productivity is
calculated at between 2 and 6 million pesos (US$788 and
US$2,365) for each individual injured and nearly 190
million pesos (US$75,709) for each individual killed by
ERW or mines. In addition, ERW/mine contaminated land
could have produced 140 billion additional pesos
(US$55,785,783) for the economy’s agricultural sector. 414
Efforts to address these problems
EOD units from the Colombian armed forces are
responsible for all ERW and mine clearance operations. 415
In 2002, the armed forces found and disabled 7,692
explosive devices, 1,134 explosive gas cylinders and a
total of 49,831 kilograms of explosives. In 2003, units
from the military found and disabled 6,927 explosive
devices, 1,612 explosive gas cylinders and a total of
70,570 kg of explosive material. In the first half of 2004,
2,596 explosive items, 828 explosive gas cylinders and
17,942 kg of explosives were neutralized. 416 The
Government reported that the armed forces also cleared a
contaminated road in the municipality of Puerto Guzmán
(department of Putumayo), but the nature of the contamination
was not provided. 417 In addition to the clearance of
ERW/mine-affected areas, the armed forces have
confiscated a large quantity of weapons discovered in
caches used by armed non-state actors. In 2002, the
armed forces confiscated 3,745 grenades as well as
mortars, RPGs and rocket launchers, and thousands of
small arms. 418
It should be noted that no humanitarian mine clearance is
currently taking place in Colombia. Some tactical military
mine clearance operations have taken place along certain
roads during conflict, but emergency clearance by the
military has also been disrupted in some areas by fighting
between state forces and armed non-state actors. These
areas included roads in the area of Caño de Oro
(municipality of La Palma, department of Cundinamarca),
the municipality of Teorama (department of Norte de
Santander), and the area of Yaco (municipality of Santa
Rosa, department of Putumayo). 419
Legislation
colombia 47
Colombia has been a State Party to the CCW since 6 March
2000. It is a State Party to Amended Protocol II and
Protocol IV. As noted above, the Government’s Antipersonnel
Mine Observatory publishes reports on AP
mines and AXO in its website. 420
387 “Colombia: Rocket used in Bogota attack could have come from Ecuadoran army”, BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 29 October 2003.
388 “Military Intelligence Report Says Weapons for Guerrillas Coming Through Venezuela”, El Nacional (Caracas), 16 July 2002.
389 Juan Forero, “Colombia: Payments In Cluster Bombing”, The New York Times, 27 May 2004.
390 Christian Miller, “Colombia: Videotape Shows Americans’ Role in Village Bombing”, Los Angeles Times, 16 March 2003.
391 Juan Forero, “Colombia: Payments in Custer Bombing”, The New York Times, 27 May 2004.
392 Steve Goose, “Cluster Munitions: Toward a Global Solution”, Human Rights Watch World Report 2004, January 2004, accessed 6 May 2004 at:
http://hrw.org/wr2k4/12.htm#_Toc58744961
393 The Anti-personnel Mine Observatory refers to AXO in their data, but this appears to include all forms of ERW including UXO. It also appears that
AXO as defined by the Observatory would seem to include UXO as it refers to any “explosive forgotten in places where there has been armed
confrontation”.
394 Government of Colombia, Article 7 Report, Form C, 30 April 2004; María García de Santos, Statement by the Colombian Delegation at Fifth Meeting
of the States Parties, Bangkok, Thailand, 16 September 2003, accessed 20 May 2004:
www.gichd.ch/pdf/mbc/5msp/update_day2/Columbia_5MSP_16_Sept_2003_spa.pdf.
395 Email from Margarita Martinez, Project Coordinator, Fundación Antonio Restrepo Barco, 6 July 2004.
396 Report by the Mine Observatory, Bogotá, 26 January 2004.
397 Government of Colombia, Article 7 Report, Form J, 30 April 2004. It should be borne in mind that this increase could reflect greater efforts in data
gathering during this later period.
398 Diana Roa, Sembrando minas, cosechando muerte: Colombia y las minas antipersonal, Ministry of Communications, Canadian Embassy and UNICEF
Colombia, 2000, p. 22.
399 Observatorio de Minas Antipersonal, Estadísticas, Sistema de Información – IMSMA, 1 May 2004, accessed 10 May 2004 at:
http://www.derechoshumanos.gov.co/minas/modules.php?name=informacion&file=article&sid=22
400 Observatorio de Minas Antipersonal, Primeros estudios de riesgo socio económico por minas antipersonal y artefactos explosivos abandonados en
Colombia, 5 June 2003, accessed 10 May 2003 at: http://www.derechoshumanos.gov.co/modules.php?name=informacion&file=article&sid=61.
401 Observatorio de Minas Antipersonal, Primeros estudios de riesgo socio económico por minas antipersonal y artefactos explosivos abandonados en
Colombia, 5 June 2003, accessed 10 May 2003 at: http://www.derechoshumanos.gov.co/modules.php?name=informacion&file=article&sid=61.
402 Government of Colombia, Article 7 Report, Form J, 30 April 2004.
403 Observatorio de Minas Antipersonal, Primeros estudios de riesgo socio económico por minas antipersonal y artefactos explosivos abandonados en
Colombia, 5 June 2003, accessed 10 May 2003 at: http://www.derechoshumanos.gov.co/modules.php?name=informacion&file=article&sid=61,.
404 Kim Housego, “Casualties and criticism grow as Colombian rebels sharply increase use of land mines”, The Associated Press, 19 May 2004.
405 “Silenciosa crisis humanitaria en noroccidente colombiano,” Associated Press, 17 August 2004.
406 “Silenciosa crisis humanitaria en noroccidente colombiano,” Associated Press, 17 August 2004.
erw and motapm – global survey 2003–2004