The deadly legacy of landmines in the Western Desert may well be coming to an end. Mohamed El-Sayed follows the trail For more than six decades, Egypt has been one of the most mine-infested countries in the world, with more than 22 million unexploded mines in the Western Desert and Sinai. A great part of the Western Desert is peppered with landmines since Britain, Germany and Italy planted 19.7 million landmines shortly before the 1942 Battle of Al-Alamein. More than 9,000 civilians and military personnel have been killed or maimed because of this deadly legacy. Moreover, the menace in the sand has hampered development efforts in a large, fertile region which was once referred to as the "food basket" of the Roman empire. Last week, however, the Ministry of International Cooperation unveiled an ambitious programme aimed at ending the decades-long problem in the Western Desert. The ministry opened an executive secretariat responsible for executing the programme and receiving funds in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). "This is the first time we have a serious de-mining programme," stated Fathi El-Shazly, director of the Executive Secretariat for De-mining (ESD). "In coordination with the Ministry of Defence, the secretariat will buy additional state-of-the-art detectors to speed up the process of de-mining," added El-Shazly. ESD is also in the process of recruiting experts to help draft a plan to mobilise funds and decide priority locations for de-mining. It wasn't until 1981 that the government began to think seriously about removing the buried mines. Implementation was, and continues to be, the responsibility of the Engineering Corps of the Armed Forces, which has already removed around three million mines in the Western Desert and Sinai. But the needed cost of de-mining, around $250 million, has been a hurdle in the obstacle course of comprehensive de- mining. For decades, the countries which planted the landmines shrugged off any responsibility for their removal, and when they eventually offered assistance it fell far short of the mammoth mission. Minister of International Cooperation Faiza Abul-Naga noted the previous "categorical rejection" of Britain, Germany and Italy "to acknowledge their moral and legal responsibilities" for de- mining. "Acknowledging responsibility would force them to pay compensation to afflicted countries [like Egypt]," Abul Naga explained. "Although in the past few years there have been very [positive] developments in these countries' attitudes, we are still trying to bring them to acknowledge this responsibility." Although Egypt has received maps from Britain, records of minefields from Germany, and books and illustrations from Italy explaining the types of mines that were used, this assistance is disappointing. Moreover, as a result of rain, wind and the movement of sand dunes, landmines are subject to continual displacement. "After more than 60 years, these maps are no longer that useful since the landmines moved from their original places due to natural forces," stated Abul-Naga. And hence, ESD has some tall tasks to achieve. "The new secretariat will be responsible for discovering and removing the mines, helping out the victims, raising awareness among residents in the area, and raising funds for all these activities," explained El-Shazly. "The programme will also cover medical expenses for landmine casualties by providing them with artificial limbs, and will rehabilitate victims so they can earn a living again." He continued that the programme will also introduce new de- mining technologies to Egypt so that equipment could be reproduced locally. According to Abul-Naga, who is also the head of the National Committee on the Supervision of De-mining and Development of the Northern-Eastern Coast, de-mining is "a national project of great potential". She emphasised that "this area is very rich in natural resources and could be a flourishing community after the removal of the landmines." Given that the area planted with landmines represents as much as 22 per cent of the area of the country, the de-mining project calls for huge international and private sector contributions. There is growing international interest by international development organisations and civil society in assisting Egypt to reclaim the Western Desert from this explosive hazard. A trust fund was created in cooperation with the UNDP to receive contributions from Britain, Germany and Italy for the de-mining effort, disclosed Abul-Naga. "We will also rely on the private sector in Egypt to make contributions to this trust fund," she added.
