Dakhla (Refugee Camps), December 21, 2015 (SPS) - Antipersonnel land mines and fragmentation bombs in Western Sahara planted by Morocco along the separation wall, and which have been carried away by the floods, constitute a real danger to the local population, the head of the Saharawi group for antipersonnel land mines' victims, Aziz Haidar, has warned.
"Over 1600 victims of antipersonnel land mines have been recorded so far," Haidar told APS, adding that his group has received "files of 400 other victims in the liberated territories, mainly due to the rains that swept away antipersonnel land mines in supposed secured areas."
Nearly seven million antipersonnel land mines have been planted by Morocco along the separation wall, he said, adding that Western Sahara is one of the world's ten most mined countries.
Two organizations, a Norwegian working in Bir Lahlu and a British in Amhyris, are undertaking mine-clearing operations in those regions, he disclosed, adding that it is difficult to reach all mined areas.
No pressure is exerted on Morocco, at the international level, to force it to sign Ottawa Treaty banning antipersonnel land mines and Oslo Agreement against fragmentation bombs, he deplored.
Aziz Haidar underlined Algeria's efforts to help Sahrawi people in clearing the liberated territories of mines.
He noted that his group also works in partnership with the Algerian group for the defence of antipersonnel land mines' victims. (SPS)
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