The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council’s (PSC) 1271st session, on 1 April, dedicated to the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, highlighted growing challenges for mine action in Africa.
The session served as an occasion to review the state of affairs around anti-personnel landmines, Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) on the continent as well as to highlight the threats posed by Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA). A communiqué was adopted as the outcome of the session. 2025 marks the final year to meet the deadline set by the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Convention) and the 2014 Declaration of State Parties to the Convention and the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines (Maputo Declaration) for a mine-free world, now extended to 2029 following the 5th Review Conference in Siem Reap, Cambodia last year.
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Source: Amani Africa News
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