Mine Clearance Partner Profiles

Since mine action programs vary from one country to the next, Adopt-A-Minefield’s partners vary by country.  In each case, we have chosen to support the work of an effective mine clearance organization or organizations that works to international United Nations standards to clear mines safely and efficiently. In five of six AAM country programs, we work with the United Nations Development Program as well as with a local implementing partner. In the sixth, Vietnam, we work directly with the Mines Advisory Group, an international mine clearance organization. 

Click on country of interest:

• AFGHANISTAN
• BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA and CROATIA
• CAMBODIA
• MOZAMBIQUE
• VIETNAM

Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, AAM works with the United Nations Mine Action Program for Afghanistan (UNMAPA) as well as with several Afghan national organizations.

• UNMAPA, comprised of the UN Mine Action Centre for Afghanistan (MACA), five regional UN Regional Mine Action Centers (RMACS) and 15 implementing partners (NGOs), serves as the central coordinating body for mine clearance.
• This coordinating function includes maintaining a database of mine clearance priorities, supporting all mine clearance organizations to ensure safety and the maintenance of international mine action standards, and working with the international donor community.

Through AAM’s Adopt-A-Team program, we support mine clearance teams within the following organizations:

Afghan Technical Consultants (ATC). Founded by Kefayatullah Eblagh, its present director, in 1989 ATC is one of the largest mine clearance organizations currently operating in Afghanistan.

• ATC began with one 24-man team and 11 administrative and support staff to clear high priority areas of mines and UXO.
• Within a year, ATC expanded to include 750 additional staff.
• ATC now employs nearly 1300 Afghans.
• Since its establishment, ATC has cleared the majority of the high priority mined areas in five provinces: Kunar, Laghman, Bamyan, Takhar, and has partially cleared Kundoz. Teams are now deployed in the high priority areas of Kabul, Nangarhar, Kandahar, Ghazni, Paktya, Paktika, Logar, and Wardak provinces.

Demining Agency for Afghanistan (DAFA). DAFA was founded in June 1990 to implement demining projects in the southwestern provinces of Afghanistan. 

• Their work is focused on demining throughout the southern Afghan provinces of Ghazni, Helmand, Kandahar and Zabul.
• The majority of DAFA’s resources are deployed in the high priority areas surrounding the city of Kandahar. DAFA operations are carried out through six site offices deploying 12 manual clearance teams.

Mine Detection and Dog Center (MDC). By using dogs trained to detect mines, MDC aims to provide a safe, quick, and economically viable method of mine clearance. Team members train their dogs and work closely with them, creating a strong bond between deminer and dog.

• MDC was founded in 1989 after Thailand provided Afghanistan with 14 mine detection dogs.
• MDC developed a dog breeding and training center that now deploys more than 20 mine detection groups around the country.
• One mine dog group is able to clear 2000 to 5000 square meters per month, up to 1,000,000 square meters per year.

Organization for Mine Clearance and Afghan Rehabilitation (OMAR). Founded in 1990, OMAR is a leading organization for mine clearance and mine awareness in Afghanistan.

1. OMAR’s mine clearance operations initially began in the western provinces of Afghanistan and have since expanded to the southern and central regions.
2. Since 1992, OMAR has cleared over 18,000,000 square meters of agricultural and grazing land, roads, irrigation channels, and housing areas.
3. Their efforts have resulted in the destruction of 888 anti-tank mines; 29,434 anti-personnel landmines; 24,307 UXO; and 10, 545,904 fragments.
4. Millions of square meters of battle area have also been cleared.

Bosnia& Herzegovina and Croatia 

In both Bosnia & Herzegovina and Croatia, AAM works with the International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF). All Adopt-A-Minefield donations earmarked for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia are fully matched by the ITF.

1. The ITF, established by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia in 1998, organizes and finances demining and victim rehabilitation activities in South East Europe (SEE).
2. Through the Fund, Slovenia seeks to contribute toward a lasting solution of the landmine crisis in the region.
3. The goal of the ITF is to see South East Europe free from the impact of landmines and UXO by 2010.
4. More than 50 countries and private and public organizations support the ITF's work.
5. The U.S Department of State has taken a lead role by providing millions of dollars in matching funds for mine action projects in the region as well as several unilateral contributions.

Under this initiative, the United States matches all government and private donations to the ITF dollar for dollar. 

1. The ITF works closely with the Croatian Mine Action Center (CROMAC) and the Bosnia & Herzegovina Mine Action Center (BHMAC) to nominate priority mine clearance projects to AAM and ensure that all projects funded by AAM supporters are cleared as quickly and safely as possible. 
2. Clearance is carried out by several different organizations and commercial companies who compete through a competitive bidding process for the job. 
3. All mine clearance operators must maintain international mine clearance standards as set by the United Nations.

Cambodia

All AAM clearance projects in Cambodia are carried out by the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC). 

• CMAC was founded in 1992 by the United Nations Peacekeeping force for Cambodia (UNTAC).
• At that time, there were an average of 600 landmine and UXO causalities every month - an astounding rate for a country of its size.
• With UN support, CMAC grew rapidly from a small group of local deminers and a few international experts at the start in 1993 to a large national organization that employed close to 3,000 deminers and HQ personnel by June 1998- a level that has remained steady since then.
• CMAC currently carries out about half of the mine clearance operations in Cambodia working throughout the country.
• Between 1993 and 2003, CMAC has been able to free hazardous areas of mines and UXO totaling to more than 106 square kilometers.
• CMAC has found and destroyed over 181,659 anti-personnel mines, 3,514 antitank mines and 750,887 items of UXO.

Working in cooperation with other mine clearance operators, CMAC aims to achieve a state within Cambodia where people can go about their lives free from the threat of mines and unexploded ordnance so that reconstruction and development activities can take place in a safe environment.

Mozambique

Accelerated Demining Program. The Accelerated Demining Program (ADP), a mine clearance operator that was with UNDP support established soon after a peace agreement was signed in 1992, is AAM’s mine clearance partner in Mozambique. 

• When ADP was first established, demobilized soldiers from both sides of the civil conflict were trained to work together as deminers as part of the post-conflict reconciliation process in Mozambique.
• ADP Headquarters is based in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, and provides operational, logistic, financial and administrative functions.
• ADP operates in the three southern provinces of Maputo, Gaza and Inhambane. Its regional headquarters are located in the Maputo and Inhambane Provinces to better support field operations.
• Field elements include nine demining platoons, two independent demining sections for smaller clearance tasks, four survey teams and four Mine Detection Dog teams.
• Demining platoons are capable of operating in section-sized groupings in order to rapidly respond to priority tasks.
• ADP employs approximately 400 Mozambican staff and two expatriate Technical Advisors.
• ADP also runs a Demining Training School in Moamba near Maputo, which supplies technical demining training (e.g. the use of specific mine detectors suited for very highly contaminated soils), refresher training, and survey courses for survey team commanders. 
• Most of the deminers in Mozambique, including those who work for other operators, have received training at this center.

Vietnam

Mines Advisory Group. All AAM mine clearance activities in Vietnam are implemented by the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), a non-profit organization based in the United Kingdom. 

1. MAG employs and trains local people from the affected communities in the technical and management skills required for mine action.
2. Through close community liaison, MAG focuses its work on the priorities identified by the local population.
3. MAG's programs bring together all elements of mine action: survey and minefield marking; mine clearance and ordnance disposal; training and supervision activities; medical training.
4. These work hand in hand with interactive landmine education and awareness raising activities, which help reduce the risks of mine and UXO accidents, and provide “safe-living” information for communities in affected environments.
5. MAG has been working in central Vietnam since January 1999, establishing Vietnam's first Mine Action Teams (MATs).
6. At commune and district committee levels, MAG and local authorities together establish tasks and priorities which a 15-person MAT then works to, rotating through the communes and villages.
7. Two Mine Action Teams are now fully trained and respond to the communities' needs to clear areas prioritized for development, for example irrigation channels, school sites, and bridges.
8. To support the development program, MAG provides clearance support, and funding support for the implementation of the commune's development plans. 

AAM’s Adopt-A-Team program has provided support to the MATs working in Quang Binh in central Vietnam.

• The MAT operations in both Quang Binh and Quang Tri have proved effective and popular with the local communities and authorities.
• MAG's MATs have covered 42 communes, visiting 37,729 households, and clearing all reported UXO in a total of 3,235 EOD tasks and clearing some 29 hectares requested by the different communes for small scale community development projects.
• These MATs have found and destroyed some 18,220 UXO items and 186 landmines through MAT activities.