UXO Hotspots Clearance Program
In 2000, the Swiss contributed in kind, in the form of a Technical Advisor named Franz Bear, to assist in the Demining Program. He worked with us for almost 10 years. In the end of the demining program I said to him, that’s it, we have finished, and he said to me “So What?” This comment stuck with me, he meant although you have done years of good work, there is always more to do.
When Cleared Land Was Still Dangerous
In 2010, we were invited to one of the handover ceremonies after the EOD surface clearance of a former shooting range. While we were there, we noticed civilians going around the area, (used in the soviet era as a range), collecting scrap metal to sell. When we looked closer, we noticed that they were picking up live ordnance. Dangers still existed, and the public were at risk.
Turning Risk Into a National Programme
I raised this issue with the Deputy Minister of Defense, saying that clearance is still needed before land is handed back to the communities. A government assessment of UEMS, (Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Sites) areas was conducted in association with a Geneva Centre evaluation report on “What next”. An action plan was put together using an NPA clearance team, with USA assistance, to conduct UXO clearance of these areas.
AMMCO, formerly AMAE, found multiple UXO on assessment of these areas in conjunction with conducting Social Economic Assessments and Technical Surveys. In total, 19 hotspot areas were identified, cleared and certified by our teams working alongside NPA and AAF EOD. This was all USA funded by PM/WRA and happened between 2011 and 2021.
The Deputy Minister visited one of the UXO hotspots and was invited in for tea with some of the local residents. The residents told the Deputy Minister that there are dangers everywhere and that they have UXO in their garden. This struck a chord with him, and he became a strong advocate of the program, realizing the scope of the problem.
The UXO hotspots were a warning.
Gërdec was the moment the warning became impossible to ignore.
Continue to Chapter 8 — Gërdec Explosion.
