17/9/2004
First De-mining Action in Tajikistan

A plot of land cleared of mines, the first of its kind and part of a long-lasting international project, was this week handed over to the local community in the Dusti-Kumsangir district, near the Tajik border with Afghanistan.

Some 3,125 square meters were cleared and three unexploded pieces of ordnance were removed under the project, called “Mine Action in Tajikistan,” which is run by the OSCE and the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD).

“This is an important step towards improving security and economic opportunities for the people of Tajikistan”, said Ambassador Yves Bargain, Head of the OSCE Centre in Dushanbe. “It highlights the humanitarian impact of the clearing of anti-personnel mines in Central Asia”.

The handover ceremony was attended by Tajik authorities and representatives of FSD, as well as Russian border guards.

The de-mining will allow for the rehabilitation of the Kumsangir water pipeline, which will provide more than 30,000 inhabitants of the area with clean water and help boost the local economy, including through the renewed cultivation of cotton fields.

“Mine Action in Tajikistan” was the first field de-mining action on Tajik territory since the end of the 1994-1997 civil war. Under the programme, 83 Tajik personnel were trained in clearing techniques and supplied with full equipment.

Over 24,000 km were surveyed and 2,829 square miles cleared so far in Tavildara, Sagirdasht, Garm, and Khatlon regions and in the Rasht Valley in 2003 and 2004. But today's ceremony marked the first time land cleared of mines was handed over to the local community.

The OSCE contributed 560,000 euro to the project out of an overall budget of 1.85 million euro. The governments of Belgium, Canada, France, Japan, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and the UN Development Programme contributed to the project.

The OSCE/FSD Mine Action Project is a multi-year initiative and a key programme of the OSCE Centre in Dushanbe. The Centre intends to continue supporting the mine action programme with mine survey, clearance and mine-awareness activities.