The HALO Trust, a British charity, is gaining acclaim for both the scope and quality of their demining operations. In Angola, HALO has successfully adapted to an unstable political climate to help clear mines and allow for the return of hundreds of thousands of displaced refugees. In light of Angola’s newfound peace, the Trust plans to expand their operations and finish the job

Hartley, David

English

James Madison University

Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction Volume 6 Issue 2 The Journal of Mine Action Article 5 August 2002 HALO Trust in Angola David Hartley Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at JMU (CISR) Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal  Part of the Defense and Security Studies Commons, Emergency and Disaster Management Commons, Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, and the Peace and Conflict Studies Commons Recommended Citation Hartley, David (2002) "HALO Trust in Angola," Journal of Mine Action : Vol. 6 : Iss. 2 , Article 5. Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol6/iss2/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at JMU Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction by an authorized editor of JMU Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact dc_admin@jmu.edu. FOCUS ;I . Landmlnes in Africa HALO Trust in Angola HALO Trust, a British charity, is gaining acclaim for both the scope and quality of their demining operations. In Angola, HALO has successfully adapted to an unstable political climate to help clear mines and allow for the return of hundreds of thousands of displaced refugees. In light of Angola's newfound peace, the Trust plans to expand their operations and finish the job. by David Hartley, MAIC Introduction With the landmine community in-creasingly saddled with political and bu-reaucratic comroversy, HALO Trust is distinguished from other demining groups by the simplicity of their mission. This British-based non -governmenral organization (NGO), the largest private non-profi t demining organization in the world, shuns any involvement in religious crusades or political campaigns and con-ferences. Instead, declares Africa desk of-ficer Tim Porter, HALO seeks only "to get mines out of the ground ... with as little fuss as possible." 1 This no-nonsense demining stance has earned HALO an increasingly high international profile, highligh ted by the late Princess Diana's visits to Angola and the recent Japanese Celebrity Benefit CD, "Zero Landmine." Founded in 1988, HALO divides its international operations into three basic regional groups: Africa, Asia and the Caucasus. Headed in Scotland by direc-tor Guy Willoughby and a number of desk officers, HALO is hierarchically run by program managers in each country of operation. Free from political distrac-tions, HALO can focus on developing new technology and expanding their pro-grams, which al ready boast 4,850 mine clearance personnel in nine countries. Funding HALO's Angola program received $800,000 from the United States in the 2001 fiscal year, along with funding from the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Neth-erlands, Switzerland and the European Union. The majority of this budget pays the salaries of HALO's employees. T he United States has great faith in HALO Trust and is subsequently the NGO's leading financial contributor. On June I9'h, Lincoln P. Bloomfield Jr. , the Spe-cial Representative of the President and Secretary of State for Mine Action, re-leased an official com mendation of HALO's efforrs. Worldwide, the Trust has destroyed more than one million landmines and items ofUXO, as well as helped facilitate the operations of other humanitarian organizations. Wirh its growi ng profile, H ALO Trust is encountering opportunities to pursue more substantial and diverse fund-ing. The Ruyichi Sakomato-led Japanese Benefit music project, "Zero Landmine," has sold a surp risingly high number of copies, providing HALO Trust sign ificant financial support for the last two years. The musical rribme to landmine aware-ness features a variety of international art-ists, including Cyndi L1uper and Brian Eno. Research & Development Hailed as a leader in research and development, HALO Trust has broken new ground in their use of selective ar-mor, tractor mounted hedge and verge cutters, adapted and armored medium wheeled loaders, and demining dogs. HALO's Mine Detection Dog (MOD) program has seen significant action throughout Africa and has been aided by rhe installation of six weather stations. The purchase of the weather stations wi ll help HALO predict the optimal condi-tions for dog mine detection. T he Trust developed the use of vi-sors without helmets, for improved demining comfort, as well as one-handed detectors and one-man drills. HALO has also experimented with a variety of methods for charging rechargeable batteries in the field. • 12 • THE HALO TRUST Moreover, through their srricr prac-tices and innovation, HALO has gained a reputation as one of the safest demining operations in the world. For instance, they have "pioneered a systematic and very safe methodology with its dog teams whereby ground is searched in a series of overlapping lanes to minimize the possi-bility of individual mines o r UXO being missed."2 This lane system, as well as other unique safety procedures, has given HALO Trust an injury rate of 11 6 inju-ries per 100,000 workers, a relatively small figure given the inherently danger-ous nature of landmine/UXO removal. 3 HALO Trust gives all of their em-ployees, including accountants and desk officers, the chance to work in the field . Given the growing rift between those with legitimate demining experience and those who make administrative and pro-cedural decisions, this policy is refreshing. Ideally, all of the landmine community's decision makers should have field expe-rience and a subsequent appreciation for the arduous process of mine clearance. HALO in Angola HALO's Africa program operates in Angola, Mozambique, Erit rea and Somaliland. Like irs operations in Asia and the Caucasus, HALO's Africa pro-gram employs a small administrative staff and emphasizes the developmenr of lo-cal management. Of H ALO's 386 em-ployees in Angola, 385 are locals and on.ly the program manager is an expatriate. In Angola, HALO also owns and operates 23 Land Rovers, two Case 721 armored loaders, two Wer'Wolf mine protected area-reduction vehicles, a Fiat Allis FLS B tracked dozer and a New Holland 110/ 90 armored vegetation cutter. This equip-ment is controlled and used by 26 separate demining teams. HALO has been presenred with a unique and daun ting challenge in Angola. Nor only does the South African nation have one of the most alarming landmine problems in the world (some sources es-timate as many as 15 million landmines), bur the Angolan socio-political situation is also notOriously unstable. To dare, at least 76 different types of AP landmines have been found in Angola, manufac-tured in 22 different countries. Civil War Two decades of civil war have deci-mated Angola's population and lefr an untold number of landmines and UXO throughout the nation. Although Angola has signed and ratified the Mine Ban Treaty, little has been done to stop the use oflandmines. When Angola's electoral process collapsed in 1992, a period of indiscriminate mine laying commenced . Ango.la's civil war is the longest in Africa. After winning independence from Portugal in 1975, Angola was torn be-tween the U.S. backed National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNIT A) rebels and the communist-sup-ported People's Movemenr for the Lib-eration of Angola (MPLA). The collapse of rhe UN's Angolan peace arrempr in I992 opened the gates for ten more years ofbirrer conflict. Since 1992, conflict has continued between the Angolan govern-menral forces (FAA) and the UNITA. • 13 • The conflict ultimately interrupted HALO's demining operations. More im-portantly, however, the political turmoil displaced hundreds of thousands of Angolan citizens. These bystanders were driven from their homes and forced ro seek solace around Angola's central pro-vincial capitals. For HALO, this has created an urgent and unique demining scenario. A Downturn in Security In Angola, HALO seeks simply to "clear land so people can build homes," "remove mines which inhibit the work of aid agencies, " and provide internally displaced persons (lOPs) with "safe ac-cess ro agricultural land. "4 The organiza-tion has been clearing land in Angola since 1994, bur had a definitive shift in operational procedure in 1998. With the increasing FAA/UNITA turmoil and a subsequent "downturn in security," HALO's operations were re-str icted to less than 30 km around Huambo and Kuito in the Bie province.; This meant that the land that HALO had previously surveyed was abandoned. Al-though they have no evidence of remining in Angola, HALO chose not to demine areas in danger of changing hands be-tween government forces. Also, due to rhe increased deploymen t of anti-vehicle (AV) mines, HALO has been almost com-pletely dependent on aircraft for logistics. Furthermore, HALO was faced with a massive migration ofiDPs into govern-ment-controlled rerrirory. Due ro mili-tary conflict in the outer municipalities, as many as 80,000 TDPs flocked to Kuiro, and up ro half a million to Huambo. Working with other humanitarian orga-nizations to provide for the influx of refu-gees, HALO roiled through most of 1999, 2000 and 2001 to clear land around the provincial capitals . The Angolan IDPs were pouring into the area, "trying to compete wirh each other for strips of land on which to grow crops."6 Shantytowns with open sewage and virtu-ally no basic amenities sprung up, forcing refugees to scavenge for food wherever it could be found. These makeshift com-munities often appeared in close proxim-• This Angolan landmine victim lost his legs to an AP mine. c/o ICRC 1Hartley: HALO Trust in AngolaPublished by JMU Scholarly Commons, 2002ity ro landmine/UXO-contaminared areas. Nevertheless, the Trust responded to 1998's dowmurn in security with resolve and determination. HALO's efforts in Angola have cemented their reputation as one of rhe best mine clearance organi-zations in the world. As of April 2002, HALO had removed and destroyed 9,537 mines and 53,024 items of UXO. I ,548,474 square meters ofland has been cleared manually, while I ,480,228 square meters have been cleared mechanically. In addition, HALO h as clea red 2,632,810 square meters of battle area.7 Peace in Angola HALO Trust's Angola program is run from Huambo, one of the central provinces on the nation's high plateau (planalto). Their p resence is centered mainly in this region, although in light of recem developments, the NGO plans to branch our. On April 4'" of this year, UNITA and the FAA signed a cease-fi re following the February 22"d assassination of infamous UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi. Reportedly, UNIT A's forces are starving, demoralized and in no position to launch any type of military offensive. Therefore, most analysts are cau tiously optimistic that the peace will last, at least for the foreseeable future. This welcomed upturn in security has meant that the hundreds of thousands of lOPs a re or are planning on rehabirating their villages in rhe outer municipalities. The shan tytowns sur-rounding Huambo and Kuito wi ll soon be abandoned, and lOPs will attempt to reclaim their old land or establish new holdings. Again, HALO is being forced to adapt to Angola's tempestuous politi-cal climate. T he mine sites identified during the 90s need to be resurveyed and cleared. As TOPs move back in to previ-ously mined areas, HALO is resuming, with renewed urgency, the work they re-lucranrly abandoned in 1998. Avoiding Misinformation Although HALO will not understate rhe urgency of Angola's landmine/UXO siruation, the organization is quick to point out that widely publicized landmine statistics are exaggerations. With some figures as high as 15 million, HALO believes there are one million landmines in Angola at rhe most. HALO Trust mine clearance consultant David Frederick credits a "lack of research and thorough investigation" for this misinfor-mation. T he problem, although severe, is finite and tangible. Furthermore, both Frederick and Africa desk officer Tim Porter challenge UN reports of widespread remining in Angola. The most urgent factor is not thousands of new, recen rl y deployed mines, but instead the movement ofiDPs through previously mined sites. W hile some ami-rank mines have been laid on roads, there is simply "no evidence of remining that is taking place."8 The Future of Demining in Angola HALO Trust approach es the Angolan land mine crisis with confidence and vigor. W ith many prospects for new funding, the organization plans on fin-ishing the job quickly and efficiently. As well as a new grant from the U.S. State Department, H ALO anticipates that their high public profile in Japan will encourage the Japanese government to subsidize rhe demining effort. With new and more plentiful financial support, HALO plans to "get on the ground, sur-vey, choose the h ighest priority sires, and expand our clearance cover across the provinces."9 The death of Savimbi and the subsequent collapse of the UNITA army should finally give HALO rhe op-portunity to operate rh roughour Angola. Hundreds of sires in rhe central prov-inces have already been identified and prioritized, according to humanitarian concern. By the end of 2003, HALO plans on doubling their national staff to more than 800, as well as importing fur-ther CASE armored loaders, vegetation cutters and demining equipment. Such a substantial augmentation to HALO's al-ready impressive arsenal will allow them to spread thei r operations into Angola's outer municipalities. • 14 • Conclusion In the past decades, a variety of Angolan peace attempts have proven fleering and temporary. T herefore, the nation's citizens are skeptical that the cease-fire signed on April 4'" wi ll endure. HALO Trust, however, feels confident tha t rhe most recem peace attempt is dif-ferent. While no one can predict Angola's future, the ci rcumstances surrounding the FAA/UNITA cease-fire suggest that the conflict will nor resume. Savimbi, UN ITA's fearsome leader for years, is dead and his army devastated. These two factors alone should prevent conflict fo r the time being. For all of the humanitarian organi-zations o p erat ing in Angola, the newfound peace is both a welcome bless-ing and a daunting challenge. HALO Trust plans o n playing an important role in Angola's rebuilding. HALO's efforrs will allow other NGOs to operate effectively and accommodate the hundreds of thou-sands of lOPs moving to Angola's outer municipalities. As leaders in research and development, safety, efficiency and fund-ing, H ALO is both confident and ca-pable. l f other humanitarian o rganiza-tions follow H ALO Trust's lead , Angola's desperate needs will soon be met. • References l. lnrerview wirh Tim Porrer, head of HALO's Af-rica desk, 6117/02 2. Campbell Scientific, Ediror: Sruarr Cresswell 3. 1 0-year Experience of Injuries Sustained During Clearance of Ami-Personnel Mines. by Richard Brown, Eddie Chaloner, Sreven Mannion, Tim Chearle. The Lancer, Vol358, December 15,2001. pp. 204-249 4. Interview wirh David Frederick, August 25, 200 I 5. lmervicw with Tim Porter 6/17/02 6. lnrcrview with Tim Porter 6117/02 7. HALO Trust 8. Interview wirh David Frederick, August 25, 2001 9. Interview with Tim Porter 6117/02 Contact Information David Hartley MAIC E-mail: hartledj@jmu.edu An Interview with Hendrik Ehlers of MgM Hendrik Ehlers discusses the challenges facing demining in Africa, research and development, and mechanical clearance used by his company. His candid replies offer insight into the world of demining and managing a multifaceted organization . by Margaret Buse, Editor M argaret Buse (MB): Can you de-scribe how MgM came to be formed in Germany in 1996? Hendrik Ehlers {HE): My friend and partner since childhood, Hans Georg Kruessen, and I were on Christmas leave back home, when we learned that our contracts with GPC seconding AOP in Mozambique as instructOrs and supervi-sors of the survey plus explosive ordnance disposa l (EOD) section were not re-newed. We had no chance but to do what many people had told us to do before: make our own non-governmental orga-nization (NGO). With the help of our old school pal Christoph Brocks rhis was done within a few days and MgM was legally founded on January 16, 1996. MB: How has your experience, and the experience of the founders of M gM , shaped the way MgM has been structured? HE: We wanted to avoid the situation that a HQ and/or board members in Germany could negatively influence our fieldwork. Therefore, the entire board, but three members, retired five minmes after the foundation case of beer was emptied. Hans Georg and I remained as majority over rhe si lent third, Christoph . Kri then shaped the IT structure of MgM and we ran off into the bush. That gave us the unique structure to be in the field and to be on top of the organization. We call that the reversed pyramid. This en-ables us to be very flexible and to react based on field realities rather than hav-ing to ask some distant body if we may buy a new truck or start a new opera-tion. Without that, our Angola opera-tions would have stopped long ago, just because there was no funding ... To take ir one step further, Hans Georg and me both later became chairmen, which lets us take the entire legal responsibility, too. MB: What do you feel are the most unique aspects of MgM that set it apart from other demining organizations? HE: The above structure is absolutely unique and so is the fact that both of us • 15 • have no formal milira~y background or simi-lar education. Well, I was conscripted for a year as a radar operator on the Hawk sys-tem. We learned everything in the field by doing it, which as a side effect gener-ated a number of self-built clearance and management devices that actually work. A very important thing is that we work in a team of multi-talents with maximum decentralized decision-making. We are a group of friends and 99 percent of our staff • Hendrik Ehlers • The German mine sweeping organization MgM People Against Mines developed a new device for the clearing of land mines. It is now being deployed in the post war scenarios in Southern Africa with great success. c/o MgM 2Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction, Vol. 6, Iss. 2 [2002], Art. 5https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol6/iss2/5

HALO Trust in Angola

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HALO Trust in Angola

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