SOUTHCOM has humanitarian demining programs in several Central American countries. With help from the OAS, SOUTHCOM is able to make progress in helping this area become mine free

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Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction Volume 5 Issue 2 The Journal of Mine Action Article 2 August 2001 United States Southern Command, SOUTHCOM CISR JMU 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 JMU, CISR (2001) "United States Southern Command, SOUTHCOM," Journal of Mine Action : Vol. 5 : Iss. 2 , Article 2. Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol5/iss2/2 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. United States Southern Command, SOUTHCOM SOUTHCOM has humanitarian demining programs in several Central American countries. With help from the OAS, SOUTHCOM is able to make progress in help-ing this area become mine free. byMAIC This article is based on Mr. Scott Getters presen-tation .from the Military Contributions to Hu-manitm·ian Demining Conference held in Tampa, Florida, in january 2001. Mr. Getter is tl1e Pro-gram Mam1ger for Humanitarian De mining op-erations at C! NC South. Background SOUTHCOM uses the US Army Special Opera-tions Force (SOF) to con-duct humanitarian demin-ing. It is fortunate ro be able to provide support in Central America, Peru and Ecuado r through a re-gional organization, rhe Organization of American States (OAS) and the In-ter-American Defense Board (IADB). These or-ganizations assist in devel-oping self-sustaining hu-manitarian d emining programs. SOUTHCOM has supported OAS/ IABD in Larin America since 1995. Promoting Mine Awareness In 1998, SOUTHCOM starred a humanitarian demining program in support of the Peru/Ecuador peace accords. Missions are task organized using SOF and integrating Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) into mis-sions starring this year. The Psychological Operations (PSYOP) detachment provides mine awareness programs usmg surveys to determine the best way to distribute the information. This program has used standard mine awareness signs, as well as posters, Superman comics, printed r-shirrs and school supplies to promote mine awareness. The detach-ment will be conducting post-tests of the program's effectiveness. Program Summaries Mr. Getter also summarized the program in each country within the SOUTH COM area of responsibility: Honduras is in the final phase of irs demining program and by Septem-ber of this year, it will be a mine-safe country. Nicaragua and the OAS/IADB support an ambitious demining pro-gram. Over 600 people are involved in units on multiple fronts. IADB also supports regional headquarters of in-• 2 • ternational supervisors, the Mission of Assistance for the Removal of Mines in Central America (MARMINCA) located in Managua, which coordi-nates all training in Central America. Guatemala has primarily a UXO problem, which will require another 6-8 years for removal. Volunteer fire-men, working in coordination with the military, bring credibility to rhe ream. Costa Rica has a small mine problem that will require up to two years to complete. Operations in Ecuador and Peru are focused along a 78-ki-lometer stretch of the border between the two countries that is disputed. It is heavily mined and remote, making for diffi-cult and treacherous work. Upcoming plans include four missions per year divided equally between Central America and Peru/Ecuador. • Contact Information Mr. Scott Getter Program Manager (HD) HQ US CINC SOUTH 3511 N.W. 91 " Ave. Miami, FL 33172 Tel: 305-437-3031 Fax: 305-437-3457 E-mail: sgerrer@sprintmail.com OAS Mine Action Program Organization of American States Mine Action Program Countries worldwide are supporting OAS' efforts to clear landmine-stricken ar-eas in Central America by implementing a mine action program that will teach courses in demining techniques and supervise and monitor mine clearance op-erations. by Jaime Perales and Carl Case, OAS The Problem Central America was a theater for military conflicts for several decades leading up to the 1990s. During these conflicts, landmines were often used by both government and irregular forces. The majority of the mines used were manufactured outside the region, but some improvised explosive devices were also used by armed insurgent groups. In some cases, mine fields were recorded with varying degrees of ac-curacy and derail but in many in-stances, they were neither marked nor documented in any way. Mines were placed around military and economic faci li ties, including telecommunica-tions installations, power lines and bridges, as well as along trails and roads. Long after these conflicts have ended, their deadly legacy remains in the form of thousands of anti-person-nel mines that continue to threaten large numbers of people living in Nica-ragua, Honduras, Costa Rica and Guatemala. In many rural areas, the local population fears this threat, and the re-establishment of normal pat-terns of life remains elusive. Numer-ous tracts of needed agricultural land remain unusable, placing an added economic burden on these areas and leaving entire communities isolated and economically depressed. Even with the increased risk of living and working in or near mine fields, the pressures of the population and the economy have forced many people to remain in these zones. The danger to the physical well-being of the people of Central America, as well as the im-pediment rhar landmines pose to eco-nomic recovery and democratic gov-ernance, have made their elimination an urgent humanitarian task. The Response The Central American peace pro-cess, which rook root in the past de-cade, helped resolve the in-ternal conflicts in the region and created a favorable eli-mare for strengthening eco-nomic development and democratic institutions. As these nations struggled to consolidate peace, their gov-ernments asked the Organi-zation of American States (OAS) for assistance in ad-dressing landmine issues. In 1991, the Secretary General advice from the Inter-American De-fense Board (IADB), requested that the member stares and the permanent ob-servers of the OAS cooperate in this task. Under a series of mandates from the OAS General Assembly, the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy of the OAS General Secretariat assumed over-all responsibility for the conduct of this pioneering and innovative initiative, which became known as the Assistance Program for Demining in Central America (PADCA). Since the program's inception, Ar-gentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, the United Stares and Venezuela have provided military engineers and other specialists to teach courses in demining techniques and supervise and monitor mine clearance operations. Other countries, including Canada, Den-mark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United of the OAS, with technical • Deminers at work in Ocotal, Nicaragua. • 3 • 1JMU: United States Southern Command, SOUTHCOMPublished by JMU Scholarly Commons, 2001

United States Southern Command, SOUTHCOM

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United States Southern Command, SOUTHCOM

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