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Albania

Albania

Territory: 28,748 km²

Population: 2.8 million

Estimated number of mines: none

Mine Situation in Albania

While Albania is official mine free today, its population suffered from explosive remnants of war (ERW) in the country dating back to the communist era for a long time. During the Kosovo war between 1998 and 1999, 120 km² of Albanian land were contaminated with mines and cluster bombs.

Albania carried out a long process of mine clearance in these areas, and in October 2009 officially declared itself a mine free country.

During the civil unrest in 1997, at least 15 weapon caches were destroyed and pillaged. More than 600,000 anti-personnel mines were stolen from these deposits and dispersed all over the country. Most of these munitions were located in poorly maintained military depots in the vicinities of residential areas. Sometimes the residents tried to destroy these weapons without the appropriate knowledge and with very simple tools. This often resulted in serious explosions that harmed and killed many.

Between 1995 and the end of 2010, approximately 958 people in Albania were injured or killed by mines and cluster bombs.

DEMIRA in Albania

In order to make a specific assessment of the mine problem, DEMIRA travelled to Albania and led a thorough exploration of the situation. Final goal of this assessment was to disarm and destroy the mines in the depots.