14th Anniversary of the Entry into Force of the Mine Ban Treaty

Today marks the 14th anniversary of the entry into force of the treaty which banned the production and use of anti-personnel landmines.  Despite being an early leader in the process, the United States has never signed or ratified the Treaty or made any official statements to indicate that it would do so.  So, to celebrate those that have, the following is a list of the African countries, who despite not having the resources of the United States and several of which have been severely contaminated by mines, have for the last 14 years been committed to banning landmines, clearing minefields and helping landmine survivors to reintegrate into their societies.  Thank you all, you are an inspiration to others.

Benin

Burkina Faso

Djibouti

Equatorial Guinea

Malawi

Mali

Mauritius

Mozambique

Namibia

Senegal

South Africa

Zimbabwe

Michael P. Moore

March 1, 2013

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