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CONTENTS Highlights

Updates

MRE Briefing

Activity Map

Mine Accidents

Statistics

MACC Staff

Agency Contacts

UU pp dd aa tt ee ssOPERATIONS

MECHEM’s Route Clearance Team continued to verify and clear newly discovered roads in the Shilalo region of Sector West. In total, the Team verified a distance of 37 km. The Team tracked these roads with the Geographical Positioning System (GPS). The collected data was submitted to the MACC Information Section for entry into the road database of the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA).

MECHEM’ Integrated Demining Capacity Team continued to encounter functional difficulties in providing integrated demining training to the demining contingents of the Peace Keeping Force. The MACC Programme Manager is currently addressing the issues with the Force Commander of UNMEE. In the mean time, MECHEM’s expert team in integrated demining continued to carry out integrated demining operations in the Sheshebit mine field in Sector West. In total, the Team cleared 56,522 square

HH II GG HH LL II GG HH TT SSOn two occasions, the MACC Programme Manager (PM) met with

UNMEE’s Force Commander to discuss issues related to Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) tasks as well as issues concerning operations of MECHEM’s Integrated Demining Capacity.

The PM met with the General Manager of the Eritrean Demining Authority (EDA) to discuss general support issues.

The PM also met with the outgoing Swedish Ambassador to Eritrea from Sweden, Ambassador Volke Lovgren, who was on his final duty visit to Eritrea. Finally, the PM met with the Second Secretary of the Japanese Embassy of Kenya, Mr. Satoshi Ominato. The PM gave Mr. Ominato a full update on the MACC programme and operations as well as a briefing on the current status of donor funding support to the UNMEE MACC programme.

meters of land.The MACC Explosive Ordnance Disposal

(EOD) Field Team remained in Asmara where it carried out a routine stock check and maintenance check of all EOD equipment and tools. The Team will deploy to the field again next week to deal with UXO discoveries in Sector Center.

The MACC Chief of Operations departed on leave on 3 March 2005. The MACC Operations Officer, Mr.Bob Kudyba, is acting as the Chief of Operations.

Mechanical demining assets in Sector West.

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INFORMATIONThe Information Section continued to provide training to the MACC Logistics staff on

the use of the "MACC Transport" database of the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA). The application of this database will allow the Logistics staff to more easily monitor the MACC vehicle fleet in terms of maintenance, use, available spare parts, fuel consumption, etc.

The Information Section conducted a review of the current "Completion Reports’" and "Tasking" databases of IMSMA to ensure accuracy and completion. Staff discovered some incorrect coordinates. In order to improve accuracy, the Section provided feedback to those who submit the data, including MECHEM.

The process of entering all relevant mine action data collected in the Mission area continued. All data entered was quality monitored and assured.

The Section printed 28 maps for various customers, including the MACC Regional Office in Sector West, the Operations Section and the Eritrean Demining Authority EDA).NOTE: Agencies and clients who would like to obtain standard maps of Eritrea, including maps at scales of 1:100,000 and 1:150,000 are requested to contact the UNMEE Geo Cell (Ext. 6974). Customers who would like to obtain mine/UXO specific maps are requested to contact the MACC Information Section where they will have their requests fulfilled within 24 hours. Please contact the Chief of Information, Gerhard Bechtold at Ext.2123.

Mine Risk Educ at ion(MRE)

The two MACC MRE Field Teams continued to provide MRE lessons to the population in the Laelay Gash sub zoba in the Gash Barka zoba of Sector West. They visited the following communities: Gratmaria, Maykokah, Shehebit, Tellini, Dembe Asmera and Sembel. In total, the Teams provided MRE to 592 people. They supplemented their activities with the distribution of MRE posters and games.

The contract between the UN Office for Project Services and the Ethiopian Mine Action Office has been renewed. The MACC MRE Team in Ethiopia will thus continue to carry out MRE activities in communities in the Ethiopian regions of the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ).

MRE BRIEFINGSThe MACC conducts regular MRE Briefings for all newly arrived UNMEE personnel, including civilians, UNMOs, etc. For time and location, please contact Lt. Col. Francis Kiilu at the MACC at Ext. 2114. All other newly arrived UN agency and NGO staff in the Mission area must contact UNICEF for MRE Briefings. UNICEF’s MRE Coordinator is Ms Lejla Susic. (Tel 1511 99, Ext 363)

MEDICAL COORDINATIONAs the Senior Representative of the Swedish Rescue Services Agency in Eritrea, the

MACC Medical Coordinator hosted the visit of Ms. Narrowe from the Swedish Development Agency and the visit of the outgoing Ambassador to Eritrea from Sweden, Mr. Lovgren. The MC and Operations Staff from UNDP’s Mine Action Capacity Building Programme (MACBP) accompanied Ms. Narrowe on a field visit to Shilalo to view the clearance operations of RONCO and the Eritrean Demining Organisation (EDO). Ms. Narrowe also received a briefing on the victims assistance component of the MACBP.

Photo on the left:Programme Officer, Ms. Elizabeth Narrowe, from the Swedish International Development Agency (Department for Cooperation with NGO and Humanitarian Assistance) visited the mine action programmes in Eritrea to evaluate the in-kind support of the Swedish Rescue Services Agency to the MACC and the MACBP.

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Dem in ing St at is t ic s: 28 February - 4 Marc h 2005

Mines UXO Area Cleared Road Cleared

Dest royed Dest royed sq. m . k mFMAC asset s , inc lud ing t he 1 2 22,975 0MACC EOD Team

MECHEM 0 0 39,815 37___________________________________________________________________________________TOTAL 1 2 62,790 37===============================================================

MINE/UXO ACCIDENTS

There were no reports of UXO or mine accidents.

UNMEE personnel are reminded to report any UXO or mine related incident to the nearest MACC Sector Office, Force Unit or UNMO Team Site.

Capacity exists within these elements to conduct investigations, complete IMSMA report forms and forward these reports to the UNMEE MACC.

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U.S.S.R. Hand Grenade (Below photo)

A few weeks ago the MACC MRE Field Teams collected a UXO discovery report from the local population of one the villages that the Team visited in the Shilalo region of Sector West. The reported UXO was a Former Russian Hand Grenade (see photo below). The EOD Team found the item as described in the local report and immediately disposed of it.

Chinese Hand Grenade, Type 82-2(Above photo)

The MACC Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Field Team discoverd and disposed of the above unexploded ordnance (UXO) near the village of Gergera in Sector Center.

This UXO is a Chinese Hand Grenade of the Type 82-2. These grenades are anti-personnel weapons designed for use in close-in combat for offence or defence. The grenade is painted black.

K ey UNMEE MACC St a f f

UNMEE MACC Te l : 15 0 444 VHF Ch3

Program m e Manager Phi l Lew is Ex t . 2106 C/s K ACh ie f o f Opera t ions Dav id Bax Ex t . 2169 C/s K BOpera t ions Of f ic e r Bob K udyba Ex t . 2161 C/s K B-1Sen io r Ope ra t ons Ass t . Gh i rm ay K i ros Ex t . 2167 C/s K BAEOD Of f ic e r J ohn Radda t z Ex t . 2142 C/s K B4Ch ie f o f In fo rm at ion Gerhard Bec h t o ld Ex t . 2123 C/s K D

Net w ork Adm in is t ra t o r So lom on Lebass i Ex t . 2107Ch ie f o f Adm in /Financ e Venk a t a Ram an Ex t . 2105 C/s K EAdm in is t ra t ion Ass t . Ts igab Beyene Ex t . 2121 C/s K E3MALO Add is Ababa Lt . Co l . K . Mbi t ha Ex t . 7112 K B 16RLO Sec t o r Wes t Ch r is Whak a t ope Ex t . 4422 C/s K B5RLO Sec t o r Eas t /Cen t e r Pie t Br ink Ex t . 5311 C/s K B6Pro jec t Of f ic er Dem in ing

for Dem arc at ion Lt . Co l . Xu QuanjunEx t . 2159 C/s K B2Fie ld MA L ia ison Off ic er L t .Col . Anat o l i i

Tym oshenk o Ex t . 2155 C/s K B12Logis t ic s Off i c er Chr is Row e Ex t . 2110 C/s K E1Program m e/Tra in ing

Of f ic e r Andrea Poe l l ing Ex t . 2119 C/s K A2

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AGENCY LOCATION AND CAPACITY

RONCO (US Company)

Programme Manager Mr. Will Haynes Tel: (+291 1) 202 091Office in Asmara

Mine Detection Dogs (MDD): 18 dogs and national dog handlersDemining: Two 60-person integrated EOD/Manual

ClearanceTeams in Shilalo

MECHEM (South African Company)

Programme Manager Mr. Herman Van Der Linde Tel: (+291 1) 159 406Office in Asmara

Route Clearance

One Mechanical Route Survey TeamOne Manual Route Clearance Team: Manual deminers, 4 MDDs and 2 Dog Handlers

Integrated Demining Capacity

Mine Detection Dogs: 10 MDDs and 5 Dog HandlersTraining Capacity: 1 MDD Instructor and 1 Mechanical InstructorMechanical Capacity 4 Bozena Flails

2Tapirs with steel wheels

Produc ed by : Andrea E. Poel l ing, Program m e/Tra in ing Of f ic er , UNMEE MACC, poel l ing@un.org, Tel : 150 411, Ex t 2119