No: 8 E- Newsletter October 2010

Foreword Foreword An Ammunition Dump Discovered

Siraj Barzani * in Shaqlawa
D espite a long period of
operations stand down
during the summer of
this year (about two months)
due to lack of hired vehicles,
nonetheless, IKMAA 2010
production rates in terms of
square meters cleared are ex-
pected to reach their highest
level since 2006. This increase
is mainly due to improved
clearance planning, SOP appli-
cation and resource allocation.
A set of newer clearance equip-
ment were also recently ac-
quired and introduced into our
program. IKMAA’s electronic
detector capacity was mainly
composed of the old genera-
tion Minelab F1A4 detectors. Rafat Babaker Abdulla*
Since the beginning of 2010,
in line with the new Toolbox
Policy approach, we have in-
O nconstruction
October 25th 2010, during the
works of a private
from this sector of Shaqlawa town. Dur-
ing the three days of clearance opera-
troduced other types of detec- house in the Sarmaydan Neighbor- tions, this event was extensively covered
tors to operations theatres in hood of Shaqlawa town (45 Km North- by the local media.
Erbil and Dohuk governorates East of Erbil), an old military dugout The Sarmaydan neighborhood of Shaql-
of Kurdistan Region including
was discovered by a local resident. IK- awa town has a population of 8935 resi-
dual sensors and newer gen-
eration Minelab F3. MAA /Erbil Directorate of Implemen- dents. There are 14 schools, 4 hotels, 1
On the mechanical side, IK- tation was immediately informed. An general hospital and 15 government
MAA’s capacity will reach EOD team supported by mechanical offices in this neighborhood. A total of
eight mechanical teams (four assets (Front-End Loader & Excava- 150,000 tourists have visited this area so
Ground Preparation teams far in 2010.
and four Mechanical Clear- tor) was dispatched to that location. The
ance Teams) by the end of this teams discovered a huge quantity of Director of Implementation/ Erbil- IKMAA
month which is a sharp in- mines and ammunitions in the dugout. rafat.babaker@ikmaa.org
crease from the previous four The unearthing operations lasted three
teams (Three Ground Prepara- days during which a total of 1226 Mines
tion and one clearance).
In addition to this, around 50 and ammunitions of different types were
new operations staff have re- found.
cently joined IKMAA consid- All items were removed, transferred to
erably strengthening our man- the demolition pit and safely demolished
ual clearance capacity as well. by the IKMAA EOD team.
In total, 69 square meters in and around
the dugout were fully excavated to the
* Head of IKMAA
depth of 2 meters by the FEL/Excavator
Siraj.Barzani@krg.org
team removing a major potential threat

public_relations@ikmaa.org
 No: 8 E- Newsletter
Landowners reuse their cleared lands
Waleed Ahmed*
O n Wednesday October 27th 2010, the Di-
rectorate of Implementation in the Gover-
norate of Dohuk handed over three cleared
minefields to their owners. The minefields were
located in Zawita and Rizgary Sub-Districts. They
covered an area of 51,155 Sqm and 17 Anti-Per-
Mechanical Clearance in Dohuk
Faris Zubair Ali*
F orIKMAA
the first time since the establishment of
in 2004, Directorate of Implemen-
tation in Dohuk added Mechanical Mine Clear-
ance to its current clearance capacity. Together
with its existing Manual Clearance Teams, Mine
Detection Dogs and Mechanical Ground Prepara-
tion machines, the Directorate of Implementation
in the governorate of Dohuk has now a complete
demining tool box.
Three FEL/Excavator operators as well as three
flail operators successfully completed the me-
chanical training course conducted at IKMAA’s
main training facility located in Rawanduz Base.
They are currently conducting clearance activities
sonnel mines of various types and one UXO were
destroyed during the clearance process.
Mayor of Zawita as well as representatives of a
number of other government departments and lo-
cal residents attended the handover ceremony.
*Deputy Director of Implementation/IKMAA-Dohuk
waleed.ahmed@ikmaa.org
in Balava minefield in Amedy District of Dohuk.
By mid-November this year, the MCV-Dove mul-
ti-function Excavator donated by the government
of South Korea to IKMAA will be operational as
well.
This important asset will add a clearance capacity
of 600 to 1000 Square meters per day depending
on the type of terrain.
It is anticipated that mechanical assets will be
used to clear substantial portions of a great num-
ber of minefields in the Governorate of Dohuk
depending on their size, topography and type of
vegetation.
* Operations Officer/Directorate of Implementation/IKMAA-Dohuk
faris.zubair@ikmaa.org
public_relations@ikmaa.org
2 October 2010
Handicap International
MRE Team discovers
mines/UXOs in village
Ako Aziz Hamad
O nMRE
27th October 2010, the IKMAA
Director and UNICEF Child
Protection Officer/Erbil office vis-
ited Handicap International community
based MRE team in Kazhak village in
Sidakan Sub-District/Erbil Governo-
rate. The purpose of the visit was to
monitor the HI community based MRE
project which is funded by UNICEF
and planned to be implemented during
2010 -2011. The MRE team discussed
the mine and ERW status in the village
with a number of male residents using
the Mapping technique (one of the Par-
ticipatory Rural Appraisal techniques).
The information thus collected was put
on the sketch map drawn by villagers
themselves. Despite being visited many
times by mine awareness teams but it
was through this specific technique that
the villagers informed the HI team that
there were 5 mines in an area close to the
village and 2 RPG shells in the garden of
the house of the Mukhtar (Head of the
village). The HI community based MRE
team leader checked both locations and
reported the items to the IKMAA Op-
erations Base in Rawanduz. IKMAA
EOD teams destroyed the items.
* Director of Mine Risk Education / IKMAA
ako.aziz@ikmaa.org
3 No: 8 E- Newsletter
IKMAA attends Mine Action Donors and Stakeholders
Coordination Meetings in Amman and Baghdad
Ali M. Miran*
O nWeapons
the initiative of the US Office for
Removal and Abatement
(WRA), UNDP facilitated a Mine
Action Donors and Stakeholders Co-
ordination Meeting in Amman, Jordan
from 4-5 October 2010. In addition to
Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Agency,
representatives from Iraq’s Ministries of
Environment, Defense, Interior and Na-
tional Security, a number of Embassies
including the Norwegian and Belgian
Embassies, the Red Cross and a number
of private sector companies and NGOs
attended the meeting.
The meeting provided an opportunity to
the Donor Community to be informed
of the latest developments in the Mine
Action sector at the Federal level of the
Iraqi Government. It was an opportunity
as well for UNDP and the Mine Action
IKMAA Accreditation Procedures
Jamal J. Hussein*
I ncompany
order to authorize an organization or
to carry out Mine Action ac-
tivities in IKMAA’s areas of responsi-
bility, the IKMAA Directorate General of
Technical Affairs (DGTA) follows a com-
prehensive assessment of the requesting
operator in line with IMAS 07.30 Accredi-
tation of Demining Organizations and Op-
erations. A number of requirements must
be met to gain a formal accreditation from
IKMAA.
Mine Action organizations and demining
companies have to put forward an initial
accreditation application presenting the
intention to obtain an accreditation from
IKMAA, giving an explanation of back-
ground in terms of work experience, exist-
ing accreditations with other Mine Action
Authorities, CVs of senior personnel and
their operational assets and equipments.
In so far as companies are concerned, reg-
istration with the Ministry of Trade and
Industry of the Kurdistan Regional Gov-
ernment is a pre-requisite in the accredita-
tion process without which the IKMAA’s
Siraj Barzani
Executive Editor
operators to reiterate their concerns to
Iraqi Federal Authorities on the neces-
sity of taking prompt and effective steps
to provide a legal framework for Mine
Action in Center-South Iraq by adopting
much needed legislation and by desig-
nating a competent Director General for
the Directorate of Mine Action (DMA)
in Baghdad. Both are crucially missing
at this stage. Head of IKMAA presented
a report on IKMAA achievements and
the way ahead to the participants during
the meeting.
On the other hand, upon formal invi-
tation by the Iraq National Security
Council, IKMAA attended a Mine Ac-
tion Donors Coordination Meeting held
in Baghdad on 25 October 2010. Prime
Minister Nuri Al-Maliki as well as Iraqi
Ministries of Environment, Defense,
Accreditation Board will not consider any
request for accreditation.
Requesting operators have to fill in all
parts of the application forms and copies
of financial statements and SOPs both in
electronic and paper formats have to be
submitted to the Board for the purpose of
desk assessment,
During this stage all submitted documents
will be reviewed by the Board. Additional
documentation may be requested by the
Board if need be.
Once the Board is satisfied with the assess-
ment and all required items of accredita-
tion are in place, the Board will pay a visit
to the entity office/site to check assets and
human resources physically on the ground.
If the organization is successful in this
stage, a formal accreditation will be issued
and signed by the Head of IKMAA and
awarded to the Organization or Company
for a period of one year.
Later during operations and project im-
plementation, accredited entities have to
obtain a formal task order before they start
Ako Aziz Hamad
Digital Distributor
October 2010
Interior, Health, Social Affairs and Na-
tional Security Council in addition to
UNDP and foreign Embassy representa-
tives attended the meeting.
During this second meeting, the Prime
Minister recognized Iraq’s responsibil-
ity in regards to honoring the Mine Ban
treaty obligations and stressed on the
fact that the future Iraqi administration
will put Mine Action on the priority list
of the federal government. Head of IK-
MAA delivered a speech emphasizing
the large scale of mine contamination
in the Kurdistan Region and highlighted
the efforts of the Kurdistan Regional
Government to rid the region of mines
and ERW.
*Director of Legal Affairs / IKMAA
ali.miran@ikmaa.org
deploying their operational teams. Weekly
progress reports will then have to be sub-
mitted to IKMAA and regular IKMAA
external QA inspections will be conducted.
Accredited Organizations or Companies
must conduct operations in line with IK-
MAA rules and regulations and must
inform the IKMAA QA department in
advance of any proposed change or modi-
fication of their SOPs and/or bringing new
operation tools to gain permission. Also,
IKMAA will form Boards of Inquiries
(BOI) for investigating demining acci-
dents.
The following operators have so far ob-
tained a formal accreditation from IK-
MAA:
Mines Advisory Group (MAG)/Rumital/
RONCO/Handicap International (HI)/
Mine Tech International/Bestoony Nwe
Fellows International Joint Venture.
*Deputy Director General of Technical Affairs/IKMAA Erbil
jamal.jalal@ikmaa.org
Akar Jalil
Graphic Designer