Director of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action Center (BH MAC), Sasa Obradovic, told N1 that the international organizations assisting mine clearance process in BiH were intensively returning to help implementation of the new 2018-2025 mine clearance strategy.

Obradovic explained that BiH failed to meet the 2009-2019 strategy due to objective factors – lack of financial resources to meet the annual plans. 

“Donors stay with their donations. Some 40 to 45 millions are collected through donations, and state earmarks half of the funds. We always lack deminers. Being a deminer for 20 years is a hard job, and the Mine Action Centre enters the process of renewal of its staff and equipment,” Obradovic said.  

He further noted that certain territories on entity border between the Republic of Srpska (RS) and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) were still mine affected and, due to their position, they were often called ‘no man's land’.  

“Law on Mine Clearance is clear. Entity border must be observed by both the RS and the FBiH,” Obradovic added.  

BH MAC Director emphasized that PROM mine, known as the most dangerous mine in the world, still remained the number one danger on these territories. He also pointed out the problem of relocation of warning signs, which usually resulted in fatal consequences.  

“All territories are marked, but there are people who remove signs. They enter the forrests to cut woods, they knowingly enter and they are the msot often victims,” he concluded.  

April 4th is observed as the International Mine Awareness Day.