Bosnia and Herzegovina

Shortly after Bosnia and Herzegovina’s declaration of independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in March 1992, the country broke into conflict that lasted three years. A peace agreement ended the conflict in 1995, but the country had already become littered with landmines and unexploded ordnance. Today BiH is the most mine-affected country in Europe, with an estimated 1.3 million people, roughly one third of the population, living in 1,366 mine-impacted communities. The latest government statistics disclose that there are more than 12,000 locations requiring clearance. The country’s goal of being mine-free by 2009 set by the National Mine Action Strategy will require a great deal of time and cooperation, but steps are being taken to give the citizens of BiH a safe place to live