Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) will be cleared of landmines that were left behind after the Bosnian War in 1992-1995 by 2025, local media reported on Thursday citing the EU delegation head
BELGRADE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th April, 2019) Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) will be cleared of landmines that were left behind after the Bosnian War in 1992-1995 by 2025, local media reported on Thursday citing the EU delegation head.FENA news agency reported, citing Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, the head of EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, that there is still a large number of mines in BiH, but the territory of the country would be totally cleared of them by 2025.
In September, 2018, the EU Delegation to BiH signed contracts for two new mine action projects with the country's authorities worth 1.1 million Euros ($1.2 million). According to the figures by EU delegation in BiH, the European Union provided more than 46 million euros for clearing BiH of landmines since 1996.
According to the data of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action Center, 2.2 percent or 1,090 square meters (11,733 square feet) of the BiH territory is mined, while 60 percent of this territory accounts for forests. Over 15 percent of the country's people live under the threat of landmines.
Following the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina proclaimed independence and the Bosnian War erupted between Bosnian Muslims, Serbs and Croatians. The war was put to an end by the 1995 Dayton Agreement, which formed three new entities - the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian-majority Republika Srpska and the self-governing Brcko District.
