Re-authorising anti-personnel mines unacceptable: EU

KABUL (Pajhwok): The United States decision to re-authorise the use of anti-personnel mines by its military forces outside of the Korean Peninsula “undermines the global norm against anti-personnel mines, a norm that saved tens of thousands of people in the past 20 years.

In a statement attributed to the EU spokesperson, the union said the majority of mine victims were children. “Their use anywhere, anytime, and by any actor remains completely unacceptable to the European Union.”

It said EU and US were both major donors for mine action assistance worldwide, supporting mine clearance, mine risk education, victim assistance and stockpile destruction.

“The re-authorisation of the use of anti-personnel mines is not only a direct contradiction to these actions but also negatively affects the international rules-based order.” The EU counts on the US to remain a partner and a top provider of anti-mine action assistance.

ma