In the last 20 years, 151 people have lost their lives and 851 others have been injured by explosive remnants of war, at a time when the danger in some areas is still present.
Author: Elsa Dautaj, Fatjana Kazani
Albania, a country which in the last 75 years has not had any war on its territory, today is again far from being safe from explosive, military waste.
An investigation by the Albanian Center for Quality Journalism reveals that this danger exists at sea and on land, where hand grenades, shells, bombs and mines still lie unexploded, posing a serious threat, especially to the lives of residents living near these areas.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the problematic situation is inherited from the explosions of ammunition depots throughout the country during the civil unrest in 1997, the unexploded remains of the Second World War, as well as the explosive remnants of the former areas and disposal sites. of ammunition.
One of the areas, which today is considered one of the most problematic, is that of Jubë-Sukthi in Durrës, which has served as a training area for the Albanian army for years, mainly for ground and sea shooting, but also for ammunition explosions .
In the area, which is bordered to the west by the Adriatic Sea and to the east by the agricultural lands of the villages of Rinia, Bisht-Kamëz and Jubë, according to the Ministry of Defense, there is still an area of 938,779 m2 that has not been cleared of explosive remnants.
Another dangerous area is the one near Sinanaj village in Tepelena.
In May 2006, the dismantling of ammunition in a warehouse there led to a serious accident, in which an Albanian army corporal was killed and three sergeants were injured. This explosion also led to the contamination of a land area of 200,000 m2 in this area, which still remains uncleaned.
However, March 2008 brought a great tragedy to the country as a result of the lack of training and safety conditions in the explosion of ammunition.
In Gërdec, 26 people lost their lives and 300 others were injured as a result of an explosion during the dismantling process.
In the last 20 years, unexploded ammunition has brought a balance of war to Albania, where, as a result of their explosion, 151 soldiers and civilians have lost their lives and 851 others have been injured.
Danger in Juba-Sukth
The work to clear military areas of explosive ordnance for some of the most difficult areas began in earnest in 2012 with the assistance and guidance of the Norwegian organization NPA ( Norwegian People's Aid ), supported by funds from the US Department of State.
As a result of this cooperation, in many of the warehouses and military tunnels, the dismantling of dangerous ammunition has been completed. According to the ministry, the number of dangerous areas with unexploded ordnance is currently reduced to 2 from 19 identified at the beginning of 2011.
One of these two areas, where work has not yet been completed, is the open surface of Juba-Sukthi.
The NPA told the Center that they have completed the first phase of clearing the area and that they will help the Albanian army gain capacity and expertise for its complete clearing within 2019.
"NPA task forces have found and destroyed 16,000 different types of military items, ranging from canisters, shells and mortars. Similarly, during the cleaning process, large aerial bombs were also found, some of them two meters underground, as well as anti-tank mines", said the representatives of this organization.
The work to complete the complete cleanup of this area is expected to take time, at a time when the contaminated soil there is challenging and cannot be worked during the rainy season.
On the other hand, this area around the former shooting range has begun to populate rapidly due to its proximity to the sea and likewise to the capital.
Redion Qirjazi, head of the Security Program at the Institute for Democracy and Mediation , IDM (also a reserve officer and who has planned and conducted several exercises in Juba), told the Center that this area has always been considered extremely important for military exercises and for this reason there have been no inhabited areas near it.
"During the years of communism, this area was conceived as a base with a training ground, and a large part of the houses that are now located around it did not exist. The movement of the population, controlled or not, has caused many houses to be located near the training area, and even some businesses, such as fishermen's restaurants, penetrate into its interior", he emphasized.
But in addition to the lure of making a profit from seafood in the area, the military munitions scrap found under the water has also become a very dangerous temptation.
Arben Braha, director of the Mine and Munitions Coordination Office (AMMCO), told the Center that collectors of scrap ammunition often collect metal parts in the water to sell.
"This activity poses a risk for them, that's why we have developed awareness activities for the residents who live near these areas, informing them of the possible danger", he emphasized.
Eva Veble of NPA ( Norwegian People's Aid ) says they are constantly meeting with residents in the area and advising them not to touch unexploded ordnance, not to move marked materials, and not to enter the area. The organization has placed warning signs at the entrance to the area.
"But this sign is repeatedly removed", she says.
Even for the residents who live around the area, it is not easy to live with the risk of unexploded ordnance near them.
Daniela, 12 years old, whose house is located very close to the disposal area, says that she never goes for a walk around that area, as her parents have warned her that it is dangerous.
The Ministry of Defense aims to completely clean the area and hand it over to the local authorities in order to use it for tourism.
But this is not an idea that is supported by everyone.
According to IDM's Redion Qirjaz, as long as a country has an army, then it must have large training areas that serve exclusively as such.
"In every country in the world, these areas are guarded to serve the interests of national security. Unfortunately, many Albanian governments have underestimated this goal, reducing more and more military zones and allowing urban areas to approach them.
This leads to the reduction of military activities", said Qirjazi.
At a time when the discussion on military spaces in the country is strategic, the need for security from the munitions of the past remains urgent.
