Sarah Blackmore: “The CMC believes that every country in the world can and should join the CMC”

© Afreepress (Lomé, the 4^th of September 2014)-

 Question: What are cluster munitions?

Sarah Blackmore: Cluster munitions are indiscriminate and unreliable weapons, both at the time of use and long afterwards, causing major humanitarian problems and risks to civilians. First, upon deployment cluster munitions spread explosive submunitions over a large area, usually leaving a footprint the size of one or two football fields. Such widespread dispersal means that the weapons cannot distinguish between military targets and civilians. Anyone within this large strike zone is at serious risk of being killed or injured. The humanitarian impact is especially heavy when cluster munitions are used in areas where civilians are present, which is the case in most modern conflicts.

In addition, many submunitions fail to detonate on impact, leaving de facto antipersonnel mines that continue killing or maiming for decades after they have been used.  The strong explosive force of these “duds” makes them even more dangerous than antipersonnel mines to those who accidently trigger them, usually a civilian and very often a child.

Question: What the CMC is waiting to see at the end of this 5^th Conference of the Global Coalition against clusters munitions?

Sarah Blackmore: It is extremely important that we increase membership of this treaty. The CMC believes that every country in the world can and should join the CMC. It is a question of political will and placing a priority on the protection of civilians over outdated and indiscriminate weapons. As the first Review Conference for the treaty approaches, we must step up our work together to bring more states on board and to solidify the norm against cluster munition use.

Cluster munitions are knowingly putting civilians’ lives at risk, and we condemn such unacceptable acts.