M.A. / The aim of this study is to outline how the people of the Huambo province of Angola have been affected by the massive overuse of landmines in the area. The main objective of this report is to investigate how the destructive effects of war, jointly with a large number of mines,1 retard not only the rural development per se, but also the progressive life of the entire nation. This is due to the fact that large numbers of economically active people, who reside in the rural areas, are the major targets of landmine explosions. / none

Landmines have inflicted an insurmountable amount of physical and psychological harm, inhibiting social and economic development far after the conflict has ended. In an effort to create a world free of the weapon, a campaign to ban landmines was launched by non-governmental organizations. The Mine Ban Convention entered into force in 1999, requiring nation-states to immediately ban the use, production and transfer of anti-personnel landmines (APLs), destroy stockpiles within four years and remove landmines already planted within ten years. This study examines the level of legal compliance with the Mine Ban Convention. An empirical analysis is conducted using a data base constructed from reports published by the Landmine Monitor. This study finds that the treaty is a successful work in progress with a majority of Parties in compliance; 44 million stockpiled APLs have been destroyed and eleven states have completed mine clearance. 170 million stockpiled APLs and countless emplaced mines remain, indicating the world is still far from the goal of a mine-free world. / by Jacqueline C. Perez. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.