The DFIAT supported with the fund of $ 21 848 the realization of the MRE Project in Frontier Posts of Khatlon and GBAO within the period of May – August, 2009 in Tajikistan. The project indicated to what degree mine risk education has accepted as an important subject for the frontier officers and soldiers. The Frontier Checkpoints located in the areas of Tajik-Afghan border benefited by arranging trainings on safety behaviour against landmine/antipersonnel hazards. In the target period 152 frontier officers and 210 ordinary soldiers participated in trainings. Dissemination three types of MRE Educational Material – coloured posters valued as an important method by commanders and officers of the frontier posts and checkpoints. MRE Program established the environment of good cooperation with the frontier checkpoints located in remote border areas of Tajikistan.

Tajik Mine Action Centre (TMAC) had honour to launch its first collaboration with the State Committee of the Border of the Republic of Tajikistan (SCBRT) to develop mine risk education trainings for the protection of the officers and soldiers serving in border line. The MRE activities provided security environment against landmine hazards and train frontier guards. In order to eliminate the risk of death and injury caused by the presence of landmines in Military Frontier Posts TMAC has processed MRE activities with the knowledge and skills on safety behavior against landmines hazard and mine awareness training.

The project stepped initiatives to provide trainings for the frontier guards of the border districts along the Tajik-Afghan border. The trainings gave proper awareness to the senior military staff and soldiers to reduce casualties among new and graduated soldiers. The project added new criteria to the framework of the National MRE Strategy in Tajikistan Mine Actions under Ottawa Convention.

Landmines have been laid along the border of Tajikistan with Afghanistan by the Soviet forces and its border troops. After collapse of the USSR the border minefields had been guarded by Russian forces to counter cross border infiltration and for self protection. In 2005 the Russian forces completed the hand over process to their Tajik counterparts. In some border areas the mine records still are not proper identified. Last years the negative consequences of the landmine have impacted to the situation of the Military Frontier Posts, particularly in southern part of Tajikistan Republic. In 2008, the risk condition by landmines had still been problematic in Tajikistan. Particularly, 2 frontier guards of the army in Aivoj frontier checkpoint (Shahritus area) have been harmed by landmine explosion as a result of which one of them lost one leg and an eye, and the other lost his eye. These explosions mentioned about the importance of the MRE among frontier soldiers. One of the risky mine area is located in border line of Shuroobod, especially in Sari Ghor where the corridor of 35 hectares of the meadows and mountains of our country are used by the neighbor country.

In training period 152 frontier officers in 6 frontier posts educated their soldiers how to behave safely against landmine hazards. This approach resulted to reduce risk of death or injury among soldiers by the presence of landmines in border line of the Tajik-Afghan border. According to the programme requirements 110 MRE Colour Posters of three types have been prepared and provided in 6 frontier posts which they distributed among all frontier checkpoints. Also, from the library of the TMAC set of informational education sources, such as MRE brochures, posters, calendars of 2009, T-shirts, notebooks with the drawings on mine hazards and safety messages, communication in MRE, gender in Mine Action and document of the Convention Ottawa have been disseminated among the frontiers.

The MRE team found out the key objectives for the future sustainable MRE activities, if it will found the finance support: Continue risk education until to destroy the last mine in the border line; Link the MRE Study with the next subject as Communication in MRE according to the rules in the frontier checkpoints; Gender in MRE; Psychology Support and First Aid; Arrange round tables among senior staff on provision education in frontier checkpoints; Provide training environment for psychological support among soldiers; Printing of the educational materials by suggestions of the high frontier staff; Train officers to be a trainer of the psychological and communication skills. The educational approach is of importance for soldiers’ security in the landmines border line. TMAC MRE staff visited remote areas of 6 Frontier Posts and 14 Frontier Checkpoints to conduct trainings. The level of participation by target number was active in gaining all information. All senior staff pointed out to link the MRE Study with the next subject as Communication in MRE, Gender in MRE, Psychology Support and First Aid as well as other relevant topics and experiences. Also, it would be better to integrate learning of the mentioned topics in future activities. It will be resulted to reach positive development on well understanding about proper behaviour among officers and soldiers against mine explosion. The collaboration with the State Border Committee was managed by coordination of TMAC. And when it will be necessary to conduct serious activities in mine affected along border communities.