Repairing WWII's Egyptian Legacy

Many Americans' visions of WWII include images of the European front from a Hollywood film, or perhaps a map of the Pacific theater from a high school history book. What many people forget, if they ever knew it in the first place, is that a significant portion of the war was fought in Northern Africa. Notably, a number of operations took place in Egypt during 1940 and 1941, at which point several areas were heavily mined by both sides.

Unfortunately, the mines were never removed (though this article is a bit dated, The BBC ran a similar story today, and few of the relevant facts have changed), and now serve as a constant reminder of the war for citizens, many of whom have either been injured by mines and old ordinance or know people who have. Egyptian officials blame the responsible forces, particularly the British who were occupiers at the time, and have requested assistance in removal efforts. To date, the British have offered limited assistance, particularly in the form of old maps indicating where mines were laid. Unfortunately, shifting sands have reduced the effectiveness of such tools, making more sophisticated removal efforts necessary.

Ironically, the British already contribute millions of pounds per year to mine removal efforts, but only to signatories to The Ottawa Convention, which bans the use of anti-personnel mines. And Egypt refuses to sign the convention on the grounds that it does not want to absolutely foreclose the option to utilize mines in the future for self-defence efforts.

Though the current standoff is resulting in injuries to the Egyptian people, there is hope that the situation could reach a potentially positive end. The Egyptian government is preparing to seek damages. However, this is a novel issue, and it is unclear how any potential action would result, making this legal route a risky one with no guarantee of remedy. Alternatively, it could join the treaty regime. This would lead to multiple positive results, including the receipt of aid to increase safety, an Egyptian prohibition from using mines in the future, and alleviation of international tensions. It would also positively end a sad chapter in history, which seems to be the best possible outcome. Though WWII has left its mark on many individuals and many nations, this is one situation where the story does not need to continue being written.