FCO and Royal Gendarmerie
 

Despite being given a reference number for my FCO query and a subsequent chasing mail to them,I have never heard back from FCO....must have gone in the TO HARD box:(

Also,never heard back after my mail to The Gen.Royale:(

Once again thanks to Chris Scott and Raf.

Sorry, a bit off the subject but maybe a warning...

We used to visit Mozambique quite a lot after the war. Most cattle were tendered to a pole because the locals were worried they'd wonder off and maybe step on a landmine.

A few years in, and as we approached our 'usual' spots, we saw these little yellow flags everywhere, and sometime directly next to the track. Upon asking the locals, we were informed that a UN(?) troupe has come through and marked landmines for a follow up team coming through a few weeks later. A bit of a wake up call, as we have frequented these areas for years without bothering/caring. The flags looked something similar to this, but we have seen several designs in other places over the years since, when we knew what to look out for

http://www.germaniainternational.com...gmienmar01.jpg

Next time someone passes south of Abteh will be interesting to see if any warnings ever got put around the old base.

We passed by about 8 days ago. The buildings look pretty interesting and curiosity might make you go there. It is pretty close to the tarmac road.

There is a short and easy track from the tarmac to the area/to the buildings. No obstacles, no warning signs visible. We did not leave the tarmac, we did not approach.

According to a policeman in Abteh the buildings were old maroccan barracks from the 1920ies, 1930ies. I didn´t ask him about mines.

Came past last week. Couldn't see any warnings into the beehive structures. Just a bit further south is another old fort which I have waypointed as abandoned...…………..not anymore army based at the entrance and tents up further back from the road

TREAT AS DANGEROUS MINE - looks very much like a US M16 mine
 

TL;DR - I'm not 100% sure, but yes, it's very probable the original pic is the main body of an APERS mine, no fuse though -
needs scale to be sure, if outer visible ring is 4 inches or just larger across, then likely to be a M16 mine. In any case, treat as dangerous, play it safe.

long version:
It looks like a US-made M16 bounding (jumping) anti-personell mine ( this one appears to be the flat-top, not the concentric-ridged variant) It's not a M16A2 because on those the fuse-well is offset - this one is central so M16 or -A1

It does not have the fuse assembly fitted and was probably pre-laid to be fitted with the horn assembly in the immediate run-up to a known attack. It's also possible that it was de-fused at some point and left in place.

They are common as muck - just about everyone bought them back in the day and millions would have been nicked so it could have been laid by any side from 1960s onwards.

It could maybe also be a training version, tough I have a feeling they were all plastic-bodied and this pic shows corroded steel as the outer housing (the actual mine has a steel outer case with a cast-iron bounding chargecase)


Historically - I have a feeling the main camps of the Goums were located further north in the 30s. I know the 19er, 49er and 44er Goums had casernes in Bou Jerif and the region to the south, but I'm not sure where I remember that info from. It seems too accurate in my memory to be misremembered, so I think I must have read it recently (on the net somewhere) Those kiln/beehive buildings look unusual - could this be a Spanish-occupation era place? I'm not sure of the Spanish sphere of influence in the area, historically.
EDIT: this info could have come from a AmouddouTV video, not sure which one - loads on episodes on Youtube - all in Arabic though (or rather, some parts in berber with arabic subtitles for when the locals are interviewed in rural areas)
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLOXkeB6lLqjmqngg5uM2CQ


In any case (excuse the pun) this is likely a 1960-s onwards munition (if it is in fact what I think it is - lack of scale makes it hard to be sure) There's a (tiny?) chance it could be a old gas canister or old filter or something innocent, but I'd never take the chance.

Here's a pic of similar M16 mine, note the fitted fuse/trigger assembly in this pic:
http://ordata.info/img/images/H3839UF1.jpg

And this? I presume it is best avoided?
On a piste near Imlili.

Looks like some sort of shaped charge munition that has failed to detonate. The bent 'nose' of the projectile suggests it hit something but the fuse didn't fire. The nose contains a hollow copper cone and when the charge behind it detonates it sends a jet of molten copper through the armour of the target. It should go without saying if it hasn't detonated yet, there's still explosive in there.

Go looking for old ammo and old ammo may find you
 

The abandoned caserne entrance today. No warnings/fences.

And lots of tire tracks!

Hi
 

Can you write the gps please. I am a certified tour guide in Smara

I hope they have cleared the area as the view of the buildings from the road does invite the curious ! :nono:

Said
The complex is on the RHS of the road a few km South of Abteh as you travel South.Do you have any contacts in the Gendarmerie to get it checked.

Said, see the link in post #11, the GPS waypoint is N27.8810 W11.4881

Just saw this insta vid from a week ago.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DDja3AyMWW9/
Don't know if it's the same place but 'Abteh' is mentioned and the conical 'kilns' look familiar.
Either way, presumably no warnings but perhaps mines were quietly removed?

I happened to look on iOverlander which definitely marks the place is the place Tony found.
Also comments on the solitude and a great camp.
https://ioverlander.com/places/25610...-military-huts

Well at least the HUBB did it's bit ;-)