MAG has launched a special ‘Vote in Safety’ campaign in Angola in order to minimise mine accidents when the country’s first elections since the civil war ended take place on 5 September.
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Filomena, Community Liaison Team Leader, uses a 'Vote in Safety' image during a Mine Risk Education session in Luangrico. |
The last elections in Angola were held in 1992, but war erupted again soon after and continued until 2002, when a new peace agreement was signed. And with the historic day now only a couple of weeks away, posters supporting the various parties have been hung up all over the country, with t-shirts and caps displaying political slogans being worn by many Angolans.
Throughout the countryside the election coordinating body, CNE (Comissão Nacional Eleitoral), has selected the communities that will have polling stations. While in larger towns like Luena there will be multiple voting stations, many smaller communities will be without one. Residents will, therefore, have to travel to other villages, where they are unaware of the location of mined areas, to cast their vote, meaning a potential risk of mine accidents.
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The flags of the opposition PRS party (left) and main government party, MPLA. |
With this in mind, MAG Angola Community Liaison (CL) teams are visiting communities which will house polling stations, to hold meetings in which they discuss safe voting behaviour and providing Mine Risk Education.
Two such places are Luangrico, a community with two minefields, and Luxia, where there are four minefields.
Filomena, CL Team Leader , advises the community of Luxia: “When you go to the polling station, stay in the safe path. And if there are long queues at the polling box don’t stand in dangerous areas.”
She shows an image developed specifically for the occasion, depicting a man holding a voting card and walking on a path in between mine signs.
“When people from neighbouring communities come here to vote, help them to stay in safe areas.”
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MAG's Community Liaison staff work closely with the technical teams to ensure a rapid response to issues raised in communties with a polling station – such as marking minefields in the area with warning signs. |
She continues by showing paintings of mine signs and explaining their meaning. Those present, dressed in various party t-shirts and caps, nod their heads and listen attentively.
When the session finishes, the village headman thanks Filomena; without MAG’s work, he says, people could forget the everyday dangers because of the excitement surrounding the elections.
In Luangrico, the flags of the MPLA – the main government party – and the opposition PRS party wave in the wind next to a voting station that is under construction. The village chief – the Soba – has arranged for a community meeting here.
After the session the community points out that the minefields are not marked with official mine signs. The CL team passes this information on to MAG technical teams, which are currently targeting areas being used as electoral bases, and the following day the technical supervisor goes out and hammers mine signs into the trees.
Filomena gives the Soba a final message: “Please make sure that your people don’t steal the signs, it is important for your safety in the day of elections and afterwards.”
Links:
MAG's work in Angola is currently funded by: Adopt-a-Minefield;
DFID (UK Department for International Development); Guernsey Overseas
Aid Commission; Luanda International School; Office of Weapons
Removal and Abatement, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, US Department of State; Royal Netherlands
Government.
18 August 08
