Three people were killed, 94 injured and more than 200 families displaced as a result of a lethal explosion at the armed forces’ Camp Ngashi storage facility in June. Completing clearance of the thousands of remnants of conflict scattered around Mbandaka requires a dedicated emergency response.
The explosion at Camp Ngashi – a Forces Armees de Republique Democratique du Congo (FARDC) storage facility in Mbandaka, Equateur Province – on Sunday 17 June this year killed three people, injured 94 and displaced more than 200 families. In addition, schools, government and military facilities were seriously damaged, and unexploded ordnance (UXO) scattered around the densely populated town and along the Congo River.
The initial explosion – the cause of which remains unknown; an FARDC inquiry is on-going – was followed by a number of subsequent blasts as items of explosive ordnance were set off as a result of the fire.
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MAG Field Coordinator Abdikadir Hassan (top), Technical Field Manager Emmanuel Brument (bottom left) and team prepare munitions for demolition at Bongonde, 36km from Mbandaka |
The facility housed large- and small-scale weapons, as well as a military hospital. The ammunition stored there ranged from small arms ammunition, through to a range of different calibre mortars and rockets, up to large high explosive aerial bombs. The intensity of the fire caused several large explosions and rocketing ejection of ammunition up to 3.5km outside of the camp.
Completing clearance and sensitisation of the local population to the threat posed by remaining ammunition requires a dedicated emergency response. Currently, one humanitarian mine action (HMA) and one small arms and light weapons (SALW) team are supervising the clean-up and clearance of all dangerous areas in and around the camp.
Toward this end MAG has trained 20 FARDC personnel in safe handling techniques to assist in the clearance of hazardous items. These personnel have been divided into teams and are supervised by trained MAG technicians. By working in cooperation with the FARDC, MAG ensures the sustainability of project activities and maximises their impact.
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| (Top row and bottom left) Munitions are stored near Camp Ngashi before being transported to Bongonde for demolition (bottom right) [Photos: MAG America] | |
Clearance at Camp Ngashi will further solidify MAG’s working relationship with the FARDC in regard to its clearance activities in Equateur and Katanga Provinces as well as its nationwide SALW destruction project. Data collection through community liaison activities also makes certain that local community leaders and members remain active partners in clearing the dangerous debris left behind from the explosion.
To date, over 29,000sq/m of land has been cleared through visual search, and roughly 17,000sq/m cleared using large loop detectors to recover items which rocketed below the ground surface.
Since the start of operations, 3,670 weapons and 2,440 additional hazardous items – including UXO – have been destroyed on site. In total, approximately 23,000 hazardous items have been removed and rendered safe until demolition operations can be completed. The working environment in Equateur Province remains a challenge, with the rainy season and dense jungle limiting the number of appropriate controlled demolition sites.
Lack of a functional infrastructure further prohibits access to suitable sites. Nonetheless, MAG has made significant process since operations began and hopes to return Camp Ngashi to a low risk status by the end of the year.
» MAG has been operational in Equateur Province since 2005, working to address the threat posed by landmines, UXO and other hazardous items by providing humanitarian clearance and community liaison services. MAG remains the only HMA operator in Equateur offering services in both clearance and community liaison.
Text by Stephanie Gallagher, Programme Officer, MAG D.R.C.
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» More on MAG's work in Democratic Republic of Congo
» Securing peace in conflict-affected areas
» Helping Returnees and Residents
