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Risk Education: actors from local organisation FOPRO demonstrate what could happen if safety messages are ignored. |
MAG marked 'International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action' in Mbandaka by highlighting key messages about how to avoid falling victim to remnants of conflict.
All Mbandaka-based staff from MAG and the United Nations Mine Action Coordination Centre paraded through the town on 2 April, spreading safety messages.
This was followed by an "open door" event on 4 April, when MAG hosted key representatives and development actors in Equateur province. Included in this were:
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- A theatre performance, in partnership with local non-governmental organisation FOPRO, to demonstrate how Risk Education has been adapted for children in Equateur;
- The showcase of a specially written song to spread messages about the dangers of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO);
- A practical demonstration from MAG’s two technical teams in Mbandaka, showing how they operate safely, and the ways in which they use key pieces of equipment;
- A demonstration at the riverside of how the teams regularly deploy by trimaran to access remote previously unreachable communities.
There were also speeches from the MONUSCO head of mission, UNMACC regional head of office, and governor’s representative, who all reinforced the importance of humanitarian mine action work in helping to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
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Deminers march through the town to increase awareness of the problems. |
The governor’s representative commended the effort that has been made by MAG in identifying and removing remnants of war and explosives in Equateur. He encouraged NGOs and UN agencies to continue with their lifesaving work, establishing safer communities to foster and enable development.
Colonel Cap Landu of the FARDC underlined the importance of MAG’s contribution to the eradication of the problem of mines and UXO in Equateur: “MAG has a positive and central role as they are the only international NGO in the province working on this issue.”
He went on to emphasise the need to increase the profile of this kind of work in the media and to underscore the excellent collaborative work between MAG and the FARDC.
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Community Liaison Officer Petronelle Belotsi and colleagues spread safety messages. [Photos: MAG DRC] |
The event was coordinated by MAG DRC Community Liaison staff Abi Jones (Manager) and Adeline Grippon (Technical Advisor) in collaboration with UNMACC.
More than 70 countries are still believed to be affected by mines and other explosive remnants of war, with over 25 of these countries contaminated by UXO.
MAG thanks the following donors to its DRC operations: Actiefonds Minjnen Ruimen; Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs; ECHO; Japanese Government; Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, US Department of State; Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency); UK Department for International Development (DFID) / UKaid.
11 April 2011
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