Story by Stephanie Gallagher, photos by Jo Kelly.
Supported by the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and British Department for International Development (DFID), MAG’s clearance and mine risk education operations in the village of Kabuta ensure abandoned weapons will not be used by Mai Mai rebel forces and other combatants to refuel conflict.
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| MAG destroyed 767 hazardous items in Kabuta and rendered 1,350 square meters of land free for rebuilding and cultivation |
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| MAG demining team leader Francis (left) and deminer Omale (right) with Kabuta's chief (centre), on land he wants to turn into a casava field |
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| Following MAG's clearance work, residents of Kabuta have access to land for farming and buildings |
The Congolese Civil War, which left an estimated four million dead, officially ended in 2003 with the signing of the Sun City Agreement.
Yet pockets of conflict continued after the accord was signed, and continue in the Eastern Provinces today – where there are an estimated 1,200 deaths per day from conflict-related emergencies [1].
And though the Mai Mai have been demobilised to a large extent, they remain operational in some parts of Katanga [2].
With support from the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and British Department for International Development (DFID), MAG is working to prevent the Mai Mai and other combatants from recovering weapons and ammunition left behind during the conflict, which could be used to fuel future violence.
Clearance and mine risk education (MRE) operations to identify and remove items of unexploded ordnance (UXO) took place in the village of Kabuta, approximately 100 kilometres from Pweto.
Close to an intersection connecting the major North-South and East-West transit routes in Katanga Province, the village was of strategic importance during the war and Mai Mai insurgency, as the forces that controlled Kabuta controlled access to significant portions of both the Haut-Katanga and Tanganyika districts.
And due to its location, Kabuta was left highly contaminated with UXO after combatants vacated the area.
“When we came back to our village after the war, we intended to rebuild our houses in the same place where they were before,” explained the village chief, Mr. Kalunga Munkata. “But we found that there were items buried in there. We became afraid.”
MAG identified 40 dangerous areas in Kabuta and its surrounding areas, with 90 percent of contamination occurring in damaged buildings and within 500 metres of land used for housing or agricultural purposes. MAG destroyed 767 hazardous items including 14 anti-tank mines and rendered 1,350 square meters of land free for rebuilding and cultivation.
The village chief informed MAG that many villagers had fled during the fighting and were expected to return in the coming months with the start of UNHCR-assisted repatriation programmes.
The land cleared by MAG will help mitigate disputes between returning villagers and current local residents. Furthermore, residents will have access to land for farming and buildings to help foster socio-economic development in the region, which will further stabilise the peace process.
Through its presence and operations in Katanga, MAG helps to build confidence in local populations that the problems posed by UXOs are being addressed.
According to local residents, the Mai-Mai did come through Kabuta after the war, removing abandoned weapons to use during their insurgency. MAG’s clearance operations ensure abandoned weapons will not be used to refuel conflict in the future and community liaison activities reinforce peace-building methodologies through the use of education and local participation in conflict recovery.
[1] UNICEF Humanitarian Action Report 2007
[2] International Peace Information Service. “Mapping Interests in Conflict Areas: Katanga” - click to download report
