MAG has become the first organisation of its kind to complete a pilot survey and clearance project in the isolated south-eastern region of the war-ravaged Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The project team was based in a remote area where the vast majority of the population had fled into neighbouring Zambia during the war and had only recently started returning home. Much of the country’s infrastructure has been devastated by years of war and neglect – roads and bridges are often in very bad condition, making travel extremely difficult, and basic services such as health centres are often completely absent.
Frequently termed “Africa’s First World War”, the conflict involved a wide range of factions and forces from up to ten other countries. Whilst much of the fighting has now stopped, the DRC remains one of the poorest countries in the world and continues to suffer from the aftermath of the war.
Landmines and other explosive devices add to this suffering, particularly in the south-east of the country. As part of the survey and clearance project, MAG visited all the local communities to gather information about the dangers faced by villagers. A team was then sent to clear the reported items, so that the local people could take another step towards rebuilding their communities. Some of the areas visited were so remote that the villagers were not even aware that the war had ended. When conducting demolitions of explosive items, the team had to be careful that everyone in the surrounding area knew what was happening, so that they did not think the fighting was occurring nearby, and flee their village.
MAG is now seeking to follow up on this project with an extensive survey in another area of the country. Much of the DRC is affected by landmines and other unexploded ordnance (UXO), and the country requires assistance in order to stabilise and continue on the long road to recovery.
Llewelyn Jones, member of the Survey Team
August 2005
