The areas cleared since MAG restarted operations in Sri Lanka in September 2007 will allow more then 30,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) to return to their communities.
MAG remained committed to the continuation of operations last year, despite an escalation in fighting between government troops and the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE).
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Bozena mechanical teams form an important part of MAG's resumed operations in Sri Lanka. |
The renewed hostilities led to a more complex and volatile situation in country that did little to augment the already fragile peace process agreement in place. It became difficult for international non-governmental organisations to operate safely in the affected areas and as a result MAG Sri Lanka operations in Batticaloa were once again temporarily suspended.
In June 2007, MAG was informed by the government that its operations could not resume. The MAG staff worked hard to revoke this decision and together with the support of donors and other agencies the country programme agreement for MAG Sri Lanka to operate was successfully renewed.
During the operational period of September–December 2007, 19 anti-personnel mines and two items of unexploded ordnance were found, 146,080 square metres of land was demarcated, the Bozena mechanical teams verified 122,953 sq/m, the battle area clearance (BAC) capacity cleared 1,744,377 sq/m and 7,040 sq/m was manually cleared using the rake method.
The current programme capacity consists of three Mine Action Teams, three Community Liaison Teams and two Bozena machines (prior to 15 November, there was one) providing mechanical assistance to the manual clearance capacity.
Below are the clearance figures for September–December:
In total, MAG has cleared more than 13 million sq/m of land in the country since 2003.
MAG’s ongoing and planned activities for 2008 are to assist in resettlement efforts by the Ministry of Resettlement and support developmental activities of the Ministry of Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development, whose combined activities are vital to the normalisation of life and therefore promotion of peace within the proposed area of activities.
* About the Bozena: In August 2003, MAG introduced a Bozena mini-flail into its operations to increase the speed at which land can be returned to the local community. Manual deminers clear the mine rows and the Bozena mini-flail checks the strips between. The Bozena can check these areas are free of mines up to 10 times faster than manual deminers.
Links:
» More on MAG's work in Sri Lanka
» Photo gallery: a collection documenting the aftermath of war in north Sri Lanka
29 January 08
» MAG's work in Sri Lanka is currently funded by: the Japanese Government; Jersey Overseas Aid; Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, US Department of State
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