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MAG Angola's partner organisation Kalifolufu demonstrates how it uses dance and drama to highlight the mine threat. |
Music and dance filled the Luena air as MAG celebrated the first 12 months of a European Commission-funded project to provide safe land for reconstruction and agriculture in Moxico Province.
Amongst those present at Tuesday’s event – featuring demonstrations from Kalifolufu, a MAG-trained local organisation that uses theatre to deliver landmine and unexploded ordnance safety messages – were representatives from the Angolan Government and communities benefitting from MAG’s activities.
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Luena is the location of MAG Angola's operations base. |
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“The latest national statistics, from 2007, show that Moxico is the province most contaminated by these remnants of conflict, with 290 affected communities living within 522 suspected mined areas,” said MAG Angola Programme Officer Chelsea Moore.
“But, on top of these figues, every year MAG is finding even more mined areas. From November 2010 to November 2011, we discovered 37 additional Suspected Hazardous Areas.
“This means that, almost 10 years after peace, the mine problem in the province still continues and is significantly hindering socio-economic development.”
As well as substantially lowering the risk of death and injury, the two-year EC project – “Increasing access to essential services and contributing to socio-economic development in the mine- and UXO-impacted communities in Moxico” – is opening up land for farming, schools, health centres, housing for returning refugees and the rebuilding of safe roads decimated by 27 years of civil war.
Said Soba Lingele, the chief of Luzi, a highly contaminated village of 2,000 people: “I am very glad that the EC made our community a priority. Luzi is one of the worst affected places in Moxico and MAG has been working hard to make it safer.”
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CNIDAH's Director for Moxico Province speaking at the event. |
Mr Chili, Director for Moxico Province, CNIDAH, the Government department responsible for mine contamination, added: “We are very pleased to have been in partnership with MAG for over 15 years and are most grateful for the support of the EC in assisting MAG to carry out this valuable clearance in Moxico.
“That the EC is supporting clearance in our heavily-mined province makes us happy that we have the understanding and support of the international community.”
Other guests included: Mario Fernandes, Grants Manager at UTACH (the Government department responsible for monitoring EC funds); Moises Conde, technical specialist with UTA/ACP/EU (the EC's technical monitoring programme for demining); Rita de Jesus, CNIDAH Luanda's Public Liaison Director.
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A Kalifolufu Mine Risk Education demonstration. |
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"Every year, MAG is finding even more mined areas" - Chelsea Moore, MAG Angola. [Photos: Mike Fryer/MAG] |
28 October 2011
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