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MAG CLEARS OVER 41 SQUARE MILES OF LANDMINE AFFECTED ANGOLA
JIKA, ANGOLA—(AUGUST, 2005) —Angola’s 27-year civil war ended in 2002, but the country’s civilians remain in danger. As one of the most heavily mine impacted countries in the world, landmines in Angola threaten lives and impede the country’s economic growth, as an estimated 50% of the country’s land remains unsafe to walk on.
Working in cooperation with the local community, MAG cleared 66,773 square meters of land during a 17 month project, providing village residents with the means to build a better future. Following the 2002 peace treaty, individuals returning from refugee camps in neighboring Zambia and DR Congo returned home to areas that initially were considered safe. But as people began to rebuild homes and cultivate their land, a high volume of landmine injuries were reported.
On December 1, 2003, MAG deployed a Mine Action Team funded by the European Commission and U.S. Department of State to begin survey and clearance operations. Many locals were unwilling to move during the clearance process, fearful that others would take their land, so MAG’s teams worked closely with community members to keep them involved but at a safe distance from operations. Over 120 mines and UXO were located and safely removed during the project, benefiting thousands of current and returning residents.
On August 16, 2005, an official handover ceremony signified MAG’s clearance of this site and gave MAG staff and local residents an opportunity to celebrate the end of an era—and the beginning of the community’s ability to grow and prosper. The Soba (village leader) thanked MAG for its work in his village and blessed the organization’s future work in the area and team members gave local children a taste of how MAG deminers work by letting them dress in personal protective equipment and use metal detectors to search for small pieces of metal.
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| MAG's Technical Field Manager, Jim Vernon and Bairro Jika's Soba, Samukumbi Kapailo, standing beside the start point of the land that's now clear and safe thanks to MAG. | The next generation of deminers - learning how to search for metal. |
Because surrounding areas remain contaminated, MAG trained 10 villagers in Mine Risk Education (MRE) skills. These individuals are prepared to inform new inhabitants and visitors about high risk areas, promoting continued safety and ongoing vigilance. During the handover ceremony, the MRE team performed a skit highlighting the dangers of walking in a minefield and offered tips on living safely in a contaminated area.
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Even after conflict ends, landmines and other dangerous remnants of war can be left behind, remaining harmful to innocent communities. MAG (Mines Adivsory Group) and US partner MAG America work together to save lives and promote safer, more prosperous communities by clearing landmines and other life threatening remnants of conflict and by developing grassroots education and awareness programs. By training and employing members of the communities in which they work, facilitating safe access to fertile land and enabling the development of infrastructure, MAG empowers indigenous populations with the fundamentals needed for sustainable prosperity. Founded in 1989, MAG has worked in 35 countries, and was the 1997 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts on the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.