Mine Clearance
Landmine Action’s mine clearance project in the Nuba Mountains, part of the SLIRI programme, began in August 2002, following the announcement of the US/Swiss brokered ceasefire in the region. The ceasefire brought an end to more than 15 years of conflict and was a catalyst for wider peace talks between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM/A).
So far Landmine Action has achieved the following:
2002
• Establishment of a demining facility in the village of Tillo, near Kadugli, in the Government controlled area of the Nuba Mountains.
• Demining training for 26 local men, drawn from throughout the region.
2003
• Using data gathered by SLIRI field staff, the demining teams were able to verify the presence of mined areas in locations throughout the Government-controlled areas of the Nuba Mountains.
• With this information, and in close consultation with local community leaders a number of high priority tasks were identified and selected.
• Teams renovated a main road leading to the first clearance task, not only enabling faster casualty evacuation in the event of an emergency but also facilitating access between two villages.
Clearance begins in August 2003.
2004
• LMA/SLIRI teams are working on three main clearance tasks, considered high priority areas by local communities. These are the villages of Korongo Abdullah, Katcha and Kheiga El Kheil.
• Teams are called out to dozens of EOD tasks, ranging from the destruction of individual pieces of unexploded ordnance to entire bunkers of abandoned ordnance.
• Funding is received from the Government of Japan and Jersey Overseas Aid to establish a demining facility in the SPLA-controlled parts of the Nuba Mountains and training local deminers for priority clearance tasks.
• Landmine Action/SLIRI begin work with the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) to conduct a series of socio-economic impact surveys in 75 villages throughout the Nuba Mountains. Mixed survey teams, the first in the country, are being deployed in both GoS and SPLM/A areas. This information will help prioritise all clearance activities in the region based on agreed socio-economic criteria.
2005
• Clearance work continues in the Nuba Mountains in both Kauda and Kadugli - thanks to support from the EC. Operations are centred in minefields at Korongo Abdullah, Katcha and also at Koyea. The signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in January 2005 has led to a marked increase in the amount of people returning home to the Nuba following the end of hostilities. As such there is a real need for a continued mine clearance and EOD programme in the Nuba.
• From September 2005 - January 2006 SLIRI teams had successfully cleared over 30,000mē of land in South Kordofan State. Work is currently ongoing which will examine the socioeconomic impact of landmines on communities in the Nuba Mountains.
• Thanks to support from the U.S. Department of State SLIRI was able to implement a survey and EOD programme in Blue Nile State. SLIRI's work with local mine affected communities provided key data which SLIRI's response teams were able to use when designing clearance programmes.
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In May 2004, all the staff based at our centre in the Nuba Mountains were presented with a medal by Brigadier General Wilhelmsen, head of the Joint Military Commission (JMC) which is responsible for overseeing the ceasefire.The award was in recognition of the contribution made by Landmine Action mine clearance teams’to the JMC’s mission.
Landmine Action has also agreed to provide a ‘quick reaction’ demining response for the JMC, in the event of an emergency in the region.