DanChurchAid
Humanitarian Mine Action
Mine clearing supports farming and sustainable development
“This work is important – in the long rum it will lead to more food for the family and welfare for the entire Angola”, the 31 year old José Enoc, former UNITA officer points out.
He is employed by DanChurchAid and the HMA project they carry out close to the town Luena in the North Eastern part of Angola.
Luena was one of the UNITA opponents’ bases during the long civil war.
”The work is heavy and needs a lot of patience”, Enoc says, ”but I am very satisfied with my job and earn approx. 500 dollars a month”.
A deminer at work
A deminer has an eight-hour working day. Protected by heavy equipment he kneels down and examines the soil slowly using a small spade. First the soil has been examined by a metal detector.
In practise they search the area and dig 20 centimetres into the soil. Antipersonnel mines are usually placed at twenty centimetres’ depth. Sometimes they find anti-tank mines under the antipersonnel mines. A deminer examines approx. 20 square meters a day. When you find a mine you detonate it on the spot.
Luena’s airport is surrounded by East German infantry mines which were spread out during the 1980ies. Land mines are not weakened in the course of time.
Angola’s mine problem is among the worst in the world
During the civil war which lasted 27 years all parties used mines. There are probably 89 different kinds of mines in Angola’s soil. They come from different places of the world; the most common come from the former East Germany and the Soviet Union, South Africa and Cuba.
You can only make a guess regarding the precise number of mines in Angola’s soil. In 2005 14 square kilometres were cleared and they found 4800 person mines and 358 antitank mines.
1300 square kilometres still need to be cleared. The size of the problem will not decrease over time as mines do not destruct themselves nor are they weakened by age.
Even though person mines are not life-threatening, they do harm feet and legs which often lead to amputation if a person steps on them. And the mines do not distinguish between soldiers and civilians nor adults and children.
The mines affect the lives of people in general. In Angola you constantly see young people with amputated limbs, hobbling along with crutches or artificial limbs. The mines affect farming, the economy and the possibility of moving around in general. Thus Angola’s humanitarian mine problem has obvious points in common with sustainable development: to reduce poverty and fulfil human rights – whether economic, social or cultural.
DanChurchAid’s work in the North Eastern part of Angola isn’t without problems
“We have met bureaucratic difficulties and corruption, but people in general like us and support us” says Jakob Harbo who is in charge of DanChurchAid’s activities in Angola. “We strictly follow the local laws and have even tried to employ female deminers but so far without luck,” he adds.
After a long and bloody civil war there is now peace in Angola. The economic growth of the country has exploded. Foreign investors and enterprises are knocking at the door.
Many relief organisations believe that it is time to leave the country. The UN refugee organisation UNHCR is about to leave as there are no longer any refugee movements, and the International Red Cross committee which has mandate to help victims of conflicts is considering doing the same.
The humanitarian mine organisations know that the mine problem doesn’t disappear. A well-hidden mine is always dangerous, even though society is developing positively and the other aid organisations are leaving the country.
That is why the humanitarian mine organisations in Angola even plan on increasing their activities in the years to come.
Erik Hällström
November 2007
Article translated by Gitte Munk Hindberg (DanChurchAid)
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