DanChurchAid
Humanitarian Mine Action
Humanitarian Mine Action in DR Congo
Mine problem and context
DR Congo has had a long history of civil war and insecurity. The five-year conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, that pitted government forces against various rebel forces, has left the country in the grip of a humanitarian crisis, that still takes its toll on the inhabitants and returnees even after several years of humanitarian aid and direct international intervention.
In spite of the efforts towards peace and reconciliation, large numbers of displaced and war affected communities still live under the daily threat of mines and explosive remnants of war. Accidents relating to mines and UXOs are still occurring in Eastern DR Congo, and several communities find that the access to agricultural land, water sources and infrastructure is still blocked by landmines and UXOs, having a negative impact on their safety and their possibility to return to normal lives. DR Congo has been a state party to the Mine Ban treaty since 2002, and mine clearance activities are ongoing, with DCA as one of a few main operators.
The Humanitarian Mine Action Programme of DCA in DR Congo was initiated in 2004 and is working to promote the conditions for a safe and sustainable livelihood and a dignified life in peace for displaced and war affected communities in Eastern DR Congo. DCA works towards this goal by; inducing safe behavior in the population through mine risk education, by indentifying and prioritizing areas to be cleared based on the needs of the local population, and clearing the areas contaminated with mines and UXOs in prioritized order.
Further details on the landmine problem in DR Congo as well as the country's response to the contamination, please refer to the country pages on Landmine Monitor, DR Congo .
DanChurchAid response
The DCA HMA Programme in DR Congo has its main base in Kalemie in Eastern Congo and currently has operational activities in Katanga, Maniema and South Kivu provinces.
In the 2008 season, the operations include; six Mine Risk Education and Survey teams, two manual demining teams and two EOD teams, as well as supporting staff both at the offices and in the field.
The Mine Risk Education and survey teams combine information gathering and registration of dangerous areas based on information from the local population with education about the dangers of mines and how to avoid dangerous situations involving mines and UXOs. Furthermore, the MRE teams are also providing information about HIV/Aids.
The manual demining and EOD teams carry out clearance activities of mines and UXOs based on the information gathered by the Survey teams and requests from UNMACC as well as humanitarian organisations. All tasks are ranked according to priorities based on among other factors; the intended use of the cleared land, the population in the area including numbers of returned IDPs.
In fall 2008 the Swedish organisation SRSR will introduce mechanical clearance tools as well as Mine Detection Dogs as a subcontractor to DCA clearance activities, which will increase the clearance rates for the programme markedly.
The DCA programme has a strong focus on improving the capacities of the national employees, through a number of internal and external training activities. National team leaders are given EOD level 2 and 3 training, survey management staff trained in good practices for monitoring and Evaluation and in general English and Computer literacy is made available to essential staff.
Back Donors
Since the beginning of the programme in 2004, Danida has been the main back donor for the Mine Action Activities in DR Congo. Danida has annually supported the programme activities with donations of up to half of the annual budget.
EuropeAid supported two of the programme’s demining/EOD teams continuously from the beginning of 2006 until March 2008, enabling EOD and Demining activities to be carried out in the provinces of South Kivu, Maniema and Katanga.
In December 2007, a twelve months grant was issued to the programme by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support EOD and Survey/MRE activities in the province of South Kivu.
Other Donors
Over the years, a number of other donors have made essential contributions to the HMA programme enabling a variety of essential Mine Action activities. These include:
- UNMAS
- UNICEF
- German Federal Foreign Office
- UNDP (Pooled Funds)
- OCHA
- DCA Anders & Anne Campaign
- DCA Give a Goat Campaign
Contact US
To receive more information on the DCA programme in DR Congo, please contact DCA HMA Team in Copenhagen, Signe Noermose
at
sno@dca.dk
.
Related information
