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Sudan
DCA Mine Action
Challenges
Over twenty years of internal conflict between the Northern and Southern regions of Sudan (which ended with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005), have left the country with a significant landmine and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) problem.
The main areas of contamination are located in the central (i.e. Transitional Areas including South Kordofan State and Blue Nile State) and southern regions, as well as along parts of the eastern borders with Eritrea and Ethiopia. In accordance with the CPA, the Southern Sudan held a referendum on the future political structure of Sudan, which resulted in a vote for secession from the North (coming into effect in July 2011).
Fast facts
Area of Operation:
Due to conflict from June 2011 DCA’s Mine Action operations has been suspended in Sudan.
However DCA is currently negotiating a technical agreement with the National Authority to commence work in Kassala State, until access for international NGOs again becomes possible in South Kordofan and Blue Nile State.
Programme staff by end 2010:
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101 total, 7 international (1 woman) and 94 national staff (16 women)
Tool box:
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Multi Task Teams
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WADS (Wide Area Detection System)
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MRE Team
Mine action operations began in 2002 with international and local NGOs carrying out demining and Mine Risk Education. The United Nations Mine Action Office in the Sudan has estimated that 74 million square metres of residual contamination remains, affecting 1.6 million people. In the northern region of Sudan alone, the residual known contamination consists of 152 Dangerous Areas, 108 Minefields and 132 Suspected Hazard Areas.
As of July 2011, National Mine Action centres, based in Khartoum in the north and Juba in the south, will assume responsibility for all Mine Action in Sudan together with UNMAO and local and international NGOs.
What we do in Sudan
DCA has been operational in South Kordofan State since 2003 and the Blue Nile States of Sudan since 2009 with both Mine Risk Education and Multi Task Teams (small mobile teams with capacity to survey areas, provide Mine Risk Education and to instantly deal with spot tasks of single or multiple ERW). Both states are located along the border dividing north from south.
Peace and reconciliation is a strong pillar of DCA’s Sudan Programme. From the early stages of the programme, special emphasis has been placed on involving people from both sides of the conflict in the mine action activities.
Another pillar of DCA’s Mine Action strategy in Sudan is the focus on national and local Mine Action capacity building.
This is consistent with the overall UNMAO strategic approach to the landmine and ERW problem in Sudan.
Over the next four years, DCA has committed itself to building national capacity, which will be able to respond to residual contamination once we exit the country.
Sqm cleared and released in 2011
322,851 sqm
People who directly benefitted from operations: 22,065
Items destroyed in 2011
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Cluster munitions: 15
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UXO: 113
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Small Arms Ammunitions: 193
Mine Risk Education Presentations in 2011
373
People who directly benefitted from MRE: 21,675