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MAG DR Congo (September update)

15 Oct 2007 08:39:00 GMT
Source: Mines Advisory Group (MAG) - UK
Geoff Turner

Website: Website: http://www.magclearsmines.org

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MAG works with IOM to erect warning signs around a jetty in the south eastern town of Moba until clearance operations are complete. The Moba jetty will serve as a UNHCR repatriation point once it is rendered safe.

Background

• Congo (DR) conflict

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SUMMARY (Reporting Period: 01 September 2007 - 30 September 2007)

Activities & Outputs Summary: Search and clearance of a total of 22,500 m2 of land through a combination of hand, electronic, and visual techniques Removal and destruction of a total of 1,442 hazardous items: including 393 UXO, 1,049 items of small arms ammunition Destruction of 6,200 weapons, 2,433 items of ammunition, 303,261 cartridges and 97 AP mines in the Small Arms and Light Weapons category 160 Dangerous Areas identified 181 MRE sessions conducted targeting 11,446 beneficiaries

Impact Summary: MAG's Small Arms Light Weapons programme brought the total number of weapons destroyed since the start of the programme a year ago to more than 60,000 weapons this month. As part of its mandate, one MAG SALW and one HMA team remained operational at Camp Ngashi to continue clearance and removal of hazardous items until they can be chopped up at Camp Ngashi or transported to a secure demolition site. So far the combined effort of the teams has led to the safe removal of over 22,000 items and Mine Risk Education delivered to over 8,500 local residents. With 22,500 square meters of land cleared alone this month the clearance phase of operations at Camp Ngashi is coming to an end and MAG is preparing for the demolition phase in October. Other MAG activities this month included a three week deployment to the contaminated areas in and around Ikela in Equateur Province. There the community liaison team collected information on suspected dangerous areas and provided MRE for the local population in preparation for future clearance activities.re clearance activities.

ACTIVITIES

Equateur Both HMA and SALW activities continued to focus on the Battle Area Clearance (BAC) of the FARDC's Camp Ngashi this month. The visual search and removal of hazardous items neared completion and preparations for the disposal phase commenced. Due to high priority attached to completing the clearance and destruction of all hazardous items at Camp Ngashi by the international community and Congolese stakeholders alike, the operation will remain staffed by one MAG HMA clearance team and one SALW team until the area is considered safe. The assistance of the SALW team has allowed the MAG Community Liaison team to resume operations in other areas of concern along the Tshaupa River between Boende and Ikela. In September the team conducted a three week deployment to provide MRE, which reached more than 9,400 local residents and documented 17 Dangerous Areas along 700 km of road.

Katanga MAG's two Katanga Community Liaison Teams, supported by DfID, conducted a follow-up deployment to the Pepa area and also worked along the Pweto - Kizabi and Pweto - Kapulo roads. These areas were prioritized as they have been identified as the main areas of resettlement for refugees through UNHCR's repatriation programmes which started earlier this year. Informal MRE was given to 1,860 villagers in the same areas. A further 140 Dangerous Areas were reported and marked by the community liaison officers, in anticipation of MAG clearance teams reaching them next month. Clearance operations were slightly affected this month due to a fuel shortage throughout Katanga Province. This problem was addressed by the end of the month and is not expected to negatively impact program performance next month.

Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Destruction Project MAG's mobile Katanga-based SALW team destroyed ammunition stockpiles in Lubumbashi, Pweto, Kalemie, Mitwaba and Dubie during September totalling 305,791 items and including 97 anti-personal mines. In Kalemie, MAG worked in cooperation with Danish Church Aid who also works in Mine Action in northern Katanga. The excellent support and cooperation from Danish Church Aid was much appreciated by MAG. As mentioned above the Equateur based mobile team assisted in the on-going clearance and weapons destruction at Camp Ngashi. The weapon destruction workshop in the FARDC Central Logistics Base continued to operate at full capacity with the addition of a second set of shears increasing MAG's capacity to destroy heavy weapons (Mortars - 120mm, 4''2- heavy submachine guns - Mi.30, Mi.50- AA guns - 75mm, 37 mm). With over 60,000 weapons destroyed in the first year of MAG's SALW programme MAG is looking forward to significantly increasing this figure in its second year of operations with renewed and increased support from the U.S. Department of State and potential further support from DfID and the Royal Government of the Netherlands.the U.S. Department of State and potential further support from DfID and the Royal Government of the Netherlands.

Kinshasa MAG's communication project with Papa Wemba completed its objectives this month with final distribution of all t-shirts, games, leaflets and posters generated during the project. MAG would like to thank UNICEF for their support in implementing this innovative and successful MRE project: A total of 565 radio broadcasts of the Papa Wemba Public Service Announcement were made by 4 radio stations in Lingala, Swahili and French A total of 30 television broadcasts of the Papa Wemba Public Service Announcement were made by 3 television stations in Lingala, Swahili and French 700 leaflets in Mongo were printed and are being distributed in Equateur. In addition leaflets in Lingala and Swahili printed, and being distributed by MAG and Humanitas Ubangi. MAG would like to express its gratitude and many thanks to the following current donors to the Democratic Republic of Congo programme: Canadian Global Peace and Security Fund Department for International Development (UK) Global Conflict Prevention Pool (October 2007) UNICEF Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency United States Department of State, Political Military Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement Royal Government of the Netherlands (January 2008)

For more information contact: Katharine Hopper (Regional Desk Officer) e-mail: katharine.hopper@mag.org.uk Press contact: Geoff Turner (Information & Production Manager) e-mail: geoff.turner@mag.org.uk MAG, 47 Newton Street, Manchester, M1 1FT, UK Tel: +44 161 236 4311 Fax: +44 161 236 6244

[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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Last updated:Mon Oct 15 08:51:08 2007