To download this report in full, please visit www.maginternational.org/drc
SUMMARY:
- Search and clearance of a total of 4,900 square metres of land through a combination of hand, and visual techniques.
- Removal of a total of 1,397 hazardous items by the Mine Action Teams.
- Destruction of 1,025 items of ammunition and 300 weapons by the Conventional Weapons Management and Disposal (CWMD) [1] Teams.
- 199 Dangerous Areas identified.
- 176 Mine Risk Education sessions conducted, targeting 12,353 beneficiaries.
Summary of activities:
Weapons destruction operations re-started this month in the Central Logistics Base (CLB) in Kinshasa. In the last week of August, 300 weapons were destroyed, and 1,000 are scheduled for destruction in September.
In Maniema, CWMD Team completed the destruction of surplus ammunition in Kindu and supported the FARDC in the implementation of safe storage procedures, as building a national capacity in ammunition stock management is key to reducing the threat posed by conventional weapons stocks to civilians.
In Equateur, the Community Liaison Team conducted a successful deployment to the sector of Basankusu where survey was conducted in 62 communities and 8,746 beneficiaries were sensitized to the risks of mines and UXO.
In Katanga, Mine Action Teams returned to the Pweto-Moba-Moliro triangle. The Manual Clearance Teams cleared 95 dangerous areas in the surroundings of Pepa, Moba and Pweto, removing 1,180 dangerous items and improving access to 60 agricultural sites, 27 housing sites and 6 roads.
[1] MAG uses the term CWMD to refer to all lethal conventional munitions that can be carried by an individual or a light vehicle, and that also do not require a substantial logistical and maintenance capability (SEESAC definition). This includes military-style automatic rifles, machine guns, man-portable anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, and light mortars (Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, US Department of State definition) and their associated ammunition.
For more information on MAG's work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, please visit www.maginternational.org/drc.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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