South Sudan to eradicate landmines by 2026
South Sudan and its partners have revealed that they are determined to eradicate anti-personnel mines by 2026 to make agricultural and grazing lands in for citizens.
The team have cleared a large number of square kilometres of mine-infected areas across the country and is now left with about 400 square kilometres to declare South Sudan mine free country.
After failing to meet the initial July 2021 deadline, the government of South Sudan, in November 2020 was granted a five-year extension until July 9, 2026, to clear all the landmine fields.
This was upon a request to the Anti-personnel Mine Ban Convention during the 18th meeting of the state parties on the prohibition, use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines and their destruction.
The Chairperson of South Sudan Landmine Action, Jurkuch Barach, told the media on Wednesday that the country had anti-personnel mines in stock but was left with few mines contaminated areas to be cleared amidst challenges.
“We have cleared over one billion square kilometres and now we are left with about 400 kilometres,” Mr Barach said.
“The question of resources, the question of flooding, and the question of insecurity are the ones obstructing the smooth of the work,” he said.
He said the contaminated land areas encompass the greater Equatoria region and parts of the Upper Nile that required cooperation between the government and international and national partners to eradicate.
“Landmine is not the responsibility of landmine authorities alone, but every individual and community to report any unknown object and Unexploded Ordinances (UXOs) so that landmines are eradicated,” Mr Barach said.
Mr Barach was speaking to the media after witnessing the detonation of an anti-tank landmine in Bilnyang village of Gondokoro Payam, Juba County, where the United Nations Mine Action in South Sudan (UNMASS) has been clearing mines.
The organisation was carrying out mine risk education among Bilnyang village inhabitants, the then Sudan Army Forces’ base during the SPLM/A liberation struggles contaminated with anti-personnel and antitank mines.
Addressing the media on the same occasion, Mr Fran CF’Grady, Chief Mine Action Programme with United Nations Mission in South Sudan, also echoed the issue of climate change hindering the progress to achieving South Sudan mine’s goal.
“The flooding is causing so many challenges to the people of South Sudan because when it floods it is hard to get the physical location to clear mines and sometimes there are access issues,” said Fran.
Mr Fran praised the government for its support of UNMASS, which he said would eventually allow for mane clearance throughout South Sudan.
