Ongoing and, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) increasing, hostilities put paid to the country’s hopes of being anti-personnel mine compliant by year-end.
Support for ongoing government efforts to clear DRC of anti-personnel mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), assisted by UNMAS (United Nations Mine Action Service) has been boosted by a US$5 million donation from the Korean Agency for International Co-operation (KOICA). The funds will go a 24 month demining project that started at the beginning of this month (December) and finishes on 30 November 2024.
“Due to ongoing conflict in eastern DRC, contamination ERW with is increasing, along with a surge in refugees and internally displaced population (IDP) growth, all vulnerable to threats and risks posed by ERW and misuse of small arms and light weapons (SALW).
“While DRC government was supposed to be compliant with the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention article 5 by January 2021 to survey and clear all known or suspected mined areas, it requested an extension until 31 December 2025, according to an UNMAS statement.
The funding will enable UNMAS to support DRC on its path toward “finishing the job” and its civilian population protection efforts, especially IDPs in eastern DRC. This part of the country registered an increased number of explosive incidents, victims and minefields through the “Sustainable Mine Action in Support of Conflict Affected Refugees, Internally Displaced People and Communities in the DRC” project.
As DRC moves towards a mine-free environment, UNMAS is increasing focus on enhancing capacity by sharing and transferring lessons learned from traditional methods and innovative approaches in explosive hazard management, explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) and non-technical survey (NTS).
The KOICA contribution will assist UNMAS with enhancing national capacity to create national EORE, EOD as well as clearance response and self-sustainable national organizations in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu.
Through this project, KOICA contributes to implementation of UN Sustainable Development goals 16 and 17 by strengthening the National Mine Action Authority (CCLAM) capacity to co-ordinate mine action actions. This will, according to UNMAS, encourage return of IDPs, create freedom of movement in a post-conflict society, reduce fear and threat of the “frozen violence” of landmines and other ERW.
