Mbanza Kongo – More than five million square metres of land were cleared of landmines between January and December of this year, in the northern Province of Zaire, by the National Demining Institute (INAD).
Among the areas cleared of landmines, the highlight was the area where a future fertiliser factory will be set up in the Municipality of Soyo, the perimeter of the future Luvo customs logistics platform and the space where the Mbanza Kongo international airport is being built.
The data were made public Friday, by the representative of the demining agency in Zaire Province, Lourenço Antunes, during an act of demolition of unexploded ordnances, which took place in the village of Mbanza Mazina, on the outskirts of Mbanza Kongo City.
He said that during the demining operations, 14 anti-personnel mines, one anti-tank mine, 1,980 uxos and 2,119 ammunitions had been removed and destroyed.
Lourenço Antunes said that an awareness campaign called “Education about the risk of mines”, was underway in some locations in the Mbanza Kongo Municipality, which had already reached 591 people in the populations of Nkoko, Sumpi and Dobo.
For next year, the official said that the activities to raise awareness and educate the population about the risk of landmines will be focused on the communes of Kindege and Kibala Norte, in the Municipality of Nzeto.
