Saurimo - Angola has 1,035 registered mine contaminated areas, said on Wednesday in the Province of Lunda Sul, the head of the demining operations certification department of the National Mine Action Agency (ANAM), Narciso Paulo Tiacafe.
He presented this information during the first ordinary Technical Coordination meeting of this body, pointing to the provinces of Moxico, Bié, Cuanza Sul and Cuando Cubango as the most critical ones.
On the other hand, he said that by 2025 the provinces of Namibe, Zaire, Huambo and Malanje are expected to be declared mine-free zones.
Narciso Paulo Tiacafe said that 24 people died as a result of mine accidents in 2023, as a result of 33 mines being activated, which also caused injuries to 72 people.
He explained that the deaths occurred in the provinces of Cuanza Sul, Cuanza Norte, Cuando Cubango, Namibe, Moxico and Bié, which are considered to have the highest number of minefields as a result of the armed conflict that had ravaged the country.
The official said that five million explosive ordnances had already been removed across the country, 90,000 of which have been destroyed, which has saved the lives of citizens who work in agriculture and commerce.
With regard to the mining situation in Lunda-Sul, he said there were 56 minefields in the municipalities of Cacolo and Saurimo that were being cleared.
According to him, in order to counteract the situation, the institution, together with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), is working on the removal of the mines.
In the framework of the meeting, the ANAM delivered two vehicles to the provinces of Lunda-Norte and Lunda-Sul with the aim of supporting demining services.
During the meeting, the participants discussed issues related to the investigation and contamination remaining in the country, demining operations, the causes and effects of the accident, and proposals for relaunching activities, among others.
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