Source: UN Mine Action Office in Sudan (UNMAO)
The town of Malakal in Upper Nile State is one of the communities that have been the most affected by landmines and UXO in Southern Sudan. It is therefore natural that it is considered the number one task on UNMAO's southern region's list of priorities.
Clearance operations started in 2008 with two integrated mechanical clearance teams funded by the UN and the Government of Japan. At the end of the 2008-2009 demining season they had destroyed over 520 landmines.
On 18 June, UNMAO and the Southern Sudan Demining Commission (SSDC) handed over 1.3 million square meters of cleared land to the authorities of Malakal. As SSDC's Upper Nile chairperson Zacharia Monyeik, Shiluk Chief Adam Ajak, and Malakal Commissioner Chan Alak, signed the official papers, the local population could look forward to living safely in their town again.
There are still 1.5 million square meters of land to be cleared in Malakal and the de-mining teams will continue their difficult work in an area that suffered increased conflict over the past year. After the fighting in February in Malakal, the Cambodian Military Demining Company cleared the dangerous unexploded ordnance that threatened the residents of Malakal. In addition, during the 2008-2009 demining season the Cambdodian Military Demining Company cleared 93,000 square meters of land in Maban County.
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