From Adia Jildo, in Juba
The South Sudan’s National Mining Authority and its partners, have carried out campaign to clear and remove mines, unexplodated ordinance to build a safe environment in South Sudan with a vision of peace, safety and stability.
Landmines and explosives remnants of war have continued to endanger lives, restricting access to essential services, and prevent communities from rebuilding.
Efforts to clear land contaminated by mines and unexploded ordnance have led to the reclamation of more than 1,300 square kilometers of land in South Sudan.
Over 1,300 square kilometers of land and over 4,000 km of roads have been cleared and regarded safe by Mine Action with a total of 15,000 agricultural areas, 344 schools, 316 water points, and 437 health clinics from explosive threats in a 20 year duration.
The chairperson of the National Mine Action Authority, Jurkuch Barac Jurkuch said only 22 square kilometers of known contaminated land remains as of 2024 data and continue to endanger lives.
“Since the launch of the first humanitarian demining teams in 2004, and the establishment of the National Mine Action Authority following the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, South Sudan has made remarkable strides,” he said.
The Special Representative of the Secretary General of the Mission in South Sudan, Anita Keki Gbeho, urged the government and partners to continue to support efforts to clear land from explosives through different intiatives.
“A South Sudan free from explosive hazards is now within reach. we must continue working toward. Mine awareness anxietymine action are more than just technical undertakings,” she stated.
Zehrudin Sukanovic, the Chief of Mine Action in South Sudan said that mine action is dedicated to clearing minefields and the battlefields, strengthening sustainable national mine action capacity.
“Mine action remains committed to being a critical enabler, supporting UN missions, UN entities, humanitarian operations and communities while fostering national ownership and capacity building,” he said.
He added: “Building on more than 20 years of UNWEA cooperation and our shared commitment, we stand poised to secure a safer, more prosperous South Sudan, free from the fear of explosive ordnance.”
Land mines and unexploded ordinance are a stark reminder of the devastating legacy of war and the long road to recovery.
South Sudan government said it aims to declare the country mine-free by 2030, though said challenges such as flooding, poor infrastructure, ongoing insecurity, and a declining donor support threatens some of the operations by organisations that want to remove land mines.
