8 February 2008
Lubango — At least 20.5 square metres of land were cleared of mines during the past 13 months in the country, informed Wednesday, in south Huíla province, the co-ordinator of the Executive Demining Commission, João Baptista Kussumua.
The official who was speaking at a meeting on landmines clearance that gathered government officials of the province and of the referred commission, also informed about the demining, during the same period, of 1,983 kilometres of road, 227 of railway and 485 kilometres of the route with high-tension electricity towers, therefore totalising 2,695 kilometres of deactivated areas.
These areas include the Capanda/Lucala/Malanje, Lucala/Ndalatando/Cambambe and Gabela, Huambo/Lomau/Lobito, Matala/Lubango/Namibe and Sumbe/Porto Amboim power supply lines.
In the same period, the executive commission destroyed 25,782 anti-personnel mines, 2,933 anti-tank, 32,994 non-detonated devices and unearthed 222,703 kilogrammes of various lethal materials.
Landmines at Cambambe, Capanda, Mabubas, Loma, Biopio, Luquixi, Gove and Chipapa dams were also deactivated.
With the support of 21 brigades of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), with 1,575 experts, 10 of the National Reconciliation Department, with 720 sappers, 15 of the Demining Institute (INAD), 1,035 technicians, the aerodromes of Luena, (Moxico province), Andulo (Bié), Benguela, Cabinda, Cahama (Cunene) and Lubango (Huíla) were also cleared of landmines.
João Baptista Kussumua regretted the death of 47 people in accidents with landmines and 80 who were injured, from which 42 civilians and five soldiers, having caused the destruction of 13 light and heavy vehicles.
The co-ordinator of the Executive Commission considered positive the activities carried out by the technical landmines clearance team.
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