South Sudan needs more than 10 years to get rid of unexploded ordinances planted during the wars, an SSPDF official said.
Maj Gen Michael Majur, the Commander of the army’s Engineering Division made the remark as the country marks the International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action on Tuesday.
South Sudan has suffered a series of conflicts from decades of liberation struggle for independence and the post-independence conflicts of 2013 and 2016.
“We are exerting our efforts to make some coverage, if an area is identified, then we intervene and we in the Engineering Division and SSPDF in general in collaboration with South Sudan Mine Authority,” he told Eye Radio.
He added: “We collaborate with our partners and due to the coverage, it will take more than ten years.”
The UN General Assembly on December 08, 2005, declared 4 April of each year as the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.
It called for continued efforts by states, with the assistance of the United Nations and relevant organizations, to foster the establishment and development of national mine-action capacities.
According to reports, the past conflicts in Sudan and South Sudan, have infested the country with explosive remnants of war posing threat to the safety, health, and lives of the civilian population.
General Michael Majur appeals to the parliament to pass the Mine Action Act to enable the acquisition of equipment for the detection and removal of the UXOs.
He also calls on the citizens to be mindful of the risks posed by the devices and report any suspected objects related to unexploded ordinance.
“The parliament should pass the Mine Action Act for the government to be able to fund it through the Commission in collaboration with SSPDF Engineering Division for them to acquire the equipment in the future, for us to own it.”
“Now, for most of the operations, we collaborate with the partners, but in case the operation of the partners comes to an end in the future, for the sustainability of having this de-mining, we should be the one to own it through our Commission”.
A UN report indicated that 15 individuals were killed and 42 were injured in 2020.
It said regardless of best efforts to change high-risk behavior, South Sudanese still fall victim to landmines.
Last month, eleven children were killed after a grenade they were playing with exploited in a remote village in Western Bahr el-Ghazal state.