Mozambique Will Be Free Of Landmines By The End Of The Year

After more than two decades since the end of their civil war, Mozambique is set to declare itself landmine-free by the end of this year, 2014.

Mozambique’s anti-landmine efforts, actively supported by many concerned organizations around the world, have made this huge humanitarian breakthrough possible. Jared Bloch, spokesperson for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, confirmed Monday that the only remaining areas in Mozambique still heavily infested with landmines are the ones near the country’s border with Zimbabwe.

Once the most massively contaminated countries in the world, Mozambique is edging towards a landmine-free country and may actually see the following year without this decades-long problem. However, the current efforts and the promising projections are not without its challenges. Landmines that might have been displaced by floods and other geological interferences may hinder the smooth removal of all landmines in the Mozambique-Zimbabwe border. However, the local government and various supporting bodies are optimistic that the country’s landmine problem will end this year.

The province of Maputo, where the country’s capital is located, has been officially cleared of landmines last March, effectively giving back acres of land to the population. By the end of the year, at least 1.6 million square meters of land will be free from landmines in Mozambique and will be reused by the country for industrial or residential purposes.

The Mozambique Civil War started in 1977, immediately after it seceded from Portugal. The ruling party, the Front for Liberation of Mozambique, and the country’s armed forces were heavily opposed by the Mozambique Resistance Movement, which was funded by Rhodesia (present-day Zimbabwe) and South Africa. At least 1 million perished from starvation during the course of the civil war in the region while 5 million more were displaced. It also resulted to thousands of citizens being killed or mutilated by various landmines planted across the country.The civil war ended in 1992, followed shortly by the country’s first multi-party election in 1994.

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines is continuing its efforts to remove all dangerous landmines in the world. Aside from their successful work in Mozambique, the ICBL is also working with other formerly war-torn areas to have their landmines cleared.

During the peak of violence in Mozambique, there were an estimated 3 million landmines across the country. Now, thanks to the tenacious efforts of the government and anti-landmine organizations, Mozambique will potentially be officially free from life-threatening landmines.

photo credit: United Nations Photo via photopin cc