Mozambique declared landmine free

Against all odds – including predictions that it would take up to a century to reach this milestone – the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oldemiro Júlio Marques Baloi, has today officially declared the country to be “free of all known landmines”.

The British charity said it had cleared more than 171,000 land mines from 1,100 mine fields since 1993. “It was a privilege to witness such a milestone alongside the Mozambican de-miners who had toiled so hard with the HALO Trust to rid their country of landmines”.

The exact human toll caused by landmines in the country will never be known.

HRW estimated 8,000 amputees had received medical treatment and thousands more people had been killed or did not seek medical treatment. Communities can now cultivate crops and graze livestock safely. Mine clearance has enabled the country to develop its infrastructure, access gas and coal, increase tourism and attract international investment. ‘APOPO is extremely proud to have played a part in this historical achievement that now allows the people of Mozambique to finally live without the fear of landmines and explosive remnants of war, ‘ adds Tess Tewelde, APOPO’s Head of Mine Action Africa. “I think that is important because it clears the land for us to use in agriculture”, she told Reuters. The country was devastated by a civil conflict, which ended in 1992 leaving behind the deadly weapons.

Hundreds of people have been killed or injured as a result of mines deployed during Mozambique’s struggle for independence in the 1970s, followed by a civil war. Whilst the discovery of a small number of stray or buried mines in the future cannot be completely ruled out, Mozambique is now as close to “mine free” as possible. While backed by most countries, the treaty has not been endorsed by the United States, Russia, China and India.