The East African
Saturday April 16, 2022
Somalia may take many years to clear land mines that were
placed to fight against Al-Shabaab militants amid decades of insecurity.
As the world marked International Day for Mine Awareness and
Assistance in Mine Action on April 4, the UN in Somalia said the rising number
of victims of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the country is a major
challenge for a country trying to rebuild.
Last year, there were 669 casualties of IEDs and explosive
remnants of war, up from 501 recorded in 2020. James Swan, the UN
Secretary-General’s special representative for Somalia said the organisation would
continue to support freeing Somalia from explosive hazards.
“The United Nations in Somalia remains committed to working
with the Somali authorities and partners on mine action, which enables
peacebuilding, humanitarian and socio-economic development efforts while
protecting civilians,” he said.
He added that the continued use of IEDs poses a serious
threat to the country and its population.
“The contamination by and from explosive remnants of war and
landmines resulting from years of conflict in Somalia continues to have
detrimental effects on safety and human security, and hampers development
efforts,” said Mr Swan.
The UN in Somalia works closely with national and
international mine action specialists.
The support includes the provision of explosive ordnance
risk reduction, the delivery of survey and clearance activities, victim
assistance, stockpile destruction, and advocacy for adherence to the
international legal instruments.
The theme of this year’s celebrations was “Safe Ground, Safe
Steps, Safe Home”, emphasising the efforts made over the past decade to free
Somalia from explosive hazards, from playground to pathway, from farmland to
house.
In his message, the UN Secretary General Mr Antonio Guterres
notes that though over 55 million mines have been destroyed, more than 30
countries across the world declared mine-free, and casualties dramatically
decreased; the world is still rife with millions of stockpiled landmines and
over 50 countries remain contaminated with these abhorrent weapons.
“Mines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive
devices continue to kill or injure thousands of people every year – many of
whom are children. We must do more to protect people living under the shadow of
explosive ordnance, from Syria, Somalia and Afghanistan to Myanmar, Cambodia,
and beyond,” Mr Guteres said in a statement.