ReliefWeb

Ndalatando - Cuanza Norte Province, in the north-central region of Angola, has identified 125 suspected mined areas in 64 locations, including inhabited areas and agricultural fields, representing a danger to the safety of populations, according to the technician from the National Demining Institute (INAD) in the province, Chita Avelino.

Speaking to the press last Friday, Chita Avelino highlighted among the suspected land mine areas, the location of “Tenga”, on the outskirts of the city of Ndalatando, where several mine accidents have been recorded in the past, because the location has housed several military bases during the period of armed conflict and which has been the target of invasion with housing construction.

The technician also pointed out the section between the municipalities of Cazengo and Lucala, as another area suspected of mine risks and submitted to mines clearance activities by the various demining operators operating in the province.

Chita Avelino said that the demining actions carried out in the province, in the period from 2012 to 2019, resulted in clearance of several areas and the consequent deactivation of 138 anti-personal mines, nine anti-mines tanks and 33,035 unexploded ordnances, without however advancing the record of any mine accident.

He said that in addition to the demining campaigns, INAD has also been committed to raising citizens' awareness of the risks and prevention of mine accidents, especially in rural areas.