South Sudan could be mine-free in 5 years: UN official

JUBA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan in the next five years would be cleared of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) left behind by more than two decades of war, a United Nations mines agency official said on Wednesday evening.

Speaking at a ceremony for disposal of a large aircraft bomb that was found some 1.8 km west of the country's Juba International Airport, Richard Boulter, programme manager of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) for South Sudan, said South Sudan could become mine-free in the next five years if current clearance efforts continue unabated.

Boulter said though landmines still poses a major threat to millions of people across South Sudan, the rate of mine causalities has reduced significantly in recent years.

According to Boulter, 50 people were killed or injured by landmines or UXO last year, a significant drop from the 5000 cases reported the previous year.

"The situation of landmines and unexploded ordinance in South Sudan is much more positive than many people realize," Buotlter said.

According to UNMAS, decades of conflict in South Sudan have plagued nearly 90 million square meters of land with explosive hazards.

The agency said existence of explosive hazards prevents the delivery of humanitarian aid and hinder socioeconomic development in the world's youngest nation.

"Although fighting continues, work for us isn't been generated at the rate at which we are clearing it. So the situation is very positive," Boulter said.

"Basically by next summer, 90 percent of all Payams (lower administrative units) in South Sudan should be free of known minefields, known cluster strikes and known battle fields," he added.