South Sudan Works to Remove Landmines as People Return After Conflict

South Sudan Works to Remove Landmines² as People Return After Conflict

South Sudan is working to remove landmines left over from many years of conflict. But the process is slow and is preventing some people who fled the country from returning to their homes.

Jacob Wani is one of the people affected³. The 45-year-old farmer recently decided⁴ to return to South Sudan for the first time since fleeing the country's civil war eight years ago.

Wani told The Associated Press he was excited to return home so he could start rebuilding his life. But when he tried to return to his land in Eastern Equatorial state, he was banned. Wani was told he could not enter the property. He said the land had been declared dangerous because of landmines.

"My area is dangerous," Wani told reporters from the AP. He is currently living in his shop in the village of Moli, a few kilometers from his farm. "I do not have the capacity to rebuild in this place and I am also afraid (of explosives). If I go, maybe something can hurt me."

Warring sides signed a peace deal in 2018 to end a five-year civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people and displaced millions. Many people seeking to return to the country are finding that areas around their homes are filled with mines buried during many years of conflict.

The United Nations' Mine Action Service said that since 2004, landmines or other military explosives have killed or injured more than 5,000 South Sudanese.

South Sudan has a goal to clear all unexploded ammunition⁵ and minefields by 2026. But experts think that goal will likely not be met as dangerous weapons and landmines are being found across the country each day.

More than 84 million square meters of unexploded ammunition and mines have been cleared over the past 20 years, the Mine Action Service said. However, 10 people were killed in March after they mistakenly played with a grenade, a small bomb, in a rural village in Western Bahr el Ghazal state.

"The contamination is too huge," said Jurkuch Barach Jurkuch, chairperson for South Sudan's National Mine Action Authority. He told the AP the clearing efforts are being hurt by a lack of money, continued insecurity, and flooding during the rainy season.

Eastern Equatorial state is along the border with Uganda. The state is South Sudan's most heavily contaminated area. Years of war with northern Sudan hit the area before it gained independence in 2011.

By the end of 2021, the state had the most areas with unexploded ammunition in the country, the organization Mine Action Review found. At the same time, U.N. officials said 115,000 people have returned to Eastern Equatorial state since the peace agreement.

During a visit to the area in May, families told the AP they had their food assistance cut by 50 percent in refugee camps in Uganda. This pushed them to come back home. But many are returning to conflict-damaged villages, with little food, shelter or open schools. In some communities, more than half of the area is contaminated, locals said.

"Whenever there is a landmine¹, there is a danger. So, everybody fears to go cultivate and do activities...because of fear of landmines," said Sebit Kilama, a community leader.

Private contractors⁶ and aid groups are continuing to clear the area from contamination, but they say the job is very difficult.

During one clearance⁷ operation in May, the aid group MAG found 16 unexploded devices in less than one week of work. Locals have also said they are finding dangerous military equipment near main roads.

Words in This Story

capacity – n. the largest amount or number that a container, building, etc. can hold

contaminate – v. to make something dirty or poisonous

cultivate – v. to prepare land and grow crops on it

1 landmine   

n.地雷

参考例句：

• A landmine is a kind of weapon used in war.地雷是一种运用于战争的武器。
• The treaty bans the use,production and trade of landmine.那条约禁止使用生产和交易雷。

2 landmines   

潜在的冲突； 地雷，投伞水雷( landmine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The treaty bans the use production and trade of landmines. 该条约规定，禁止使用地雷相关产品及贸易。
• One of the weapon's of special concern was landmines. 在引起人们特别关注的武器中就有地雷。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

6 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 clearance   

n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理

参考例句：

• There was a clearance of only ten centimetres between the two walls.两堵墙之间只有十厘米的空隙。
• The ship sailed as soon as it got clearance. 那艘船一办好离港手续立刻启航了。