LUANDA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- More than 238 million U.S. dollars are needed to make the country completely free of mines and other explosive devices, said Leonardo Sapalo, general director of Angola's National Mine Action Agency (ANAM), on Thursday.
Angola still has 1,039 minefields to clear, with Cuando Cubango, Bie, Moxico, Huila, Cunene, Cuanza-Sul, Lunda Sul and Lunda Norte provinces being the most concerned, Sapalo was quoted by Angola Press Agency as saying.
The end of Portuguese rule in Angola in 1975 was followed by civil war and military intervention by international and regional countries.
In April 2002, Angola concluded a 27-year civil war, marking a transition to comprehensive peace and the beginning of post-war recovery and reconstruction. However, the landmines and explosives planted by warring factions during the conflict continue to pose a severe threat to the safety and well-being of the Angolan people.
At the national level, 5 million explosive devices have already been removed, of which 90,000 have been destroyed in Angola, Sapalo said. By 2025, it is expected to declare mine-free zones in the provinces of Namibe, Zaire, Huambo and Malanje. ■