26.02.10
Clearing explosives removes remnants of war, gets farmers back in their fields, writes the Global Post today.
Sudan's civil war ended five years ago, but its legacy remains in the cluster bombs that can still be found on the fertile banks of the Yai River.
This meandering Nile tributary bisects Mundri, a desolate, southern trading center. An historic stronghold of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), Mundri saw intense fighting during the latter years of the war, which lasted from 1983 to 2005.
In addition to pitched ground battles, the town endured frequent bombings by the northern Sudan Armed Forces (SAF). Although the bombings tapered off in 2003, their tangible and potentially lethal remains lie scattered in fields along the river.
“The northern army [SAF] used a lot of cluster bombs in this area,” says Murjan James, an Explosive Ordinance Disposal technician with the Danish Deming Group, who is leading clearance operations in Mundri. “Many of the [cluster] sub-munitions failed to explode and are buried under the surface.”
Read the full story on Globalpost.com
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