March 2024

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When the nation of Mozambique fought for its independence and then suffered a civil war, hundreds of thousands of landmines were planted all around the country. Some of the mines were placed up until the 1990s. A British charity called Halo Trust led the effort to clear the country of mines; they report that nearly 171,000 landmines were removed and the last one was taken from the base of a railway bridge placed right in the center of the nation. It took over two decades, but the charity states that Mozambique is the first time  a big country full of mines was completely cleared.

Improved infrastructure

Several mines were in important places for infrastructure, like dams, bridges and electricity pylons. Not only did the scattered landmines hinder infrastructure, but the unusable land also harmed the economy. With meters of land cleared of the deadly devices, the country’s authorities hope that agriculture will be able to grow. The mines injured and killed so many innocent civilians, including children; now, the land is much safer for them. People will be able to spread across the land and informally claim different areas to farm.

“I am happy that nobody else will end up like me. I am happy because people can carry on their lives without fearing the menace of the landmines,” said 29-year-old Jose Chiango, who lost his right leg to a landmine.

No one knows the exact number of casualties caused by landmines in Mozambique. A major report written in 1994 by Human Rights Watch states that landmines claimed between 10,000 to 15,000 victims. Human Rights Watch estimates that 8,000 amputees received medical treatment and thousands more people were killed or did not seek medical treatment.

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SEE ALSO: Sierra Leone Released Its Last Known Ebola Patient.