Japan to offer $7 mil. to help remove land mines in Sudan
TOKYO, Mar 31, 2005 (Kyodo) — Japan will give the U.N. Mine Action Service a $7 million emergency grant to remove land mines in southern Sudan planted in decades-long conflicts, Japanese government sources said Thursday.
In addition, the Japanese government is considering sending demining experts to a peacekeeping operation the United Nations plans to launch in the African country, the sources said.
The money will be used for an UNMAS project aimed at detecting and removing land mines, and informing people of the risks of land mines as refugees and residents return to the region.
The UNMAS plans to start the projects in April, the sources said.
Japan expects the project will benefit about 240,000 refugees and 320,000 local residents, they said.
The Sudanese government and the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Army agreed to a truce in January following the conflict which lasted more than 20 years.
The World Food Program says land mines prevent procurement and distribution of food for 2 million people in southern Sudan.
Japan’s plan comes ahead of an international donor conference in Oslo on April 11 to address the reconstruction of Sudan.
Japan has expertise in clearing land mines as it provided similar assistance to Afghanistan and Cambodia, one source said.