Mozambique has declared itself clear of all its minefields after the last known landmine was destroyed yesterday, near the Dondo bridges and Sofala province.  Years after war for independence and civil war, the remaining explosives have tortured and maimed lives in the South African country.

The final demining of the South African country was led by Halo trust after over 22 years of partnering with the government, donors and citizens. Halo trust which is funded by the United States and United Kingdom, has reportedly destroyed 171,000 mines and cleared 1118 mine fields in the mineral rich country. Notably, other organisations such as Belgian non-governmental association, Apopo, deployed trained giant rats to detect explosives in land mined areas. The project successfully led to the discovery and safe destruction of 2,500 landmines and 14,000 pieces of unexploded ammunition and arms while returning about 2,001 acres of land to communities.

The successful clearing of land mines has been attributed to the government’s determination and construction of a well-laid out plan. In 1997, the government signed an agreement (Ottawa treaty) to clear all minefields with 10 years but was given an extension in 2009 before attaining the milestone in 2015.

After independence and over fifteen years of civil war, Mozambique has been under constant threat of land mines left behind. Although there are no definite statistics of landmine casualties, over 3400 citizens have been amputated due to injuries from landmine explosions.

A man who lost his foot in 1995 to a landmine laid by Rhodesian forces in 1972 (Photo credit: Brent Stirton/Reportage for the ICRC.)

In 2003, a survey conducted by Physicians of Human Rights (PHR) in 1994 revealed that 68% of anti-personnel landmine victims were civilians. Also, a report by the World Health Organisation stated that 27-85 percent of households had their activities affected by landmines.

Mozambique’s economy has been strained by these explosive devices. Economic infrastructure such as railways, power lines needed for commercial growth and domestic consumption were badly damaged. The mines have been placed around dams, electricity pylons, and bridges to protect residents from sabotage or attacks. However, as a result of the damaged infrastructure, the government has struggled to rehabilitate the affected sector which has consumed millions of dollars over the years. Similarly, citizens have not been able to cultivate their farmlands and this has crippled economic growth and caused hunger and poverty for families living in affected areas.

However, on a positive note the country has experienced growth in its economy with real GDP growth of 7.5% this year, which is expected to increase by 8.1% in 2016. However, the successful destruction of minefields could help sustain GDP growth as there is an expected improvement in transportation, commerce and agriculture.

Globally, landmines had maimed and killed about 1 million people and negatively affected the economy of countries around the world. In Libya, 27 percent of total farming land has been rendered useless because of mines planted in these areas during World War II. Similarly, water sources and grazing land have been badly damaged in Somalia. Apart from crippling the economy, landmine activities have hurt the health systems of countries due to the high treatment cost incurred by the government.