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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Press Contact: Guy Willoughby, Director, The HALO Trust
Tel: +44 1848 33 11 00 / Email: press@halotrust.org
July 1, 2011
THE HALO TRUST UNDERTAKES ASSESSMENT MISSION IN IVORY COAST
In May 2011, The HALO Trust conducted a one month Emergency Explosive Remnants of War survey of Ivory Coast. This intervention followed the recent political crisis and came amid rumours of the use of landmines in the subsequent fighting.
The HALO assessment mission deployed survey teams of senior HALO international staff across the entire length of the Zone of Confidence and visited all towns and villages where fighting was reported to have taken place, as well as those locations where the use of landmines was suspected.
Through the course of the assessment mission it became clear that there had been very little genuine fighting in the recent war up until the final conflicts in Abidjan. The mission also noted that there was no evidence of the use of landmines and that the legacy of UXO outside of Abidjan was minimal. Within Abidjan the UXO problem is restricted to a couple of very specific places, which are already undergoing clearance by international agencies. Likewise UNICEF and ICRC have comprehensively addressed the requirement for Risk Education.
However across the country damage had been inflicted on government buildings and many weapons and ammunition stores were found to be insecure. Furthermore many of the victorious military personnel had little understanding of the ammunition that they were now responsible for, or indeed best practices for the storage, registration and transfer of their weapons.
Therefore HALO has agreed with the United Nations to stay on in Ivory Coast in order to establish safe and secure storage for the most exposed stocks of ammunition, and to commence a programmed of refurbishments of government ammunition and weapons stores and to conduct armoury management training to demonstrate best practices to the Ivorians.
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Notes to Editors
About The HALO Trust: The HALO Trust clears landmines and unexploded ordnance from war-torn countries so that some of the world’s most vulnerable people can plant their crops, rebuild their homes and raise their families in safety. Founded in 1988, we are the world’s oldest and largest humanitarian landmine clearance agency. We have a simple mission, 'getting mines of the ground, now,' and as leaders in the mine action community we have cleared over 13 million landmines and other explosive remnants of war. With thousands of locally recruited staff, we invest in local leadership, keeping the mine-affected communities integral to the process and providing employment in areas where there are few opportunities. Moreover, HALO is at the forefront of development, as our work not only saves lives but is a prerequisite to any post-conflict reconstruction. For more information visit www.halotrust.org.
