Opening of the Regional Mine Action Training Centre in Sudan, a key factor for peace and humanitarian access

UNITAMS participated in the opening of the Sudan Regional Training Centre for Humanitarian Mine Action on 14 October 2021. The Center aims at providing strengthened mine action capacity to the national authority and national mine action organizations, ensuring they are better trained and equipped to facilitate much-needed humanitarian assistance and meet the persistent demand for the removal of landmines and explosive remnants of war.

As a result of long-lasting armed conflicts over the past decades, the Republic of Sudan has been severely affected by explosive ordnance (EO) including landmines and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW), which continue to cause human casualties in several provinces of Sudan.

The National Mine Action Centre (NMAC) is the governmental body mandated to plan, coordinate and oversee all mine action operations in coordination and collaboration with UN agencies and other national and international relevant organizations in Sudan. In addition, considering the wider EO problem in the region and lack of a mine action training center, NMAC intends to provide capacity-building services and technical assistance to other mine action programmes in the region including Chad, Libya, and Arab states.

Among the dignitaries present at the ceremony were Gen. Ibrahim Jaber, Member of the TSC and Minister of Defense, Gen. Yasin Ibrahim and Minister of Labor and Administrivia Reforms, Tayseer El-Nawrani, as well as Ambassadors and donors, showing that cooperation between the military, civil society, and the international community is necessary and viable. Addressing the audience, SRSG Perthes said that the progress made by the national authorities, including the opening of the Training Centre, is an important contribution towards the peace process, and towards finding common grounds for sustainable implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement.

“Mine action is not only about mines and other explosive hazards, is also a critical enabler for peace, development, reconstruction, and stabilization. Land clearance, victim assistance, and risk education directly address the needs of at-risk populations and the needs of humanitarian agencies present in the country,” said Mr. Perthes during the ceremony.

The Head of UNITAMS encouraged all parties to maintain this partnership, accept each other, focus on the pending requirements of the transitional period during the remaining two years, including legislation, security arrangements, and preparation for the elections.

To read the story in Arabic, click HERE.