Malanje funding requirements

Now that the perceived threats have been removed from around Kalandula, and Kiwaba Nzoji, life should return to normal. However, there remains concern about the possibility of mines being in, or under, a large bund wall along the western side of the Kiambata 2 and northern side of Kiwaba Nzoji 1 minefields.

When MgM were demining the Kiambata 2 minefield, one anti-tank mine was found when earth was moved by a bulldozer to expand the land used for a construction camp for the Engavia company, next to this suspect area. The wall of soil moved is around 200 metres long and 15 metres wide, six metres high. There may be more anti-tank mines buried in wall of soil, which is endangering the lives of the local people, especially those digging the soil out of this wall for fabricating adobe bricks to build new homes.

On the northeastern side of Kiwaba Nzoji a similar situation exists. By the time MgM arrived, a track had been bulldozed open through the Suspected Hazardous Area, and was in use. The land either side had also been levelled in preparation for future construction. All the excess soil was pushed to the north end of area prepared for the building of new homes. On one side of the track, a man constructing a new house next to one pile of soil that had been bulldozed discovered two blocks of explosives from anti-personnel mines. MgM then checked further away from the road and found a row of mines in the wall. The deminers also checked the other side of the road and found the continuation of this row. Unfortunately, it looked as though the bulldozer had pushes soil through this mine row as well, since there was a gap in the row of mines. Although all mines in this row have now been remove, and destroyed, there remains a threat in the soil that was pushed through the mines, to the northern end of this suspect area.

This land has just been demined, already local people are preparing adobe blocks for construction of new homes at Kiambata 2 minefield, Kalandula. The threat remains as there may be more anti-tank mines buried in wall of soil.

Unfortunately time and finances were running out on the EU funded project in Malanje, by the time MgM had realised that this problem had arisen.

MgM has the only specialist equipment and resources in Angola, to safely sift these soil bund walls, and remove safely, any mines in them. This task will require MgM to deploy the Rotar Mk 1, mechanical armoured sifting machine, to the target sites. The machine is based on the Caterpillar 914 earthmover, with a rotary sifter attached to the front, instead of a bucket. This rotary sifter is Dutch technology, used mainly for sifting rubble for re-cycling. It has now been adapted by MgM to sift mines and other explosive remnants of war, from contaminated soil.

Information about the Rotar

• Rotar.com
• Mechanical assistance

Please help

MgM now requests funding to allow the deployment of this armoured machine to Malanje, along with a teams of equipped Deminers and Residual Explosive Vapour Detection Dogs with their Handlers. This is an Urgent Appeal! People are already walking over, and digging into, these dangerous piles of soil. The people have received Mines Risk Education, but new people retun home all of the time. These piles of soil provide the materials they need for building their new homes. They may not know of the dangers that exist within. These bund walls must be demined as soon as possible to prevent any injury or even death.

Please Help!

Demining Malanje Overview

• Final report Malanje demining
• Malanje - Funding requirements