STORY: South Sudan struggles to clear landmines after decades of war
SHOOTING TIME: March 1, 2024
DATELINE: March 3, 2024
LENGTH: 00:03:02
LOCATION: Juba
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of deminers
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ANITA KOKUI GBEHO, Resident Coordinator in South Sudan, United Nations/Deputy Special Representative for UNMISS
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ZEHRUDIN SUKANOVIC, Chief, Mine Action, Head of Project Unit/Chief of Operations, UNMAS
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): MIKE FULA RASHID, Director-General, National Mine Action Authority

STORYLINE:

The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), an integral part of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), responded swiftly when residents in Amadi in Eastern Equatoria State suspected the presence of explosive remnants of war in their community.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ANITA KOKUI GBEHO, Resident Coordinator in South Sudan, United Nations/Deputy Special Representative for UNMISS
"The fact that a conflict-affected country has had 70 percent of its unexploded ordnance somehow destroyed or removed because of these teams that operate throughout this country. It is something that we need to be thankful for as foreigners coming here to support South Sudan in reaching its goals to consolidate peace, to ensure that civilians are protected, and that there's an environment in which humanitarian assistance can be given. This is significant because your work is the base work. Without you, we don't affect the lives of people."

UNMAS supports the Government of South Sudan in fulfilling its international mine action commitments.

That includes helping the Government of South Sudan join international agreements, such as the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which the country ratified in August 2023.

In 2023 alone, UNMAS surveyed, cleared, and released over 7 million square meters of land to communities across South Sudan.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ZEHRUDIN SUKANOVIC, Chief, Mine Action, Head of Project Unit/Chief of Operations, UNMAS
"The mine action and support to the mission also reflects, through the activities that we conduct in clearing the roads, clearing the safe areas for the people to build their homes, in this specific case here in Amadi, where we have worked for almost a year on our task. Basically, it's not just that we create a safe environment for the people to build their homes now, and we are creating a safe neighborhood."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): MIKE FULA RASHID, Director-General, National Mine Action Authority
"We are grateful for the support that UNMAS is giving us as far as mine clearance and explosive remnants of war are concerned, because if you see the clearance capacity in South Sudan, 70 percent is being supported by UNMAS."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Juba.
(XHTV)