According to the press release, the information was confirmed this Wednesday by the British Ambassador Roger Stringer, who is visiting the province of Cuando Cubango, in the extreme south-east, where mining of explosive devices continues after the civil war (1975-2002 ).
According to the diplomat, his country’s government and other international donors are very committed to the process, which will help better exploit Cuando Cubango’s tourism and mining potential.
The head of the legation and local authorities will tomorrow start demining work in Cuito Cuanavale, 189 kilometers east of Menongue, the provincial capital, where the work is being supported by British non-governmental organization The Halo Trust.
According to the source, Governor José Martins has asked Stringer for more funding to speed up demining in the area, which is part of the Okavango-Zambezi Transboundary Conservation Project, given its environmental and economic relevance at the regional level.
If Cubango still has 54 minefields in several communities without funding for their removal, making it difficult to implement social impact projects, Martins added.
The Halo Trust has participated in the program since 1994, with a presence in Benguela, Bié, Cuando Cubango, Cuanza Sur, Huambo and Moxico, which has enabled the destruction of around 100,000 mines, another Angop report said.
The European company currently employs around 1,200 Angolans, including engineers, drivers, train drivers and administrative staff.
Around $60 million from the national government has been added to the international aid provided for years, but there are still around a thousand minefields in Angola, most of them in Cuando Cubando, the note said.
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