Friday April 5, 2019
UNMAS integrated mine clearance team in Torit. UN Photo/Martine Perret
MOGADISHU (Xinhua) -- Somalia and the UN have called for
concerted efforts to help the government eliminate threats posed by the
increasing use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the Horn of
African nation.
Mohamud Mohamed, minister for internal security, called on
stakeholders and the mine action community to support the government's
implementation of a national plan to eradicate explosive hazards.
"We are dedicated through SEMA (Somalia Explosive Management
Authority) to double our efforts to provide safety, preserve dignity,
observe the human rights of every Somali and protect them from the
threats of explosive hazards and landmines," he stated, according to a
statement issued by the UN mission in Somalia (UNSOM) on Thursday
evening.
Mohamed was speaking during the celebrations in Mogadishu to mark the
International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.
The event, which was attended by government officials and the UN Mine
Action Service (UNMAS), provided some worrying statistics about the
IEDs menace.
"The numerous deadly IED incidents in highly populated areas is an
obvious tragic reminder of the harshness of the threat that we face,"
said Abdulkadir Abdulle Hooshow, SEMA director-general.
SEMA was established in 2013 to spearhead the government's efforts to
rid the country of landmines, unexploded ordnance and other explosive
hazards.
According to statistics from UNMAS program in Somalia, civilians
account for 44 percent of the number of fatalities caused by IEDs and 53
percent of all injuries.
Hooshow said Somalia will continue to enhance the protection of
civilians through the sharing of information that can deter future IED
attacks.
He also reaffirmed the country's determination to bolster national capabilities to counter that threat in a sustainable manner.
According to UNMAS, 37 locations contaminated by explosive hazards
were identified in Somalia during 2018. More than 1,400 explosive
remnants of war were destroyed last year.