Cuito - At least 11 minefields booby-trapped with various explosive devices were cleared in the province of Bié in 2024, three more than in 2023, as part of the work carried out by the British NGO Halo Trust.
The figures were released on Thursday by João Baptista, head of the Halo Trust base in Bié, during a briefing on the activities carried out in 2024, which also marks the 30th anniversary of the organization's establishment in the region (1994-2024).
These cleared fields are located in the municipalities of Cuito, with four, the same number in Cunhinga and three in Cuemba.
The cleared areas represent 599,384 square meters.
He said that in the same period, the NGO deactivated and destroyed 55 anti-personnel mines, 74 less, and 21 anti-tank mines, 18 more.
João Baptista said that work is currently underway in another 12 fields, in the municipalities of Cunhinga, Camcupa and Cuemba, which could be completed by 2025.
AS/PLB/DAN/AMP