Landmines-Angola - A total 99,980 kilometres of road have been cleared of landmines in Angola from 2008 to the first semester of this year, Social Welfare Minister João Baptista Kussumua disclosed here Wednesday. Kussumua, who stood in for Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos as chairman at the opening of the third national meeting on demining, said another 3,200 kilometres of railway have been cleared, including 6,016 kilometres of fiber-optic and 5,571 of electricity-conveying line.

During the period under review, according to the minister, who is also the coordinator of the Executive Commission for Demining, a total of 930.191,457 square metres were cleared.

In the process, a total of 428,274 anti-personnel landmines were cleared, including 23,384 anti-tank mines, while 2.3 million unexploded ordnance were defused.

Also cleared were 2.7 million kilogrammes of lethal material, as well as 3.7 million kilogrammes of assorted materials.

He said that despite the excellent results achieved so far, the threat of landmines had not ceased, putting the flow of people and goods and certain areas of the national territory at permanent risk.

With the theme: 'The challenges of demining in the national territory and the Okavango-Zambezi Project', the meeting is being attended by the ministers of health, oil, hotels, energy and representatives of FAA, National Police, National Inter-sectoral Commission for Demining and Humanitarian Assistance and provincial governments.

According to him, the meeting is an important landmark in the process of demining in Angola, as it allowed for a review of the performance of the state from 2008 until the first semester of this year.

Kussumua said the meeting, which closed Wednesday will examine several documents, with emphasis on the report on the work done in the period under review, the 2011-2012 Executive Programme and the Okavango-Zambezi Operational Plan.

Meanwhile, President dos Santos has expressed appreciation to all demining personnnel of the 55 brigades of the state, 53 of which are manual and two mechanised, for their “extreme bravery and courage” in face of a permanent risky job.

Kussumua, who represented the President said 'and we will continue making our best in order for these specialists to win the prestige they deserve and the outstanding position within the most relevant activities in our country.”

The President also thanked the ministers and the provincial governors for their cooperation in the demining tasks, through the vision of pragmatic teamwork in the identification of goals, priorities and permanent support for the brigades.

He extended gratitude to the Chief of Staff of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) and the commanders at all levels, for the limitless performance in leading the demining activities.

Pana 04/08/2011