South Sudan struggles to clear mines left by civil war

Years of war in South Sudan have left the East African country littered with landmines that may take more years to remove.

South Sudan had hoped to clear all anti-personnel minefields and cluster munitions in the country by this year.

However, the government says efforts are complicated by a lack of funding, continued insecurity and flooding in the country.

The United Nations says more than 5,000 South Sudanese have been killed or injured by landmines and unexploded ordnance since South Sudan's independence 15 years ago.

"In our country mine action is not only for clearing land but also for protecting civilians, supporting peacekeeping mobility, enabling humanitarian operations and creating safe conditions for returns, recovery and socio-economic growth," said Jurkuch Barach Jurkuch, chairperson of the South Sudan National Mine Action Authority.

South Sudan has fertile land that could be crucial to achieving the government's goal of national food self-sufficiency.

However, for far too long, landmines and other unexploded munitions have severely hindered farming activities.

"We are implementing critical interventions including survey, clearance, [safe destruction of explosive ordnance] and explosive ordnance risk education," said Albino Akol Atak, South Sudan's Minister of Humanitarian Affairs.

The government says the risk education initiatives equip farmers and community members with the knowledge and skills to identify potential threats and adopt safe practices.

The United Nations Mine Action Service in South Sudan says it has now destroyed more than one million explosive devices and 4.2 million bullets.

Families torn apart by landmines can be found all over South Sudan. The UN says the threat from the remnants of the country's long civil war is still huge.

"People living in these areas, even there is no accident, nothing happens, it doesn't mean that the hazard is out, so anything they see, anything they get, they still need to report it through the normal reporting system, informing the government," said Clement Aswali, a United Nations Mine Action Operations specialist.

South Sudan's government says most of the country's landmines are left over from the 21-year war between the then northern and Southern Sudanese people which ended in 2005. However, another war between 2013 and 2018 also left behind dangerous explosives.

South Sudan struggles to clear mines left by civil war

South Sudan struggles to clear mines left by civil war

Japanese protesters gathered outside the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Monday to show opposition to the government's plan to build a U.S. military facility in Henoko, Okinawa, and to demand an end to constitutional revision and deeper military ties with Washington.

For many at the rally, the issue is no longer just about a single base. It's about a government that continues to pour money into military projects as demanded by the U.S., while ordinary people struggle with rising costs and neglected social needs.

"It's unreasonable to use Japanese taxpayers' money to build a U.S. military base. Instead of focusing on defense, priority should be given to disaster prevention. Taxpayer money ought to be invested in disaster preparedness. But the Takaichi administration has not done so. On the contrary, it keeps buying weapons as demanded by the United States, spending our tax money on arms while our lives haven't improved at all, and prices just keep going up," said a protester.

"The Japanese government has long claimed that the only way to return the Futenma base is to complete the construction of the Henoko base. But that fundamental logic no longer holds. That's exactly why people are angry," said another protester.

Protesters accused the government of stoking regional tensions in order to pave the way for constitutional revision. They urged authorities to abandon policies that tighten military ties with the U.S. and to steer clear of any course that could lead the country back to war.

The current Japanese government under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has stepped up efforts to accelerate constitutional revision, a move that could mark a significant turning point in Japan's postwar trajectory, triggering widespread concern and criticism among the public.

Japanese protesters oppose Henoko base, constitutional revision