Sudan Opens National Mine Action Authority

The United States commends Sudan and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for jointly establishing a National Mine Action Authority that will oversee humanitarian mine action programs throughout the country and seek to rationally direct mine action assistance to areas where persistent landmines and unexploded ordnance pose the greatest threat.

Since 2002, the United States, which remains the largest donor to humanitarian and peacekeeping efforts in Sudan having contributed over $1 billion to date, has invested over $6 million in humanitarian mine action in Sudan. This mine action assistance is an integral part of the United States ' steadfast efforts to promote peace, security and reconciliation throughout Sudan. In this regard, the creation of the National Mine Action Authority consisting of a National Mine Action Committee, General Secretariat, National Mine Action Center (based in Khartoum), and a Regional Mine Action Center in Southern Sudan (based in Juba), is a most positive development. Also noteworthy is the fact that the National Mine Action Committee includes representatives of the Government of National Unity and of the Government of Southern Sudan.

This progress is in line with the U.S. Department of State 's philosophy that mine affected countries should, ideally, establish high-level civilian control of their mine action programs in order to better coordinate landmine clearance, mine risk education and mine survivors assistance among all relevant government ministries, enabling more effective outcomes and creating conditions that encourage international donor support.

Notable among the achievements of U.S. humanitarian mine action assistance to Sudan was the deployment of the U.S. Department of State 's unique Quick Reaction Demining Force in 2002 that cleared landmines and unexploded ordnance in the Nuba Mountains in order to hasten the safe return of internally displaced Sudanese to their lands there.

The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State 's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs currently provides mine action assistance to 21 countries, including Sudan. To learn more about this Office 's mine action and small arms/light weapons abatement activities around the world, visit www.state.gov/t/pm/wra. To learn about the full scope of United States assistance to Sudan, visit www.state.gov/p/af/ci/su.

###

2006/272