Activities & Outputs Summary:

- Search and clearance of a total of 19,100 sq/m of land through a combination of hand, electronic, and visual techniques

- Removal and destruction of a total of 67,107 hazardous items: including 946 UXO, 33,080 items of small arms ammunition

- Destruction of 1,719 weapons, 30,987 items of ammunition: including 662 AP mines in the Small Arms and Light Weapons category

- 307 Dangerous Areas identified

- MRE activities conducted targeting over 90,000 beneficiaries

Impact Summary:

Disposal operations continued this month at Camp Ngashi with all recovered items, except large aerial munitions, destroyed. The aerial bombs will be destroyed in December now that MAG has acquired use of a specialized truck with a hydraulic arm to transport the hazardous items safely to the demolition site.

Following a UXO accident in the Moba Port area where two children were injured due to an UXO explosion MAG's Community Liaison teams implemented a targeted MRE programme in 24 primary schools in the areas of Moba and Kirungu reaching 12,250 children.

MAG's SALW destruction teams continued to destroy ammunition in Lubumbashi and began destroying Multiple Launcher Rocket Systems (MLRS) 107 mm in Kinshasa. In Equateur the mobile team completed medical, technical EOD level 1 and driver safety training in preparation for a deployment to Gemena in the New Year.

STEVEN OLEJAS

The external evaluation report on the SIDA-funded project in Equateur Province was completed this month. Tragically, the main evaluator, Steven Olejas, was among those killed in the bombings in Algiers on 11 December. MAG wishes to extend its condolences to his family and friends, and recognise the contribution he made to both our work and that of other organisations in the mine action sector.

ACTIVITIES

Equateur

Demolitions were carried out in November at two separate locations outside of Mbandaka for safety reasons while smaller hazardous item disposal operations took place in and around Camp Ngashi as part of MAG's on-going emergency response battle area clearance. A total of 573 UXO were destroyed along with 13,056 small arms ammunition. With support from the Humanitarian Action Plan's Pooled Fund, MAG expects to complete all demolition and clearance activities related to the June 2007 explosion at Camp Ngashi early next year.

The disposal process was assisted by the Community Liaison team who worked with the local populations around the demolition sites to provide access and control. In the process the team conducted 13 MRE sessions reaching 605 beneficiaries.

Also this month MAG's CL team travelled to Kahemba in Bandundu Province at the request of UNMACC to conduct a community assessment mission.

Katanga

MAG Clearance Teams cleared 382 Dangerous Areas during November which resulted in the removal and destruction of 374 items of UXO and 20,024 other miscellaneous items, This improved the security of 256 agricultural sites, 99 housing areas, 24 access routes and 3 water sources.

MAG Community Liaison Teams delivered MRE to all primary schools in Kirungu and Moba Port working with Headmasters and Headmistresses and using a song to engage the children. This work was supported at the community level with radio interviews of two recent UXO accident survivors (both primary school children) on community radio stations in both Moba Port and Kirungu. The two UXO accident survivors gave "stay safe" messages to an estimated combined audience of 84,000 people.

MAG's Community Liaison Team also responded to a request from COOPI and FHI and delivered "stay safe" training to 14 of their field workers in Kirungu.

Additionally MAG worked with UNHCR to deliver MRE to convoys returning to Moba on the 24th, 27th & 29th November. 1,782 returnees received MRE through the medium of theatre and presentations. 5,101 other villagers around Kasenga, Kibanda, Pepa and Lofwashi also received MRE from MAG during November. 1,782 returnees received MRE through the medium of theatre and presentations. 5,101 other villagers around Kasenga, Kibanda, Pepa and Lofwashi also received MRE from MAG during November. 1,782 returnees received MRE through the medium of theatre and presentations. 5,101 other villagers around Kasenga, Kibanda, Pepa and Lofwashi also received MRE from MAG during November. 1,782 returnees received MRE through the medium of theatre and presentations. 5,101 other villagers around Kasenga, Kibanda, Pepa and Lofwashi also received MRE from MAG during November.

Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Destruction Project

Due to support from the British Global Conflict Prevention Pool MAG's SALW Technical Operations Manager was able to travel to Kikwit this month and meet with the Commander of the 1st Military Region. A survey of the Congolese Joint Forces logistics base was completed and will facilitate destruction operations planning in the coming months as MAG's mobile teams move to the region in 2008. In the 6th Military Region (Katanga) a total of 30,987 items of ammunition including 662 AP Mines and 3 ground air missiles (SAM-7) were destroyed in Lubumbashi this month bringing total ammunition destruction for the month to approximately 45 tons. Additionally 1,719 weapons were destroyed in Kinshasa at the Central Logistics Base including weapons collected from Kananga. Weapons from Kalemie are expected to arrive in December.

For more information on this or any of MAG's programmes across the world please visit www.magclearsmines.org, or contact:

Katharine Hopper (Regional Desk Officer); e-mail: Katharine.Hopper@mag.org.uk; MAG, 47 Newton Street, Manchester, M1 1FT, UK; Tel: +44 161 236 4311 Fax: +44 161 236 6244