PHOTO GALLERY: demining in Angola
Reuters Alertnet
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A communications team from AlertNet member Mines Advisory Group is sending daily photographic dispatches directly from Angola during the first week in December, showing how people get on with their lives in a village surrounded by land contaminated by mines. This photo gallery follows a MAG community liaison team in discussions with a village about landmines and unexploded ordnance in their community.In 1991 the Lumege Canjumba village came under attack by forces from the anti-government National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), as there was a military position close by. The people fled and later returned - two people from the village stood on mines. This was repeated in 1993 and again the people fled to Luena, 11 km away. This time the road to the village had been mined and the 700 villagers were unable to return until 1996, when MAG cleared the road and opened up the area. A further two people stood on landmines, one last year and one this year. MAG has been to the village a number of times over the years and destroyed many items of ordnance. Today a MAG community liaison team returned to the village to discuss further reported problems. 
Photo by SEAN SUTTON
MAG head of technical operations Ronaldo Samuanji prods under a morter to make sure that it was not booby trapped. The village leader reported the mortar to the MAG team earlier in the day. 
Photo by SEAN SUTTON
Community Liaison staff work with local people to establish the scale, type and whereabouts of their mine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) problems. Villagers draw a map.
Photo by SEAN SUTTON
The villagers' map of the area indicates places where they know of mines and UXO. The red stones represent the locations of mines or UXO.
Photo by SEAN SUTTON
The village leader indicates to a MAG Community Liaison team member the location of an unexploded grenade in the village.
Photo by SEAN SUTTON
MAG head of technical operations Ronaldo Samuanji holds an unexploded grenade after removing it from a village.The MAG communications team is sending a different story with photos each day of the first week in December. Go to the website to see the daily dispatches.
Photo by SEAN SUTTON
MAG head of technical operations Ronaldo Samuanji prods under a morter to make sure that it was not booby trapped. The village leader reported the mortar to the MAG team earlier in the day.
Photo by SEAN SUTTON
Community Liaison staff work with local people to establish the scale, type and whereabouts of their mine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) problems. Villagers draw a map.
Photo by SEAN SUTTON
The villagers' map of the area indicates places where they know of mines and UXO. The red stones represent the locations of mines or UXO.
Photo by SEAN SUTTON
The village leader indicates to a MAG Community Liaison team member the location of an unexploded grenade in the village.
Photo by SEAN SUTTON
MAG head of technical operations Ronaldo Samuanji holds an unexploded grenade after removing it from a village.
