Sudanese Returnees Confront Threat of Unexploded Ordnance
(MENAFN) Sudanese civilians displaced by more than two years of relentless conflict are now encountering a lethal new hazard as they attempt to return home: unexploded ordnance (UXO), landmines, and discarded explosives scattered throughout urban areas, including residential neighborhoods, schools, and even medical facilities.
Mohammad Sediq Rashid, head of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Sudan, stated to a news agency, “The situation with explosive remnants of war is very, very challenging, very risky, and there should be a proper systematic clearance for the protection of the people.”
Since the war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF), heavy artillery and weaponry have ravaged Sudan’s cities, especially in Greater Khartoum, leaving widespread destruction.
UNMAS has documented the presence of a variety of dangerous devices, including anti-tank mines, grenades, mortars, and other explosive remnants scattered across the conflict zones.
“Weapons that produce huge amounts of dangerous unexploded ordnance were used,” Rashid explained.
“People returning to their areas … will find unexploded ordnance in their homes, on their rooftops, stuck in the walls.”
The contamination extends beyond civilian areas—UN facilities, diplomatic missions, and humanitarian organizations’ offices are also affected.
“Our colleagues visited seven UN offices and all seven of them require clearance. They strongly recommended that no UN personnel should occupy the offices unless they are properly … cleared and handed over to them,” Rashid further noted.
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