[ti:South Sudan Works to Remove Landmines as People Return After Conflict]
[al:As It Is]
[ar:VOA]
[dt:2023-06-12]
[by:www.voase.cn]
[00:00.00]South Sudan is working to remove landmines left over from many years of conflict. 
[00:08.94]But the process is slow and is preventing some people who fled the country from returning to their homes.
[00:17.50]Jacob Wani is one of the people affected.
[00:22.53]The 45-year-old farmer recently decided to return to South Sudan for the first time since fleeing the country's civil war eight years ago.
[00:35.42]Wani told The Associated Press he was excited to return home so he could start rebuilding his life. 
[00:45.57]But when he tried to return to his land in Eastern Equatorial state, he was banned.
[00:53.30]Wani was told he could not enter the property. 
[00:57.98]He said the land had been declared dangerous because of landmines.
[01:03.78]"My area is dangerous," Wani told reporters from the AP. 
[01:10.09]He is currently living in his shop in the village of Moli, a few kilometers from his farm. 
[01:18.51]"I do not have the capacity to rebuild in this place and I am also afraid (of explosives). If I go, maybe something can hurt me."
[01:31.39]Warring sides signed a peace deal in 2018 to end a five-year civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people and displaced millions. 
[01:45.64]Many people seeking to return to the country are finding that areas around their homes are filled with mines buried during many years of conflict.
[01:58.63]The United Nations' Mine Action Service said that since 2004, landmines or other military explosives have killed or injured more than 5,000 South Sudanese.
[02:15.37]South Sudan has a goal to clear all unexploded ammunition and minefields by 2026. 
[02:25.54]But experts think that goal will likely not be met as dangerous weapons and landmines are being found across the country each day.
[02:38.12]More than 84 million square meters of unexploded ammunition and mines have been cleared over the past 20 years, the Mine Action Service said.
[02:52.08]However, 10 people were killed in March after they mistakenly played with a grenade, a small bomb, in a rural village in Western Bahr el Ghazal state.
[03:05.87]"The contamination is too huge," said Jurkuch Barach Jurkuch, chairperson for South Sudan's National Mine Action Authority.
[03:18.17]He told the AP the clearing efforts are being hurt by a lack of money, continued insecurity, and flooding during the rainy season.
[03:30.72]Eastern Equatorial state is along the border with Uganda.
[03:37.03]The state is South Sudan's most heavily contaminated area. 
[03:41.74]Years of war with northern Sudan hit the area before it gained independence in 2011.
[03:51.40]By the end of 2021, the state had the most areas with unexploded ammunition in the country, the organization Mine Action Review found. 
[04:04.32]At the same time, U.N. officials said 115,000 people have returned to Eastern Equatorial state since the peace agreement.
[04:17.58]During a visit to the area in May, families told the AP they had their food assistance cut by 50 percent in refugee camps in Uganda. 
[04:31.17]This pushed them to come back home. But many are returning to conflict-damaged villages, with little food, shelter or open schools. 
[04:44.17]In some communities, more than half of the area is contaminated, locals said.
[04:52.00]"Whenever there is a landmine, there is a danger. So, everybody fears to go cultivate and do activities...because of fear of landmines," said Sebit Kilama, a community leader.
[05:08.98]Private contractors and aid groups are continuing to clear the area from contamination, but they say the job is very difficult.
[05:21.34]During one clearance operation in May, the aid group MAG found 16 unexploded devices in less than one week of work.
[05:32.92]Locals have also said they are finding dangerous military equipment near main roads.
[05:40.97]I'm Bryan Lynn.