Zimbabwe: Switzerland provides US $ 1 million for mine clearance in Zimbabwe
SWITZERLAND, through the Directorate for Development and Cooperation (SDC) of APOPO Mine Action, has made 1 million US dollars available for clearing a dense minefield in the Sengwe Wildlife Corridor in southern Zimbabwe for the next two years.
The project, which aims to safely return land to local communities, aims to save lives and improve safe access to agricultural land and protection in the region.
In a statement, the Swiss embassy in Harare said that the new initiative will make at least 1,630,419 square meters of land safe for local communities and wildlife in the region.
The new intervention builds on an earlier phase carried out in 2020 that cleared 1,093,152 square meters of the same minefield.
“Southern Zimbabwe faces numerous challenges due to the existence of landmines that were laid four decades ago and endangered human and animal life. The project, which enables landmine-clearing development in the Sengwe Wildlife Corridor, will become a safe passage for local communities as well as tourists and at the same time reduces the conflict between humans and animals, “said the message.
“In the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, which combines three unique national parks: Limpopo Park in Mozambique, Kruger Park in South Africa and Gonarezhou Park in Zimbabwe, landmines are cleared before the surrounding communities are involved in agricultural activities,” it said.
The project is also intended to complement Zimbabwe’s efforts to become a landmine-free zone by 2025, supported by Switzerland through the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) and the Zimbabwe Mine Action Center (ZIMAC).
Through this close partnership, GICHD has supported ZIMAC in the development and implementation of the Zimbabwe National Mine Action Strategy 2018-2025, which outlines Zimbabwe’s path for landmine clearance obligations under Article 5 of the Anti-Personnel Mine Prohibition Convention.
Swiss Ambassador Niculin Jäger said: “The Swiss government is proud to support APOPO’s demining activities in the Sengwe Wildlife Corridor as this will help the local community build their economic base by providing access to previously contaminated land for agricultural use Regaining production – something they have not been able to do for the past 40 years. The process will also support greater opportunities for transnational tourism between Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa. “
“Switzerland is working with Zimbabwe to build a better, more productive and more secure future,” says Manuel Thurnhofer, SDC regional director for cooperation in Zimbabwe and increasing employment opportunities. “
Tesfazghi Tewelde, APOPO’s Regional Mine Control Manager for Africa, said: “APOPO recognizes the continued commitment of the Swiss government to our important humanitarian work in Zimbabwe and for its continued support to improve the food security and livelihoods of these vulnerable communities in southern Zimbabwe Mine clearance will be maintained as a decisive factor for the safe return of land for humans and animals and, above all, will save many lives. “
The Sengwe Wildlife Corridor is an important passage for the migration of elephants as well as endangered wildlife such as wild dogs in the area.
The presence of landmines has caused accidents and has prevented animals from migrating from Gonarezhou, leading to overpopulation, which in turn puts pressure on the fragile ecosystem and inevitably leads to human-animal conflict.
The removal of landmines will allow conservation authorities to strike a balance between conservation and better land use by local communities in the area.
Zimbabwe is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world, where more than 1,500 people and 120,000 cattle have been killed by landmines since independence in 1980.