Kinshasa, 25 February 2011 – The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has received a 3.4 million-dollars grant to fund a project intended for the demining of large areas around the international airport of Kisangani, in the Oriental Province. The grant is from the Japanese government.

As a key transit point between the east and the west of the DRC, Kisangani often served different armed movements and groups in conflicts. According to demining companies operating in this region, Kisangani's international airport and its surroundings are among the most contaminated sites with landmines and other Explosive Remnants of War. This has a direct impact on the local communities whose livelihoods depend on farming.

The United Nations Mine Action Coordination Center (UNMACC) has data showing that all the country's eleven provinces are somehow affected by landmine problem. The most affected ones are Equateur, Katanga, Eastern Kasai, Western Kasai, North Kivu, South Kivu, Maniema and Oriental Province.

within the context of the country's stabilization efforts and the humanitarian action plan that focuses on the safety of the population as well as the question of accessibility, UNMACC has set up an eight-month project to not only clean up polluted areas but also to raise awareness on the risks posed by mines.

According to Harouna Ouedraogo, UNMACC coordinator, this project will clean up three contaminated areas of 8 million square-meters around Kisangani airport.
With this latest grant, Japan has become one of the leading donors to mine clearing operations in the DRC. Since 2007, Japan's contributions to these efforts have reached a new high of 8,182,013 US dollars.

Sadio Kante/ UNMACC