Africa-Press – Angola. The Japanese ambassador to Angola, Maruhashi Jiro, assured Wednesday in Calonga, Amboim municipality, Cuanza Sul province, that his country will continue to work on strengthening good relations with Angola, especially in the area of demining, to increase levels of cooperation, with a view to bringing mutual benefits and well-being to both States and peoples.
The diplomat left the guarantee when presiding over the closing act, which was marked by the delivery of certificates for the seven demined locations, comprising the five municipalities, namely Amboim, Sumbe, Cela, Porto-Amboim and Ebo.
During the closing act, which took place in the locality of Calonga, commune of Assango, in the municipality of Amboim, the diplomat expressed satisfaction with the successes and results achieved during the execution of the demining project, directed by the organization APOPO, at the level of the five municipalities of Cuanza Sul.
“This act is gratifying as it is a special moment for the populations of these areas, a feeling that motivates the Government of Japan to continue to show solidarity with the community causes of the brotherly people of Angola”, he said.
According to Maruhashi Jiro, Japan and Angola have shared advantageous cooperation over the last few decades, which is based on several areas, with emphasis on the sectors of health, education, agriculture, infrastructure, energy, demining and others, having reiterated that The process of demining agricultural fields in Angola is one of the most important moments in the relations between the two States.
“The liberation of agricultural fields from mines will ensure the good movement of people and goods, as well as leverage the economy through agricultural production”, he stressed, underlining that his Government will continue to support demining efforts to take Angola out of danger of mines and other devices.
The diplomat stressed that the project was carried out, over a period of 15 months, by the Non-Governmental Humanitarian Demining Organization called “APOPO”, within the framework of a non-refundable donation from the Japanese Government, budgeted at US$246,900.
The demining coordinator of the Non-Governmental Organization Apopo, Manuel Agostinho, reaffirmed that the demining process cleared a considerable area of mines, guaranteeing the population the use of plots for various purposes, with emphasis on agriculture.
With the destruction of 67 anti-personnel mines and 4,690 other unexploded ordnance, conditions were created for 12,900 people, who live in the localities, to practice agriculture for their livelihood, while indirect beneficiaries are around 47,000 and 800 people, who are freed from the danger of mines.
Manuel Agostinho made it known that the intervened locations correspond to Ungombe, in Cela, Chole-Chole, in Porto-Amboim, Hotel 2, in Sumbe, Caiombo, municipality of Ebo, Munenga, in Libolo, Pambangala, in Cassongue and Calonga, in the municipality from Amboim.
The municipal administrator of Amboim, Darcy Fernandes da Costa, acknowledged the efforts made by demining operators, in ridding various areas of mines, which are now being used for useful purposes for society.
Darcy Costa, who spoke on behalf of the provincial governor, Job Capapinha, recalled that the armed conflict that broke out in the country left many mined areas, a situation that conditioned the free movement of people and goods. “We must thank the support of the Japanese Government, for having disbursed monetary amounts, which allowed the demining of several plots of land, in different locations in the province, while guaranteeing the free movement of people and goods”, he concluded.
For More News And Analysis About Angola Follow Africa-Press
