Africa-Press – Angola. The Japanese government will make available a total of USD 265,410 that will be used to strengthen demining efforts in the municipality of Seles, Province of Cuanza-Sul, as part of the Assistance Program for Community Human Security Projects.
The amount will be managed by the Belgian non-governmental organization APOPO Humanitária, which is implementing a demining project in 15 areas of the aforementioned municipality.
The information was made official on Tuesday (16) in Luanda by APOPO director Manuel João Agostinho, on the sidelines of a contract signing ceremony involving Angola and Japan, aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries.
He said that the new contribution will be added to the support received from Belgium and other international partners, allowing APOPO to implement a demining project in 15 contaminated areas, covering one million square meters, between Oct 2025 to Sept 2026.
According to Manuel Agostinho, the project will benefit approximately 16,000 people, who will be able to use the freed land for agricultural and community purposes, reducing the risk of accidents and contributing to local socioeconomic development.
“This is the third donation we received from Japan since 2021, totaling USD 829,664. With this support, we have already been able to clear more than 2,500 square meters, destroy 5,000 explosive devices, and raise awareness among more than 18,000 people,” he emphasized.
He also mentioned that POPO operates in line with the national mine action strategy and the Ottawa Convention, and therefore aims to help Angola fulfill its commitment to free the country of mines by 2030.
On the occasion, the Japanese Ambassador to Angola, Sano Hiroaki, highlighted the cooperation between the two countries, recalling that Japanese support for demining dates back to the early 1990s.
Since then, the diplomat said, Japan has invested more than US$29 million in demining efforts in Angola.
Sano Hiroaki mentioned that with mines, land cannot be used for agriculture or development. Therefore, it’s necessary to demine so people’s lives can improve.
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