Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Luanda (Fides Service)- Every day at least 50 people are killed by anti-personnel mines and unexploded bombs. A silent tragedy which we want to reveal, news which is non news, events ignored by major world media channels and which was sent to Fides by a missionary in north east Angola.
On Sunday 7 November, in the Caungula district in the province of Lunda Norte, a group of boys playing football hit unawares an antipersonnel mine which exploded. The boys were playing in a field near the airport not far from a dirt track runway. A boy of 12 was taken to the regional hospital at Cafunfo 250 km away. One of his legs has been amputated but his condition is still serious. Three other boys with injuries are receiving treatment at Caungula medical centre before being moved to Cafunfo. The roads are in a very poor state and means of transportare scarce.
Caungula was occupied by the rebel group UNITA for a long time during the years of civil war. Its airport is said to be the one with the most mines. The ‘football field’ had been de-mind by army experts but it is thought that the deeper placed mines surfaced after layers of soil were washed away by recent heavy rains.
Caungula district and its town Camaxilo were chosen by the UNHCR to be a collection point for about 10,000 Angolan refugees still in Congo, at Kahemba camp. However the repatriation operation has been impeded by bad roads and frequent explosions of anti-tank and antipersonnel. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 12/11/2004 righe 26 parole 312)
