JUBA, April 4 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations anti-mine agency said Thursday the current truce in South Sudan has offered a favorable atmosphere for removing explosives buried underneath the ground.
Richard Boulter, program manager with the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), said landmines that were concealed in the earth remain the single most dangerous hazard that continues to kill and maim people in one of the most-mined countries in the world.
The South Sudanese government and the opposition signed a new peace deal in September last year.
"The cooperation we are receiving from our local partners, coupled with the support from donors and UN peacekeepers, has made the process of dissipating the landmines in South Sudan a surmountable and achievable undertaking," Boulter told celebrations in Juba marking the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.
Boulter thanked the 900 South Sudanese who operate under the National Mine Action Authority for providing education and awareness about the explosives across the battle-weary country in a bid to save lives.
"Clearing the landmines will leave South Sudan a safe place with the potential for a prosperous future," he said.
Taban Deng Gai, South Sudan's first vice-president, called on partners to continue support the local landmine-defusing organization to destroy the remaining explosives that hinder socio-economic development among South Sudanese, adding that it is the preserve of the government to neutralize use of landmines in conflict.
According to UNMAS, decades of conflict in South Sudan have littered vat swathes of land with explosives and nearly 39.2 million square meters are thought to be contaminated by such hazards.
