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SOUTH SUDAN / SCHOOL MINES CLEARING
STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / SCHOOL MINES CLEARING
TRT: 04:30
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ARABIC / ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 26 MARCH 2018, LOBONOK, SOUTH SUDAN
1. Various shots, school building to grounds where machine is demining
2. Various shots, machine demining
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Timothy Kirby, United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS):
“The school’s been closed, and that’s for the safety of the children, whilst the operation is taking place. However you can also see how close the mines are to the school, so the area has been denied to the school children, and that’s one of the priorities.”
4. Wide shot, school house
5. Close up, school bell stuck to tree
6. Various shots, children at school
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Father Francis, Head teacher, St Mathew Primary and Secondary School:
“When I was there, I heard of it, a distance of less than 100 metres, we collected them ourselves and we put them under a tree because we were cultivating there and when we were clearing the place so that the children those we can find so that we can put them outside there. So seeing those one, we tried to restrict the children and good to give orders to the kids, who were taking it as if it is good to keep them around, and seeing the effect of these landmines that we have put them there, were having also a fear of otherwise they will explode and also cause a danger to the small children inside there.”
8. Various shots, children playing in school grounds
9. SOUNDBITE (English) David Mukasa, Deputy Head Teacher, Yappa National Secondary School:
“Primary school pupils playing, and they spotted it, they were trying to excavate it so that they can try to pull it out, then one of the pupils who is a bit grown-up stopped the young ones from excavating it and reported to us teachers and we there and we really stopped them and we sent them away from the place.”
10. Various shots, children playing in area where a tent is being put up, the location of where a landmine was discovered
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Charity Dokorondo, Yappa National Secondary School:
“The de-miners they came here in our school, then they discovered somewhere ahead there was a bomb so they came and they demined it, but right now our lives are safe, we can move anywhere, and we thank them for the work they have done, that our school now is safe.”
12. Wide shot, students seated on benches
13. Wide shot, students walking across school compound
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Ibrahim Abdallah, Student Yappa National Secondary School:
"I was around, then they gave us a briefing – a small briefing that we should go a far distance to save our lives, and indeed they exploded it and after the environment was now normal, they told us everything was cleared that we should come back to the school.”
15. Various shots, UNMAS staff explaining dangers of landmines and unexploded ordnance
16. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Charles Nikanora, Lobonok Centre Primary School:
“Awareness is very important because children can see the images and then it can stop children from touching the wrong things.”
17. Various shots, UNMAS staff explaining dangers of landmines and unexploded ordnance
This primary (St, Mathew Primary and Secondary) school in Lobonok, located about a two hours-drive south of South Sudan’s capital Juba, has had to be evacuated after close to 10 landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXOs) were found on its grounds by both students and teachers.
Finding UXOs left during conflict is a common occurrence in populated areas like schools, and instructions to report the discovery of un-known shiny or metallic objects have been heeded.
With reports like these, mine action teams are deployed immediately by the United Nations Mine Action Service, a part of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, to help clear large or small areas.
SOUNDBITE (English) Timothy Kirby, United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS):
“The school’s been closed, and that’s for the safety of the children, whilst the operation is taking place. However you can also see how close the mines are to the school, so the area has been denied to the school children, and that’s one of the priorities.”
The students from the vacated school now have to learn under a tree - a safe distance away - until their school grounds have been cleared.
SOUNDBITE (English) Father Francis, Head teacher, St Mathew Primary and Secondary School:
“When I were (was) there, I heard of it, a distance of less than 100 meters, we collected them ourselves and we put them under a tree because we were cultivating there and when we were clearing the place so that the children (inaudible) those we can find so that we can put them outside there. So seeing those one, we tried to restrict the children and good to give orders to the kids who were taking it as if it is good to keep them around, and seeing the effect of these landmines that we have put them there, were having also a fear of otherwise they will explode and also cause a danger to the small children inside there.”
Not too far off, some five kilometers away, students at Yappa National Primary and Secondary School can now play in their recently mine-cleared compound, thanks to the United Nations Mine Action Service. Life has just returned to these grounds, which about six months ago had to be hurriedly vacated due to the discovery of landmines and unexploded ordnance.
SOUNDBITE (English) David Mukasa, Deputy Head Teacher, Yappa National Secondary School:
“Primary school pupils playing, and they spotted it, they were trying to excavate it so that they can try to pull it out, then one of the pupils who is a bit grown-up stopped the young ones from excavating it and reported to us teachers and we there and we really stopped them and we sent them away from the place.”
Swift action by the Mine Action Service ensured that the school was cleared without any fatalities.
SOUNDBITE (English) Charity Dokorondo, Yappa National Secondary School:
“The deminers they came here in our school, then they discovered somewhere ahead there was a bomb so they came and they demined it, but right now our lives are safe, we can move anywhere, and we thank them for the work they have done, that our school now is safe.”
Unexploded mines were laid in the school and surrounding areas during the 23-year long civil war fought between northern and southern Sudan. Although the war ended, after a peace agreement was signed in 2005, numerous mined areas remain as a relic of that conflict.
According to UNMAS, suspicious objects should not be touched and avoid locations where they are found. All suspicious objects or items should be reported.
SOUNDITE (English) Ibrahim Abdallah, Student Yappa National Secondary School:
“I was around, then they gave us a briefing – a small briefing that we should go a far distance to save our lives, and indeed they exploded it and after the environment was now normal, they told us everything was cleared that we should come back to the school.”
Safety in mine-populated schools has been a priority for both the government and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, which works to protect civilians in conflict and post-conflict areas as part of their mandate.
Mine Risk Education in schools, also continues to be intensified in locations which remain un-cleared, especially because children are often the first to locate landmines and unexploded ordnance. So far, the United Nations Mine Action Service has delivered Mine Risk Education to more than 3.6 million people, including 2.1 million children and 670,000 women.
SOUNDITEBITE (Arabic): Charles Nikanora, Lobonok Centre Primary School:
“Awareness is very important because children can see the images and then it can stop children from touching the wrong things.”
Though more than 187 schools across the country have been cleared as a priority since 2004, the total scope of contamination by explosive hazards remains unknown years after the end of the 20-year old conflict between Sudan’s northern and southern forces. The United Nations Mine Action Service coordinates the clearing of mined areas and the conducting of mine risk awareness. Due to the ongoing conflict, UNMAS responds on a recurring basis to new reports of grenades, mortars, small arms ammunition, and other explosive hazards, to enable civilians to resume their daily lives in a safe and secure environment.
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