The Sole of Africa

Two armed conflicts spanning over thirty years have left Mozambique filled with antipersonnel landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). Armed opposition to the Portuguese began in 1964, led by the group FRELIMO. The Portuguese withdrew and granted control to FRELIMO in 1974, which instituted a one-party Marxist system.

Around 1976, RENAMO, an opposition group supported by the governments of neighboring states, initiated a violent insurrection against FRELIMO. A bloody civil war lasted until 1992, when the two parties signed a UN-brokered peace agreement to which both have largely adhered. A UN peace-keeping force paved the way for free and mostly legitimate elections that were held in 1994 and again in 1999.

During the civil war, both sides planted millions of landmines for route denial, border defenses, and protection of key economic and strategic installations. Landmines were also used to disrupt access to water routes, agricultural fields, and fisheries.

The aftermath of such prolonged fighting left over 5.5 million people displaced - 4 million internally displaced and 1.5 million as refugees in neighboring countries. Mined areas have prevented repatriation and resettlement of people. They have also increased landmine casualties among refugees as they attempt to return home and farm their land. Mined roads have disrupted trade, making food and goods exchange nearly impossible in some areas, particularly in Tete, the most heavily mined province in Mozambique. The UN’s landmine program considers Mozambique one of the most heavily mined countries in the world.