Martin Kobler, Head of MONUSCO, and Maximilian Dyck, Country Director, UNMAS Committed with the Government for a mine-free DRC by 2020

Kinshasa, 1 April 2015 - "The objective of the Congolese Government is to make the DRC mine-free by 2020. This is not only a dream, it is also a duty, and MONUSCO as well as UNMAS are fully committed to work with the government in achieving this noble objective", has stated Martin Kobler, Special representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in DRC.

During the last nine months, United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) teams have participated in 415 missions, and destroyed 15,494 explosive remnants of war, 33,805 small arms and light weapons ammunition and 632 weapons.

UNMAS has already recorded a total of 2539 victims of mines or explosive remnants of war in DRC. In 2014, there were close to 30 victims.

"In 2014, we cleared 12.5% of the areas suspected of containing mines or explosive remnants of war. We have destroyed 130 anti-tank mines, 49 anti-personnel mines and tens of thousands of explosive remnants of war. But most importantly, we have trained 2237 trainers and inspectors, thereby increasing the capacity of the Congolese government to take full responsibility of mine action in the country", concluded Maximilian Dyck, the UNMAS Country Director.