from SAAD MUSE in Mogadishu, Somalia
Somalia Bureau
MOGADISHU, (CAJ News) – SOMALIA is set to be the first country to benefit from China’s recently-announced Action for a Mine-free Africa initiative.
President Xi Jinping announced the scheme during his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
In Somalia, it has been inaugurated following a meeting between Wang Yu, Chinese Ambassador to the country, and Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail (Fartaag), Minister of Internal Security of Somalia.
This is to support Somalia in effectively overcoming the threat of landmines and protecting its people’s lives and property.
China will donate ¥1 million (US$142 277) to the Somali Explosives Management Agency (SEMA), supervised by the Ministry of Internal Security of Somalia, to strengthen the country’s capabilities in landmine survey and risk education.
Ismail said in view of the serious threat of landmines in Somalia, the initiative of Action for a Mine-free Africa will effectively help Somalia improve its mine eradication capabilities and protect its people’s lives and property, for which the Somali people are grateful.
“Somalia is ready to strengthen cooperation with China to facilitate the country’s peace and reconstruction process,” the minister said.
Somalia, in the Horn of Africa region, is synonymous with conflict.
The Al-Shabaab group is the main perpetrator.
– CAJ News