Landmines exposed by rain in North Darfur

The Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid El Nur (SLM-AW) claims that government forces planted landmines in Kutum locality, North Darfur. Mustafa Tambur, the military spokesman for the SLM-AW reported to Radio Dabanga that heavy rainfall exposed 23 landmines in the area of Fonu, near Kutum town. “The mines were buried along a strip of two kilometers, to hamper the movement of the Darfur resistance forces”, Tambour explained. He warned the citizens in the area, “especially children”, not to approach or touch suspicious objects, and demanded from the international community to pressure the Khartoum regime to stop planting landmines. Years of conflict have left Darfur littered with potentially deadly explosives and munitions. Radio Dabanga appeals to listeners throughout Darfur (and elsewhere in our reception area) not to touch any ‘unexploded’ grenades or other ammunition found in the field. Mark its position clearly to alert others, and report it immediately to a camp sheikh, Unamid and/or the local police. File photo: After accidentally detonating a device found nearby his house in North Darfur, this boy suffered from burns to more than 90 percent of his body (Albert González Farran/Unamid)  Related: Boys lose hands, legs as UXO detonates in North Darfur (15 June 2014) Maimed North Darfur boys need medical aid after explosion (13 June 2014) Two children killed, three maimed by ammunition in South Darfur (13 May 2014) Grenade kills two in Darfur’s Jebel Marra (1 May 2014) Two more maimed by UXO in North Darfur (21 April 2014)