West Darfur residents urge Unamid to defuse UXOs

People from the area of Manjoura in Sirba locality, West Darfur, have found six pieces of unexploded ordnance (UXOs) of various size and type. Speaking to Radio Dabanga today, the coordinator of the Sirba camps said that a group of Manjoura residents submitted a request to the West Darfur state authorities and Unamid to “access the area, and deal with these dangerous explosives”. “We reported the existence of the UXOs in the area to Unamid on Friday, but they did not react until now.” The camp coordinator reiterated via Radio Dabanga the people’s appeal to Unamid to accelerate their intervention and defuse the explosives, “now lying in the open”. 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 village elder, camp sheikh, Unamid and/or the local police. File photo: Unexploded missile on the way to Tabit, North Darfur, 2011 (Unamid)