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Angola Diary
29th September - 5th Octorber 2003
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My name is Peio Ndumbo, and I am of the Umbundu tribe. I was born on 15/01/63 in Kilenge, Huila Province in the southern part of Angola. Both my mother and father are still alive but very old now, thank god they survived the war though it could not spare my three brothers who were killed in a cross fire between UNITA and government forces. Neither of my parents have ever been employed, they are simple villagers leading a peasant life. In 1983, I was conscripted into the Government Army. The war at this time had intensified so tremendously that our area started suffering serious consequences, constant UNITA attacks were the order of the day. Many people including my parents fled to Benguela, abandoning their homes and property, most of which was vandalized by soldiers from both sides each accusing the innocent villagers caught up in the fighting of being collaborators.
I was demobilized in 1992 following the Lusaka protocol and in the same year my parents also returned to Kilenge to start their life literally from zero. As if this was not enough, the war broke out again in 1993, and again my parents fled back to Bengela. They only came back home recently following the death of Dr. Jonas Savimbi in the year 2002.
Our area, like many places in Angola, had exchanged hands several times between UNITA and government forces during the civil war. Consequently, lots of mines had been laid. Life is not easy in Kilenge due to this threat. There are always accidents taking place but people have to go on with their daily activities in order to survive. Fortunately, the Red Cross have for quite some time now been carrying out the task of giving mine risk awareness education to the people in the area. However, this is not enough. What is needed is the actual demining activities. Lots of the social infrastructures are dilapidated and cannot be rehabilitated due to suspicion of mines. In 1998, a de-mining organization called Santa Barbara started work in the area, but they got attacked by UNITA and some of the deminers were killed. Then they abandoned the area and since then, there has never been any demining organization.
I was employed by MAG in February 1999. After my training, I was chosen to be a team leader and have recently been promoted to MAT supervisor, responsible for both teams in Cunene. MAG has cleared lots of mines and thousands of UXOs so far. MAG has done tremendous work in Cunene, making safe thousands and thousands of square meters of mine contaminated land for local communities to dwell on and cultivate.
MAG's activities in Angola are highly appreciated but the only set back is lack of mechanized demining equipment which could speed up work. It has the technical know how and highly trained personnel. For instance last week, we handed over Mui minefield which took us three weeks to de-mine and yet it is only 4000 sq.m.! Therefore my only appeal is for our donors to sufficiently fund MAG to enable it to improve its technical capacity and workers' salaries. It is the favourite demining organization in Angola.
My many thanks to Japanese Television Broadcasting System for funding us.
Peio Ndumbo
MAT Supervisor, MAT 1 and 3
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