As a child Abdillahi Mohammed was playing in the wrong place – contact with an explosive remnant of war cost him both hands. Now Abdillahi is a volunteer with Danish Demining Group (DDG) in Somaliland.

DDG has cleared more than 1.4 million square meters of land in Somaliland, but the problem of explosive remnants of war (ERW) remains in the region. Mine Risk Education is designed to increase awareness and change the behaviour of the local population, so that the wars of the past, claim fewer casualties.

“I suffered a lot. I lost my hands, teeth and some of my sight when I as a child hit an unexploded object. I didn´t know the area was infected and had no clue about how to avoid the risk. I don´t want my people to go through what I went through and I want to educate them by giving them the Mine Risk Education that DDG provided for me,” says Abdillahi Mohammed, who has been trained as a trainer in Mine Risk Education, and is now volunteering for DDG in Ainabo, in the eastern part of Somaliland.

Mine Risk Education sessions takes place in local villages and volunteers represent a welcome resource in the programme. “I am a lively example when it comes to  the effects of the ERWs and when I tell the people what the ERW did to me, they will stay away from them,” says Abdillahi Mohammed.

While Abdillahi provides the power of example DDG is bringing the authority of efficiency and results. Working in Somlailand since 1999 DDG has cleared 30 minefields, conducted 90 battle area clearance tasks and conducted more than 4,500 community visits under a village by village clearance program for unexploded ordnances (UXO). But most importantly, the effort has been done in close coorperation with the local population.

“The cornerstone of all humanitarian demining is to understand the local needs and respect the local population. The fact that a victim of an ERW accident is ready to join our efforts and assume local ownership of improving safety in the communities of Somaliland is in many ways the best sign of aprovement we could ever receive – at the end of the day Abdillahi and the risk of more victims like him are the very reason that we are present in conflict affected regions around the world,” says Jessica Buchanan, regional education advisor for DDG's Community Safety programme, based in Somaliland.

Related News:

 Innovative use of modern technologies in Somalia relief efforts - 27-05-11 13:21

 Somalia: Drought leaves one in four children malnourished - 06-05-11 13:58

Back to: News