Landmine Clearance in South Sudan

U.S. Department of State Contractors Receive Joint Military Commission Medals for Landmine Clearance in South Sudan

The U.S. Department of State congratulates its RONCO Consulting Corporation contractors who received service medals from the Joint Military Commission for clearing landmines and contributing to the peace mission in the Nuba Mountains of South Sudan.

The deminers cleared roads of landmines left from fighting so that internally displaced Sudanese could safely return to their homes, farms and grazing lands, as part of the U.S. Department of State’s worldwide humanitarian mine action program. The Joint Military Commission is responsible for monitoring implementation of the 2002 truce agreement in the Nuba Mountains. The U.S. Department of State’s humanitarian mine action program helps those peace efforts.

The Joint Military Commission’s recognition reflects the effectiveness of the Department of State’s mine action assistance to Sudan over the years. The U.S. Department of State’s unique Quick Reaction Demining Force, which is supervised by these RONCO contractors, deployed to the Nuba Mountains in 2002 to facilitate the safe return of displaced Sudanese. Department of State-sponsored demining operations continued there in 2003 and 2004. Also in 2004, Department of State contract deminers cleared landmines and unexploded ordnance near the Rumbek airfield in South Sudan to enable runway improvement so that large cargo aircraft could deliver more relief aid (see the related Media Note at state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2004/).

The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement currently manages humanitarian mine action programs in 25 countries, including Sudan, and also oversees efforts to reduce illegal trafficking in and increase the international safeguarding of small arms and light weapons. To learn more, visit state.gov/t/pm/wra. 2005/335 Released on March 18, 2005

Media Note Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC March 18, 2005