Force Commander Lt. General Jasbir Lidder visited Kurmuk the day UNMIS’ Pakistani de-mining company found its thirteenth mine in a period of 12 days.
Jasbir Lidder in minefield with Colonel Khalid Mehmood Chaudhry, Sectur Commander Ed Damazine sector
Accompanied by Sector Commander Col. Khalid Mehmood Chaudhry on 22 August, Lt. General Lidder visited the mine field and met with workers carrying out actual de-mining operations.
The mines in Kurmuk, some from as early as the 1980s, were buried deep and laid in a haphazard manner, making them difficult to locate and extricate. The deminer’s task is also riskier, and the potential for accidents higher.
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Jasbir Lidder with UNMAO representative in the minefield
When the Force Commander asked one of the de-miners how he felt, tacking the tedious and dangerous operation, Sapper Mohammad Ali replied, “It feels great that we are doing something good … putting our life at stake…. the feeling can’t be expressed in words.”
The Pakistan de-mining Company has so far found and destroyed 27 anti-personal mines (four could not be detected with mine detectors) and numerous unexploded ordinances. By spending some time in the mine field with the de-miners, the Force Commander was able to boost the company’s morale. |
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