Mozambique to be Declared Land Mine Free

Mozambique has been declared free of land mines on Thursday, a charity dedicated to mine clearance said, ending two decades of work to rid one of the world's poorest countries of explosives left over from a civil war.HALO Trust said it had destroyed the last known mine on the territory of the gas- and coal-rich southern African country, which was devastated by a civil war that ended in 1992.
The British charity said it had cleared more than 171,000 land mines since 1993.
“The government of Mozambique will officially declare the country free of land mines today,” HALO Trust said in a statement on its web site.
“Mozambique is a compelling example of how dealing with the deadly debris of war systematically and in partnership with government, local people and donors can bring stability, recovery and growth to countries ravaged by war,” HALO Trust CEO James Cowan said in the press release. “HALO is proud to have been part of such a powerful legacy and hopes today’s news provides the momentum to strive for a mine free world by 2025.”
A former Portuguese colony on the Indian Ocean, Mozambique is still one of the world's least developed nations, but it is starting to tap huge coal and natural gas deposits with help from foreign investors.