KUITO, Angola, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Over 200, 000 square meters of land were cleared from landmines in south Angola's province of Bie by the National Demining Institute (INAD) since the start of this year, the head of the institute Jose Virgilio Chalissala has said.
INAD and its national and international partners removed and destroyed 85 unexploded explosive devices in the province, among them anti-tank mines, anti-personnel mines,, mortars, D30 projectiles, rockets, hand grenades and others, the official told the press on Thursday.
The mine-free zone will now be used to build various social and economic infrastructure in the province, which was badly affected by a civil war that lasted nearly three decades in the southern African country since 1975 till 2002.
Since 2002, more than 500 million U.S. dollars were spent by the Angolan government to clear more than 2,000 minefields all over the country.
