CAXITO, Angola, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- More than 109.8 million square meters of land across Angola's northern Bengo province has been cleared of mines since 2006, said the head of the provincial department of the National Demining Institute (INAD) on Saturday.
For 2020, the INAD expects to clear 500,000 square meters in Bengo province, Joao Francisco de Carvalho said at the closing ceremony of a demining training program in Caxito, the capital of the province.
INAD director general Ramos Miguel said that only through demining training can Angola achieve the government's goal of eliminating landmines in the country by 2025.
Local authorities are using the mine-free areas to build infrastructure for such sectors as energy, water, public services, housing, telecommunications, health, education and transportation, the official added.
The INAD aims to eliminate landmines planted nationwide during the civil war that broke out in 1975. The war lasted for nearly 30 years, and turned Angola into one of the most-mined countries in the world.
