Saturday, November 6, 2010

Perigo Minas!

Minas de terra or as you would say in English - landmines are something that many Mozambicans and those who visit and live in Mozambique have to be aware of. The civil war that torn apart Mozambique for nearly 2 decades ended in 1992, but since then many of the minefields and unexploded ordinances have shifted due to such things as floods, cyclones, earthquakes, etc. De-mining efforts are taking place in Mozambique and have been for a number of years since the end of the war, but it has been such outside factors that have greatly contributed to the slowing of this effort. When you come visit me the following are some local indicators of potential dangerous areas: painted stones in red and white, red posts with signs attached to them that read: “Perigo Minas!”, animal carcasses or remains, piles of rocks or sticks, etc…