Addis Ababa, 4 April 2014: The Commission of the African Union (AU), in collaboration with the United Nations Mine Action Services (UNMAS), the United Nations Office to the AU (UNOAU) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), today, marked the International Mine Awareness and Assistance Day. To this end, an event was organized at the AU Headquarters.
The event, whose theme for this year was “Women in Mine Action”, aimed at highlighting the important contribution made by women in mine action. Representatives of AU Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), UN, ICRC and other AU bilateral and multilateral partners attended the event, which also featured a de-mining demonstration.
The Commission seized the opportunity to handover de-mining equipment (100 hand-held mine detectors, 55 protective Aprons and 55 Visors) to four Member States, namely: Ethiopia, Mauritania, Sudan and Zimbabwe, as part of the AU’s efforts to support national efforts toward a Landmine-free Africa.