Land mines pose limited problem, UN says

A United Nations investigation team in Sierra Leone has found that land mines pose a "limited problem" in the country which can be dealt with by the UN mission there, UNAMSIL, a spokeswoman for the Secretary-General said on Wednesday. The UN Mine Action Service completed a week-long technical assessment mission on Sunday to determine the scope of the problem of land mines and unexploded ordnance in Sierra Leone, Maria Okabe told reporters in New York. The team held discussions with the government, the warring factions, the UN mission and other parties. Access has not yet been secured to all areas of the country and the team travelled to Kabala in the north of Sierra Leone and to Kenema and Daru in the east to investigate mines and unexploded ordnance. Okabe said the team recommended that a mine action information and coordination centre be established as part of the peacekeeping operation. According to Save Heritage and Rehabilitate the Environment (SHARE), a local NGO, a 12-year-old lost an eye last week after picking up a land mine at Yams Farm on the outskirts of Freetown. SHARE has repeatedly expressed concern over the lack of information on the whereabouts of mines laid during the conflict in Sierra Leone.