Angola needs $240 million to clear hundreds of civil war minefields, official says
HUAMBO, Angola (Reuters) - Angola requires $240 million from government or donor funding to clear nearly 1,000 minefields from the civil war that ended more than two decades ago, the National Mine Action Agency head said.
The landmines, planted during the 27-year civil war up to 2002, have left people with disabilities and continue to cause harm. Many remain displaced because of the minefields.
About 975 minefields need clearance, and demining costs an average of $3.10 per square metre, meaning $240 million is required, said Brigadier General Leonardo Sapalo, the National Mine Action Agency's head.
About 192 of the minefields are in areas close to the Benguela Railway, a critical component of the Lobito Corridor - a U.S.-backed rail project linking resource-rich Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to the port of Lobito in Angola to facilitate the export of minerals and other goods.
"The railway has been completely de-mined so that it can be rehabilitated. The train runs naturally, but there are specific areas that have not been completely cleared of mines," Sapalo said during a visit by Western ambassadors to British charity the HALO Trust, which assists in landmine clearance.
"The work is not at a standstill, but we need to energise it."
The de-mining process along the Lobito Corridor has already removed 43,142 anti-personnel mines, 2,460 anti-tank mines and 235,050 unexploded explosives, according to the HALO Trust.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
I'm 92 and still live independently. I make sure to stay active, and I don't eat a lot of red meat.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mira Armstrong, a 92-year-old from Porepunkah, Australia. It has been edited for length and clarity. I built my home with my husband, Bruce, in 1956. Now that I'm 92 years old, I still live independently. I hope I croak it here. I was born in Poland in 1933 during the Depression. My father was a shoemaker and in the army reserve. When World War II broke out, he was taken prisoner and sent to Germany. My mother, siblings, and I followed. I got a rough start to life Life was pretty tough. We lived in a derelict, abandoned farmhouse and weren't allowed to go to school because we weren't German citizens. While German children were at school, we'd scavenge at the dump — once, we even found an old gramophone. Toward the end of the war, I remember hearing American planes overhead. An old German man cycled through our village, sounding a siren as they approached. They never bombed our village, only cities and factories. I remember watching thousands of British airmen being marched past on foot. They stopped and ate grass because they were so hungry. I wish I knew how to speak English back then, but I didn't. We moved to Australia after the war, and things changed After the war, we were moved from one displaced persons camp to another. Europe was in chaos. We spent some time in Italy, then came to Australia aboard the SS Skaugum. My father got a job in the ship's kitchen and was finally able to buy toothpaste. We'd cleaned our teeth with ash during the war. When we arrived in Melbourne on March 28, 1950, I was 17. It felt like heaven. Everything was so strange and unusual. We were finally free. My family eventually settled in Porepunkah, Victoria, and I met my husband, Bruce, at the local swimming hole. One day, he waited in his truck to pick my sister and me up from work, and that was it. We were married in 1954 — I was 21, Bruce was 24. Longevity could be hereditary — my mum lived to 97. She was hardworking and survived many hardships, too. But I have also made a few lifestyle choices that may have helped. Being active has always been a priority When I was younger, I used to cycle 24 kilometers to and from work, even to church in high heels. I did everything fast, whether it was housework or heaving hay bales around our farm. When Bruce and I built our house, we dug the foundation holes and the well by hand. We had five kids, and I was constantly busy. I worked in hospitality and retail, never behind a desk. These days, I still walk a lot, mainly around the house and outside, and I like to garden. I eat a balanced diet, and I don't drink or smoke I eat everything — probably because I remember the starvation during the war. Once, we went for four days without food. For breakfast, I have porridge or Weetabix. I eat soup full of veggies, wholemeal toasties, chicken, fish, and walnuts. There's not a lot of red meat in my diet. My vice is fruit, though I have to be careful because I'm borderline diabetic. I never smoked or drank, and I only recently started drinking coffee. Staying social and volunteering is key Our home was always social — full of friends and family. I enjoy spending time with my eight grandkids and eight great-grandkids. I've also done a lot of volunteer work: 29 years with Meals on Wheels, 14 years with the op shop, and years of church work. I get bored easily, and I enjoy giving back. My faith has given me comfort in tough times Bruce died in 1977 shortly after a trucking accident. He was 47 years old, I was 44. I still had three boys at home and about 70 cows to manage on our farm. It was a horrendous time, and I went through hell. I did three part-time jobs and took care of everything on autopilot. After Bruce died, I started cursing God and stopped going to church. Then, in 1992, my youngest son, Graham, was killed in a road accident. It was very difficult, and that's when I returned to church. My faith has brought me comfort ever since. I make sure to keep my mind active I keep my mind active with puzzles and reading. I enjoy thrillers, and hot romances, too. After Bruce died, I'd read romance novels through the night. In the morning, I didn't even remember what they were about. These days, I enjoy feeding the birds and gardening. For what it's worth, these habits may have led to my longevity, and they've surely contributed to my enjoyment of life. But my No. 1 tip for a long life? Don't die!
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Trump rips ‘incompetent' Newsom, LA Mayor Bass amid riots over immigration raids, says masks not allowed at protests
President Trump ripped into California's 'incompetent' leadership and called for a ban on face coverings as masked protesters clashed with federal agents conducting immigration raids across Los Angeles. Trump called out California Gov. Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass for their alleged mishandling of violent riots in response to the ICE raids that wrangled up over 100 illegal immigrants — including gang bangers and drug traffickers — this past week. 'We have an incompetent Governor (Newscum) and Mayor (Bass) who were, as usual (just look at how they handled the fires, and now their VERY SLOW PERMITTING disaster. Federal permitting is complete!), unable to handle the task,' Trump wrote on TruthSocial Sunday morning. Rioters caused carnage in the streets of Los Angeles County on Saturday, which forced Trump to call for 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles despite Newsom's objections. 10 Masked protesters stand on the remains of a burnt car while waving the flags of Burkina Faso and Mexico in Paramount, Calif. on June 7, 2025. REUTERS The troops were set to arrive in the area within 24 hours, US Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli told the New York Times. The violent protesters burned down cars, lit fires, threw rocks and fireworks at police and graffitiied vulgar phrases including 'F–K ICE' and 'KILL ICE.' Trump blasted the nameless protesters as 'troublemakers' and called for a ban on face coverings as the violent demonstrations wreak havoc in California. 'These Radical Left protests, by instigators and often paid troublemakers, will NOT BE TOLERATED. Also, from now on, MASKS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED to be worn at protests,' Trump said. 'What do these people have to hide, and why?' he questioned. 10 President Donald Trump attends UFC 316 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey Saturday night. Getty Images 10 A masked protester holds a Mexican flag in the middle of the street in Los Angeles County. REUTERS 10 A protester waves a flag in front of a fire set in the middle of the street in the Compton neighborhood of Los Angeles. AFP via Getty Images Footage captured a chaotic scene in Paramount, Calif., as hundreds of protesters filled the streets and faced off against federal agents in riot gear, in an attempt to impede apprehensions by Border Patrol near a Home Depot. Law enforcement agents fired tear gas at the restless crowd. One violent protester in a face-covering helmet hurled rocks at the windows of cars right outside the super store — cracking some Border Patrol pick-up trucks in the windshield, according to viral video. At least a dozen 'agitators' were arrested Saturday for their involvement in the unrest, Essayli announced. 10 California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks with LA Mayor Karen Bass at a press conference in Los Angeles on Jan. 23, 2025. AFP via Getty Images 10 Masked protesters wearing safety goggles move away from law enforcement agents in Compton, Calif. AP Homeland Security Secretary Krisi Noem warned rioters of arrests if they harmed law enforcement officers. Trump praised the National Guard troops he had called in to take over crowd control operations to quell the unrest. 'Great job by the National Guard in Los Angeles after two days of violence, clashes and unrest,' Trump wrote. 10 Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies form a line in riot gear during a standoff with protesters. AFP via Getty Images 10 Fireworks are thrown at sheriff's deputies in the streets of Compton. AFP via Getty Images Newsom claimed Trump's orders were what caused the chaos in his state. 'The federal government is sowing chaos so they can have an excuse to escalate. That is not the way any civilized country behaves,' Newsom wrote on X. The 78-year-old commander in chief had already called out Newsom and Bass earlier Saturday before he ordered the National Guard. 'If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can't do their jobs, which everyone knows they can't, then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!,' the president. 10 A sheriff's deputy holds back masked protesters during a daytime riot in Paramount, Calif. REUTERS 10 Protesters put up a roadblock near a fire in the streets of Compton. AFP via Getty Images Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the Department of Defense was mobilizing the National Guard while nearby military bases were put on alert. 'If violence continues, active duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized — they are on high alert,' Hegseth wrote on X Saturday.
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Iran rapper Tataloo, Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, faces death penalty
The tattoos covering Iranian rapper Tataloo's face stand out against the gray prison uniform the 37-year-old now wears as he awaits execution, his own rise and fall tracing the chaos of the last decade of Iranian politics. Tataloo, whose full name is Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, faces a death sentence after being convicted on charges of 'insulting Islamic sanctities.' It's a far cry from when he once supported a hard-line Iranian presidential candidate. Advertisement Tataloo's music became popular among the Islamic Republic's youth, as it challenged Iran's theocracy at a time when opposition to the country's government was splintered and largely leaderless. 6 Iranian rapper Tataloo appears in a courtroom at the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, Iran, on May 7, 2024. AP The rapper's lyrics became increasingly political after the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini and the subsequent wave of nationwide protests. Advertisement He also appeared in music videos which criticized the authorities. 'When you show your face in a music video, you are saying, 'Hey, I'm here, and I don't care about your restrictions,'' said Ali Hamedani, a former BBC journalist who interviewed the rapper in 2005. 'That was brave.' The Iranian Supreme Court last month upheld his death sentence. 'This ruling has now been confirmed and is ready for execution,' judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir told reporters at a press conference last month. Advertisement Activists have decried his looming execution and expressed concern for his safety after he reportedly tried to kill himself in prison. 6 Tataloo speaks during his trial at the Revolutionary Court on April 23, 2024. AP From a music video on a warship to exile Tataloo began his music career in 2003 as part of an underground genre of Iranian music that combines Western styles of rap, rhythm-and-blues and rock with Farsi lyrics. His first album, released in 2011, polarized audiences, though he never played publicly in Iran, where its Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance controls all concerts. Advertisement Tataloo appeared in a 2015 music video backing Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and Tehran's nuclear program, which long has been targeted by the West over fears it could allow the Islamic Republic to develop an atomic bomb. While he never discussed the motivation behind this, it appeared that the rapper had hoped to win favor with the theocracy or perhaps have a travel ban against him lifted. In the video for 'Energy Hasteei,' or 'Nuclear Energy,' Tataloo sings a power ballad in front of rifle-wielding guardsmen and later aboard the Iranian frigate Damavand in the Caspian Sea. The ship later sank during a storm in 2018. 'This is our absolute right: To have an armed Persian Gulf,' Tataloo sang. 6 Tataloo began his music career in 2003 as part of an underground genre of Iranian music that combines Western styles of rap, rhythm-and-blues and rock with Farsi lyrics. Amir Tataloo/X Tataloo even issued an endorsement for hard-liner Ebrahim Raisi in 2017. That year, the two sat for a televised appearance as part of Raisi's failed presidential campaign against the relative moderate Hassan Rouhani. Raisi later won the presidency in 2021, but was killed in a helicopter crash in 2024. Fame in Turkey, prison back in Iran Advertisement In 2018, Tataloo — who faced legal problems in Iran — was allowed to leave the country for Turkey, where many Persian singers and performers stage lucrative concerts. Tataloo hosted live video sessions as he rose to fame on social media, where he became well-known for his tattoos covering his face and body. Among them are an Iranian flag and an image of his mother next to a key and heart. Instagram deactivated his account in 2020 after he called for underage girls to join his 'team' for sex. He also acknowledged taking drugs. Advertisement 'Despite being a controversial rapper, Tataloo has quite the fanbase in Iran, known as 'Tatalities,'' said Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near-East Policy. 'Over the years, they've flooded social media with messages of solidarity for him and even campaigned for the rapper's release in the past when he was detained on separate charges.' 6 Tataloo hosted live video sessions as he rose to fame on social media, where he became well-known for his tattoos covering his face and body. Amir Tataloo/X Tataloo's rebellious music struck a chord with disenfranchised young people in Iran as they struggled to find work, get married and start their adult lives. He also increasingly challenged Iran's theocracy in his lyrics, particularly after the death of Amini following her arrest over allegedly not wearing the hijab to the liking of authorities. Advertisement His collaboration 'Enghelab Solh' — 'Peace Revolution' in Farsi — called out Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by name. 'We don't want tear gas, because there are tears in everyone's eyes,' he rapped. But the music stopped for Tataloo in late 2023. He was deported from Turkey after his passport had expired, and was immediately taken into custody upon arrival to Iran. 6 Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks in southern Tehran, Iran, on June 4, 2025. via REUTERS Death sentence draws protests Advertisement Tehran's Criminal Court initially handed Tataloo a five-year sentence for blasphemy. Iran's Supreme Court threw out the decision and sent his case to another court, which sentenced him to death in January. The rapper already faced ten years in prison for a string of separate convictions, including promoting prostitution and moral corruption. 'Tataloo is at serious risk of execution,' Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the director of advocacy group Iran Human Rights, said in a statement. 'The international community, artists and the public must act to stop his execution.' 6 Tataloo's rebellious music struck a chord with disenfranchised young people in Iran as they struggled to find work, get married and start their adult lives. Amir Tataloo/X Tataloo earlier expressed remorse at a trial. 'I have certainly made mistakes, and many of my actions were wrong,' he said, according to the state-owned Jam-e Jam daily newspaper. 'I apologize for the mistakes I made.' Tataloo married while on death row, his uncle said. Last month, Tataloo reportedly attempted to kill himself, but survived. His death sentence comes at a politically fraught moment for Iran as the country is at it's 'most isolated,' said Abbas Milani, an Iran expert at Stanford University. The Islamic Republic is 'desperately trying to see whether it can arrive at a deal with the US on its nuclear program and have the sanctions lifted,' he said. Drawing the ire of Tataloo's fans is 'one headache they don't need,' he added.
