Addis ababa: Director of Sudan's National Mine Action Centre, Colonel Mutasim Makki Abdel-Hafiz, led Sudan's delegation to the Regional Mine Action Business Platform Workshop held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
According to Sudan News Agency, Colonel Abdel-Hafiz was accompanied by Ali Ahmed Ibrahim, Programme Officer at the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) Office and Coordinator of the Mine Action Programme in Sudan. The workshop gathered delegations from English-speaking African nations and was organized by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), with involvement from the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining and the United Nations Mine Action Programme in Ethiopia.
In a statement, Colonel Abdel-Hafiz explained the workshop's aim to build a business network among African countries to facilitate the exchange of expertise and experiences. Reports from African delegations on mine-clearance programs, disposal of unexploded ordnance, challenges and solutions, and methods to counter resource shortages and declining financial support through modern approaches were presented.
He indicated that regular meetings would be organized to implement the program, with a rotating secretariat established among the participating countries to coordinate network activities.
During the event, the Sudanese delegation engaged in discussions with the Director of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, the Director of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre, and the Director of the JICA Sudan Office. The workshop concluded with significant recommendations for supporting mine-action programs and translating strategies into practical ground-level implementation.
Colonel Abdel-Hafiz also explored opportunities with participating centers and agencies for acquiring equipment, machinery, and devices needed for mine action and the removal of explosive remnants of war to bolster Sudan's mine-action efforts. Discussions extended to training opportunities for personnel engaged in Sudan's mine-action programs and continued collaboration with international and regional organizations to support the plans and programs of the concerned African countries.