Stories from the field - Sudan (2)
19.08.2009
MineWolf hits an AT mine
Laniya County is a lush, fertile and tranquil area located at a strategic point between the town of Yei and the capital, Juba, in Southern Sudan. Between 1989 and 1997, Laniya saw a fair amount of military action, as The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) from Northern Sudan positioned heavy barracks here, defending against the advancement of the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) troops from the south. Throughout this eight-year period, Laniya and its surrounding areas witnessed many casualties.
As part of the defence for the SAF barracks, both Anti Personnel (AP) and Anti Tank (AT) mines were laid in the area. The SAF were particularly concerned about nighttime ambushes from the SPLA. The SAF thus laid what is thought to be patterns of AT mines in the wider area and AP mines closer to the barracks to defend against these ambushes. The detonation of these mines would work at two levels – either alert the SAF that an advancement was being made or kill or injure an attacking SPLA soldier.
In 1997, the SPLA were successful in their capture of Laniya County and since then the area has been under the control of South Sudan.
The local community of Laniya know only too well the dangers of landmines and have a great fear of both walking and working the land in the area due to the landmine threat. The stream that runs through Laniya town is particularly feared as the SAF is thought to have laid mines along the banks to trap the SPLA. Behind the barracks, a mountain range acts as a natural defence to the area where tanks could not penetrate to make an attack.
In March 2009, a lorry delivering bricks for a new home hit an AT mine right in the middle of the village. Shock waves ran through the village and the NPA Mine Action Team was requested to make a survey of the area. The survey team gathered information from the local community and the SPLA to understand the history and possible patterns of mines and UXO’s in Laniya. The team was taken to ammunition dumps used by both the SPLA and the SAF in conflict times. Former SPLA commanders pointed out areas that were trenches and defence sites. Through all this information the survey team managed to gain great insight into the history and current situation of Laniya town.
Covering a vast area of 1.4 million square meters, its no small task to clear the Laniya Danger Area (DA) of mines. Work began at the beginning of July and the MineWolf was deployed as the ground preparation tool to begin clearing the fields just north of the town.
An NPA / MineWolf camp was created in the grounds of a destroyed Missionary School south of Laniya town. The school had been looted for building materials throughout the war and made the perfect setting for the five demining teams needed to clear Laniya of their mine threat. The teams consist of a female manual demining team, an Explosive Ordnance Demolition team (EOD) team, a Battle Area Clearance team (BAC) and the NPA and UN MineWolf teams, comprising of operators and technicians.
The camp houses cooks for the teams, nannies for the female deminers children to be cared for while their mothers go to work, guards and drivers.
Throughout the rainy season of July – October, the United Nations (UN) and other demining teams stand down from their operations. Handing over their MineWolf to the NPA team, who remain operational through the rainy season, the UN MineWolf was transferred 81Km from Mafao to Laniya on the 26th August.
On the 24th August, the NPA MineWolf detonated an Anti Tank mine in the initial field on its first day into operations in Laniya. Thankfully, all personnel, including the MineWolf operator were unhurt, but the area was left with a high threat of further AT mines in its vicinity.
A manual, visual search of the area around the detonation site highlighted that another AT mine had been crushed and not detonated moments before the explosion. This led the NPA TA to realize that a mine belt was in the area and the threat of further AT mines was very real.
Before a MineWolf is put into a minefield for operations, and especially in this situation with a high threat of further AT mines being found, a MediVac exercise was meticulously carried out, so that all are ready to assist the MineWolf operator should there be an accident. A Caspir Mine Protected Vehicle (MPV) is driven close to the rear of the MineWolf and a team of Medics climbs from the rear doors of the Caspir onto the MineWolf.
The MediVac practices the worse case scenario where the MineWolf operator is unconscious. The Operator is pulled out from the cabin and strapped to a ridged spot board and the careful operation of carrying him back over the MineWolf to the Caspir and away to the control point (safe area) is carried out. At no point do the Medics or Operator touch the ground, further putting themselves in danger of mine threats. The MediVac is carried out three times so that all are fully briefed on detailed procedures involved.
Another training was practiced in the safe area behind the UN MineWolf. This training was to determine how close to the MineWolf an Anti Tank mine could be detected with a metal detector and at what depth. A team of manual deminers practiced burying the previously crushed AT mine at various depths and distances from the MineWolf.
With everyone satisfied with preparations and fully briefed on the task at hand, the UN MineWolf was put into the Danger Area and began work to clear a safe area around the NPA MineWolf. An NPA TA, Medics and two MineWolf Technicians sat close by in a Caspir watching and directing the MineWolf operator clear the area.
Within 30 minutes of operations, the AT mine threat was confirmed. As the UN MineWolf cleared a path across the field, a huge explosion ripped through the area as the tiller at the front of the UN MineWolf detonated a 5.6Kg Anti Tank Mine. The explosion thundered inside the Caspir, 40 meters away, the loud ricochet of a tiller chisel was heard shooting across the danger area while for about 10 seconds the MineWolf was lost in a cloud of black smoke.
Radio’s immediately contacted Sisto, the MineWolf Operator, "Sisto are you ok? Stop the machine, stop the machine" the reply was immediate "Roger, yes I am ok, I am stopping the machine".
The Caspir moved beside the MineWolf and Sisto climbed in, a little shaken from the explosion but unhurt. All moved to the safety of the road and began to discuss the complicated situation.
A female manual team was sent in to the Danger Area to visually inspect the area around the machine. After an hour of the visual search, the area was determined to be clear of further mines and the MineWolf technicians and an NPA TA went in to inspect the damage of the UN MineWolf.
As designed, the tiller of the UN MineWolf had detonated the AT mine and therefore only superficial damage had occurred. The Machine was reversed out of the Danger Area and to the Control Point for further inspection and maintenance.
Worked stopped for the rest of the day and the sensitive situation was assessed back at the camp. With only superficial damage done to the tiller, the MineWolf was back at work at 8am the following morning and the clearing of the 1.4 million square meters is currently being carried out successfully.
The NPA, UN and MineWolf teams are working Side-by-side in Laniya, along withthe local community to make Laniya free of mines as quickly and safely as possible and restoring confidence to the people of Laniya County.
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