According to a note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Agency for Mine Action (ANAM) will present the formal request during the 22nd meeting of the States Parties to the Convention, which will be held between December 1 and 5, in Geneva, Switzerland.
The country planned to extend the period from 2026 to 2030, given that the current deadline expires on December 31 of this year.
According to the Director General of ANAM, Brigadier Leonardo Sapalo, the request is justified based on a pre-established program, which was already presented on March 28 of this year and had the collaboration of Angola's partners in the fight against mines, namely the engineering and infrastructure directorate of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), the national demining center, the non-governmental organizations APACOminas, Norwegian People's Aid, APOPO, The HALO Trust, MAG, as well as the multilateral directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Leonardo Sapalo highlighted that there are 975 identified mined areas in the country, corresponding to 57,905,679 square meters, with a predominance in the provinces of Bié, Cuando, Cubango, Cuanza Sul, Moxico and Moxico Leste.
The official noted that the provinces of Luanda, Icolo and Bengo, Benguela, Huambo, Zaire, Namibe, Cuanza Norte, Uíge and Malanje have reduced contamination, and are close to being declared free of known mined areas.
According to Leonardo Sapalo, a work plan was designed to implement this request, harmonized with the National Development Plan (PDN 2023-2027), as well as with the National Strategic Plan for Mine Action (2026-2030) and the Siem Reap-Angkor Action Plan (2025-2029).
"These plans give us the consistency to demine all areas listed in the national mine action database, as well as possible new areas, and maintain the safety and protection of communities," said the ANAM director general, quoted in the note.
Angola has been a signatory to the Ottawa Convention since 1997, a document that it ratified on July 5, 2002, which came into force in Angolan territory on January 1, 2003.
Initially, Angola committed to destroying or ensuring the destruction of all anti-personnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction as quickly as possible and no later than December 31, 2012, the statement highlights.
On March 30, 2012, Angola submitted the first request for an extension of the deadline, for a period of five years (2013 to 2017).
At the end of the first extension period, the country submitted a second request, lasting eight years, which was accepted at the 12th meeting of the States Parties, where a new deadline was set, from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2025.
"With just a few months left until the end of the period, and given that there are still a significant number of areas to be cleared, Angola is forced to submit a third request lasting another five years, from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2030", the note states.
Angola, which experienced a civil war lasting almost three decades, is one of the countries in the world with the largest area of landmines still contaminated.
The President, João Lourenço, wants the country to be mine-free by 2027 and announced in October 2024 that around 240 million dollars will be invested in the demining programme over the next two years.
