Educating citizens about unseen dangers

As he dribbles the ball past two opponents, smiles, and passes it to his teammate, Gatluak Kual, 29, does not dwell on having a disability that forces him to play basketball from a wheelchair.

Despite losing his leg in 1999 during the civil war in Sudan, Kual, Chairperson of South Sudan Wheelchair Basketball Association (SSWBA), has many hopes and dreams for his future and South Sudan. SSWBA was formed in August last year to promote the sport to those with disabilities.

Kual celebrates after scoring by raising his right leg, May 26, 2012.
© The Niles | Julius N. UmaKual fought as a rebel soldier in the two decade-long war in which two million people were killed and four million were displaced. A peace deal in 2005 led to South Sudan’s independence last year.

First it was a land mine, which destroyed my leg”, Kual recalls, while pointing at his right leg. Later on, it was a bullet that ripped through my arm,” Kual says as he shows the scars.

A study counted 2,861 disabled survivors of land mines at the end of 2009. The Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) estimates the number of war-wounded veterans in all of South Sudan at 34,000.

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Homework for a new nation [part 2]: Better care for people with disabilitiesLast month, Kual was part of a group that gathered to commemorate the United Nations’ International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance during which time he appealed to the government of South Sudan and development partners to extend more support to the association and its members.

Seven years since the landmark peace deal, mine awareness remains a national priority.

Jurkuch Barach Jurkuch, the Chairperson of Southern Sudan Mine Action Authority (SSMAA) has constantly warned of the threat land mines still pose in the region, citing South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State as the country’s worst affected region.

We still have a lot of work to do, especially in relation to creating awareness of the dangers and risks associated with land mines. Our people need to be sensitised about these issues,” Jurkuch says. He appeals to the government and its development partners to step up de-mining efforts, as South Sudan looks forward to one day being mine free, he says.

Mine and UXO images used in mine risk awareness campaigns in South Sudan.
© The Niles | Akim Mugisa
The mine action program presently covers all ten states of South Sudan, but focuses on the seven states considered to be worst affected by land mines and Unexploded Ordnances, (UXOs). These include: Eastern Equatoria, Central Equatoria, Jonglei, Upper Nile, Unity, Western Bahr el-Ghazal and Warrap states.

Over the years, United Nations Children Fund, which works within the framework of the United Nations Mine Action Office has coordinated and provided technical support for Mine Risk Education (MRE).

Between 2009 and June 2011, more than 1.3 million individuals reportedly received MRE directly, through community and school-based activities. Mass media programs, the government reported, reached an estimated 2.5 million people.