Komatsu Completes Assistance for Disposal Efforts of Landmines in Angola
In May 2017, Komatsu Ltd. (President and CEO: Tetsuji Ohashi) completed its assistance for the disposal of landmines in the Republic of Angola for eight years in collaboration with Japan Mine Action Service (President: Ryuichiro Arakawa) (hereafter "JMAS"), a certified specific non-profit organization of Japan.
There are many minefields, contaminated with landmines of a large quantity and a wide variety, throughout Angola as a result of civil wars over the years. In 2008 JMAS began landmine disposal and community redevelopment efforts in Mabubas, Bengo Province in the north west of the country. For this project of JMAS, the Japanese government, Komatsu and Japanese trading companies developed the supporting framework. Komatsu provided a demining equipment for anti-personal landmines (hereinafter gdemining machineh) and construction equipment at no cost to JMAS, which removed landmines in a total area of 213 ha, built roads for a total distance of about 20 km, dug holes for trash and generated other improvements in a period of 8 years.
In tandem with the completion of landmine disposal efforts in this region, the commemorative ceremony was held on March 22, 2017 with the attendance of the Hon. Japanese Ambassador to Angola, the Hon. Vice Governor of Bengo, President of JMAS and representatives of related companies, including Komatsu. A monument was also erected at the entrance to the region in May.
Komatsu's demining machine will be rented to Angola's National Demining Institute (INAD), a landmine disposal organization of Angola, at no cost, making contributions to removing landmines in landmine-contaminated areas of over 500 km2 in Angola.
In Cambodia and Laos, Komatsu is also promoting local projects to remove landmines and unexploded bombs and to redevelop communities. Komatsu will continue its social contribution efforts into the future by capitalizing on its specialized technologies and manufacturing expertise.
[Group photo of concerned people at the ceremony]
[Local children in front of Komatsu-made demining machine]
[Receiving the certificate of appreciation from JMAS]
URLs:
1) for Komatsu's efforts for landmine disposal and community redevelopment efforts
http://www.komatsu.com/CompanyInfo/csr/landmines/index.html#c01
2) for JMAS
http://jmas-ngo.jp/
Information in the news releases is current on the date of the announcement and is subject to change without notice.
2017/06/26
No. 024(2680)
KOMATSU Corporate Communications
TEL: 03(5561)2616
