HIGHLIGHTS
The MACC commercial contractor for demining,
MECHEM, continued clearance operations south of the Eritrean border inside
the Western Sector of the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ). The Team also
continued verifying the recent mine incident sites in Sector West and the
new helicopter landing site in Adi Asmerom area.
After conducting an investigation on the unexploded ordnance (UXO) incident, which occurred on 28 January 2006 in the Ksad Ekka area in the sub-zoba of Adi Quala in Sector Center, the MACC has released the Preliminary Investigation Report (PIR) of the incident on February 6, 2006. The MACC received two reports of anti-tank (AT) mine incidents in Sector West. Please see page 3 for more information on the AT mine incidents.
Updates
OPERATIONS
The MACC Operations staff investigated an anti-tank (AT) mine discovery on the Dembe Shurguti-Shambiko road in Sector West. The discovery was made by members of the Eritrean Militia deployed in the area.
The Operations staff also discovered another AT mine, known as TM-57, near the Gash river. The MACC deployed MECHEM's Integrated Demining Capacity (IDC) and Route Clearance Teams (RCT) in the area in order to conduct clearance operations.
MECHEM contractors operated at the site of the AT mine incident near Shambiko village (reported on page 3) and conducted verification tasks in the area.
MECHEM's RCT and IDC Teams continued operations south of the TSZ. The Teams cleared 115.9 km of route and 8,524 sq.m. of area during the week.
The MACC Operations staff also discovered a UXO in the vicinity of the Aromo village in Sector Center. The UXO alert forms have been forwarded to the the MACC Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team for future disposal operations.
The MACC EOD Technician and EOD Team Leader relocated to the southern adjacent areas of the Temporary Security Zone continued to liaise with the local authorities in the area prior to commencing EOD operations.
INFORMATION
The Information Section continued to perform routine duties, which included scanning of computers for viruses, maintainance of hardware and network problems, weekly clean-up of databases, and providing IT assistance to staff members. The Section also continued to provide support to the Finance Section of the MACC.
The Section was engaged in preparing and providing updated maps of road networks in the Mission area in response to the recent mine incidents in Sector West.
NOTE: UN agencies who would like to obtain standard maps of Eritrea, including maps at scales of 1:50,000, 1:100,000 and 1:250,000 are requested to contact the UNMEE Geo Cell (Ext. 6845 or 6971). Customers who would like to obtain mine/UXO specific maps are requested to contact the MACC Information Section where they will have their requests fulfilled within 24hours. Please contact the Chief of Information, Gerhard Bechtold at Ext. 2123.
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