Washington, June 30, 2016 – The HALO Trust has said it will scale up operation in support of goal to free Columbia of landmines, following a historic peace deal between the Columbian Government and the FARC-EP, ending 50 years of conflict.
Chief Executive Officer, HALO, James Cowan said the “End of Conflict” agreement signed by the Colombian Government paved the way for the clearance of landmines to be accelerated to make the land safe for more people displaced by the conflict to return.
“Mine clearance plays a central role in peace building by facilitating land restitution, IDP return and sustainable rural socio-economic development”, he said, adding that he traveled to the Columbia to participate in the Forum of Experts for the Global Demining Initiative for Colombia, which took place earlier last month in Bogotá.
While thanking committed donors and Colombia’s courage in pursuing the path to peace, he said, HALO looks forward to scaling up operations in support of the goal for a Mine Free Colombia by 2021.
