The global ban became a reality after a five year campaign by international advocacy organizations. One does not have to be a global superpower to affect the future of peace and security.
Land mines remain buried in former war zones around the world.
They kill and injure thousands of civilians annually. In Angola, it is estimated that 13 million land mines remain in the ground. In related news, a company in Luxembourg, CAE Aviation, has created a plane equipped with high-tech sensors that will enhance land mine clearance efforts in Angola. The plane, the first of its kind in the world, can detect mines with a 15 cm diameter and that are located up to 50 cm deep in the ground, by flying over land at the low-altitude of 400 meters. The cost of the program will be shared by the European Union and EU member states.