On Wednesday, the General Staff of the Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU) announced the destruction of 10 tons of used and unfit war remnants, which were collected from the Tripoli Naval Base.
The General Staff stated that the “Military Engineering Department for Clearance of Mines, Explosive Devices and Remnants of War transported the amount of waste to the blast site in the Al-Hira region, Tripoli. The process was carried out in accordance with international and local standards for the destruction and disposal of remnants of war.”
“The war remnants exploded in cooperation with the Military Police Department, the Intelligence Department, the Military Medicine Service, and the General Directorate of Traffic and Licensing,” the statement concluded.
Last month, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) stated that more than 1 million explosive remnants of war (ERW) have been removed in Libya since 2011. These included 82% of projectiles, and 4% of small arms ammunition UNSMIL noted.
UNSMIL announced the launch of Mine Reduction Week, which aims to raise awareness of the dangers of unexploded ordnance.
The Mission stated that the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has removed 28,394 pieces of explosive materials in Libya, in cooperation with Libyan partners since 2022.
It confirmed that UNMAS has been working continuously with Libyan partners to clear explosive remnants of war since 2011.
Notably, the Libyan National Safety Authority in Tripoli announced the removal of remnants of war in several regions of western Libya. They also found a hand grenade in the city of Al-Zawiya, and an RPG projectile in the city of Sabratha.
In March, UNSMIL said that 19 people, including 14 children were killed by explosive remnants of war in Libya in 2022.
On International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, UNSMIL noted that this year’s theme, “Mine action cannot wait,” is particularly befitting in the Libyan context.
In a joint statement with the United Nations Mine Action Service, they confirmed that despite strong efforts from mine action partners over the past decade, more than 15 million M² are still contaminated with explosive ordnances across Libya.