Komatsu Ltd. (President and CEO: Takuya Imayoshi) is joining demining efforts in Senegal, building on its long-standing support for antipersonnel landmine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance activities in Cambodia and Laos, which began in 2008.
In Senegal’s Casamance region, although a ceasefire was declared in 2014 following a civil conflict that began in 1982, antipersonnel landmine-related accidents continue to occur. Manual demining—the primary method currently used—is quite dangerous and highly time-consuming. It presents ongoing challenges to recovery efforts. Several once-thriving villages in the region were abandoned as residents fled, due to the threat of antipersonnel landmines. Entire communities were left in ruin. The purpose of Komatsu’s support is to help restore these villages, enable the return of displaced residents, and contribute to the rebuilding of new, sustainable communities.
Komatsu’s assessment confirmed that most of the landmines buried in the region are antipersonnel mines. This makes it possible to deploy Komatsu’s demining machines—proven effective through years of field experience. Through Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) program, Komatsu will provide these demining machines to the Government of Senegal. In collaboration with local institutions and related NGOs, Komatsu will work to accelerate antipersonnel mine clearance, contribute to making the land safe, and support the revitalization of affected communities.
