Posted by John Zak on Nov 05, 2009 - 01:40 PM
![Former Frelimo rebel soldier clears mines in Hnadane, near Maputo, Dec. 3, 2001. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2009_1105_mozambique_landmines_m.jpg)
Mozambique’s landmine problem was once one of the most severe in the world, with a legacy of landmines and explosive remnants of war from decades of conflict. Since 1993, the United States has provided more than $47 million of assistance in Mozambique to safely clear areas of landmines and unexploded ordnance, helping safeguard communities and demonstrating America’s commitment to peace and stability in Mozambique.
Our latest $2 million grant will fund…
Posted by Eric P. Schwartz on Oct 30, 2009 - 02:57 PM
![Mr. Schwartz speaks with women displaced by conflict, North Kivu, Oct. 15, 2009. [State Dept. Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2009_1015_schwartz_idp_camp_m.jpg)
During our October 12-23 trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Kenya, I was reminded of both the challenges and opportunities we face in preventing and responding to humanitarian crises. In the DRC, I looked at protection efforts in the east, where an ongoing humanitarian crisis has had devastating effects on the civilian population, nearly two million of whom are displaced in the region. I visited camps in North and South Kivu as well as a village to which a number of people displaced by years of conflict have recently returned. Those returns, involving more than 60,000…
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Posted by James Liddle on Oct 28, 2009 - 02:48 PM
![Congolese children at IDP camp in The Democratic Republic of Congo Dec. 4, 2008. [AP]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/africa_m.jpg)
The below blog details my trip to northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda to explore the international community’s effort to find a lasting solution to the crisis caused by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). I am a Desk Officer in the Africa Bureau at the Department of State covering Uganda, where the LRA originated. This trip was part of my annual trip to the region to familiarize myself and meet with staff of the U.S. Embassies, government representatives, non-government organizations, and others I work with from Washington.
September…
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Posted by David Foran on Oct 16, 2009 - 12:04 PM
![Armed pirates and their hostages are seen aboard a yacht off the coast of Somalia Apr.11, 2009. [AP]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/pirates2_m.jpg)
Piracy is a crime. It raises the cost of bringing goods and humanitarian aid into East Africa. While there are instances of piracy in many parts of the world, the majority of today’s pirate attacks are in the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin, one of the world’s busiest seaways, crossed by more than 20,000 vessels a year. It raises the cost of bringing goods and humanitarian aid into East Africa. It endangers seafarers and fishermen trying to make a living. This area is the focus of
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Posted by Sara Devlin on Oct 09, 2009 - 10:06 AM
![Man at the Morija Art and Cultural Festival, Oct. 1, 2009. [State Department Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2009_1009_lesotho_art_festival_m.jpg)
On Thursday, October 1, the U.S. Embassy Maseru Public Diplomacy team and a group of dedicated volunteers drove in the rainy and cold weather to Morija, about 45 minutes from the capital city of Maseru, to pitch our tent at Lesotho’s premiere cultural event, the Morija Arts and Cultural Festival.
The first day of the festival was dedicated to performances by local high school groups, who performed the traditional Litolobonya dance. The skirts that the girls wore were often made from torn plastic bags…
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