(US State Department) – In Tshopo province in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a peaceful game of soccer can be potentially life-threatening despite the seemingly picturesque surroundings. “If we played ball and it landed far away from the playing field, we would simply leave it because we knew that we could get injured or die if we went to search for it,” students Kakongo Zoro and Itomali Osenge said, highlighting the problem of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) which can stay in the ground for years after fighting ends, awaiting an unlucky step.
