
The often overlooked fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Eastern Front rebels in Kassala State left behind a very tangible and dangerous legacy for the 3,000 residents of Abu Gamul village near the Eritrean border. Located about 30 kilometres east of the city of Kassala, Abu Gamul and the surrounding countryside were strewn with row upon row of anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, making it impossible for the mainly agrarian and pastoralist community to cultivate crops and graze their livestock.
The eleven minefields identified by the United Nations Mine Action Office (UNMAO) and its implementing partners in and around Abu Gamul left its inhabitants with no choice but to relocate to the nearby village of Katakua in Kassala State. The minefields ranged in area from 3,075 square metres to 26,277 square metres, and the presence of craters excavated by detonated mines provided Abu Gamul villagers with potent reminders of their lethal force



