The US State Department Mozambique’s recently announced that Mozambique’s 670km long railway line, Sena Railway, which has not been used for 20 years, has been cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance laid in 1984 by insurgents during Mozambique’s civil war.

The railway connects Mozambique’s main port city, Beira, with its resource-rich interior. The US State Department should know – they have invested $13 million in the clearance project, which took just over two years to complete. The Government of Mozambique believes that once operational, the railway will enable the country to tap into its valuable resources such as gold, copper and diamonds. There is no indication when trains may start running again.