Cambodia, APOPO Launch EU-Backed Drive to Clear Cluster Munitions Along Border

Phnom Penh, October 27, 2026: Cambodia's demining authority and international partner APOPO have launched a new European Union-funded project aimed at accelerating the survey and clearance of cluster munitions and unexploded ordnance in the Kingdom's border provinces.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed at CMAC Central Headquarters in Phnom Penh by APOPO Cambodia Country Director Michael Raine and a CMAC representative. The project, "Supporting Stability and Recovery in Cambodia's Border Provinces Through Accelerated Survey and Clearance of Cluster Munitions and Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)," runs for 18 months from October 2026 to March 2028, backed by a 1,600,000-euro grant—around $1,800,000—from the EU.

APOPO has worked alongside CMAC on mine and explosive remnants of war clearance since 2014. The partnership has helped free land from explosive threats—particularly in areas hit by Thai cluster munitions in 2025 that struck residential areas and farmland—while building technical capacity and demining operations, including the use of mine-detection dogs and rats in humanitarian missions.

Photo: H.E Heng Ratana
Officials said the project will directly support the restoration of socio-economic activity in affected regions, improve community safety and create favourable conditions for sustainable development, underlining the importance of cooperation between CMAC and international partners in tackling war remnants that still endanger citizens.

Under the agreement, both organisations pledged to maintain close cooperation, drawing on their skills, experience and technical capabilities to speed up safe and efficient clearance and surveys—contributing to protecting lives, rebuilding communities and strengthening human security along Cambodia's border.

Source: H.E Heng Ratana, Director of Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC)

Reported by The Khmer Daily Network