Prince Harry visited Angola this week, meeting with President João Lourenço to discuss demining efforts. This marks nearly three decades since his mother, Princess Diana, visited the country and advocated for landmine clearance. In 1997, Diana’s visit helped mobilize public opinion against landmines, which had been used extensively in the bloody fight for independence from Portugal.
Following her visit, an international treaty ban on landmines was implemented just months before her death in August 1997. However, many Angolan people were still affected by these deadly devices, with around 88,000 casualties reported by the HALO Trust.
In 2019, Harry retraced his mother’s footsteps along a minefield in Huambo, and in September of that year, he met with landmine survivors to learn about their experiences. One survivor recalled how her eight-year-old nephew was killed while playing football, and her son suffered severe injuries after stepping on a landmine.
Harry’s visit is part of his continued efforts to support demining work, with the HALO Trust stating that he expressed his intention to continue supporting their work for another three years.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/16/africa/prince-harry-angola-landmines-princess-diana-intl