When Princess Diana walked across an active minefield in Angola in January 1997, it was the start of a journey she pledged to see through to the end—ridding the country of all landmine threats and raising awareness for landmine victims.
The images of the Princess of Wales walking through Huambo’s minefield remain iconic to this day, and their impact meant the beginning of the end of the threat of munitions in the country. Eighteen months after her death, a treaty signed by 133 countries was introduced to ban the weapons.
Today, twenty-two years after his mother’s visit, the Duke of Sussex put on the same body armor and protective visor as Diana to walk through a partially-cleared minefield near the southeastern town of Dirico. “It’s a mission that Harry wants to fulfill,” a senior palace aide tells BAZAAR.com.
Pool/Samir Hussein//Getty ImagesPrince Harry walks through a minefield in Dirico, Angola on September 27, 2019.
Calling landmines an “unhealed scar of war,” Harry later told reporters and members of The HALO Trust—a charity devoted to removing landmines from war-affected areas, and one of Harry's patronages since 2013—that the urgency to help communities in the country find true peace, and begin growth, is as important as ever.
“With peace comes opportunity,” he said. “Additionally, we can protect the diverse and unique wildlife that relies on the beautiful Kuito river that I slept beside last night. That river and those wildlife are your natural assets and, if looked after, will bring you unlimited opportunities in the conservation-led economy.”
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Harry said that an international effort to clear remaining landmines from the Okavango watershed is still vital to help the country move forward from the civil war that ended in 2002. “It is fitting that this project starts in Dirico, at the convergence of the two rivers that flow from Angola's islands down to the Okavango Delta. These two rivers provide water and life to over a million people downstream and an essential and incredibly delicate habitat for an abundance of wildlife.”
He continued, “Just as these rivers extend for miles, so must this project extend far beyond Dirico. Outside the national parks, large parts of this crucial watershed also need to be cleared of landmines. Clearing the full watershed will take an international effort. Everyone who recognizes the priceless importance of safeguarding Africa's most intact natural landscape should commit fully to this mission.”
The HALO Trust CEO James Cowan tells BAZAAR that the visit not only acknowledges Diana’s legacy but also sees Harry “picking up the baton” to continue her vision of a world free of mines. Director of Strategy Camille Wallen adds, “This is a very significant moment. He’s helping to not only remind the world that landmines aren’t a thing of the past, but decades after conflict they remain in the ground and continue to threaten people’s lives.”
Pool/Samir Hussein//Getty Images
Prior to walking through the minefield, which the charity hopes to have completely cleared by October, Harry was given a safety briefing, where he was warned not to stray from the cleared path—lined with “Danger mines!” signs—touch anything, or run. He also assisted in setting off a controlled explosion of a decades-old anti-personnel mine.
Later in the day, Prince Harry will visit the exact site his mother walked in Huambo, which is now a thriving area with two schools, small businesses, shops, and a community that can enjoy life without fear.
The 35-year-old royal has long worked worked alongside The HALO Trust, supporting the organization as they expanded into 10 provinces of Angola and, to date, destroyed almost 100,000 landmines since 1994. There are 1,104 know minefields remaining in Angola.
The @SussexRoyal Instagram account today posted a quote by Princess Diana from her 1997 visit, saying, “If an international ban on mines can be secured it means, looking far ahead, that the world may be a safer place for this generation's grandchildren.”
Omid Scobie is BAZAAR.com’s Royal Editor at Large and has covered the lives and philanthropic work of the younger members of the British Royal Family for over eight years. As well as spearheading exclusive coverage of major royal milestones (including the weddings of both the Cambridges and Sussexes), Scobie has traveled extensively with Harry, Meghan, William and Kate on their engagements in the U.K. and around the world. As ABC News’s Royal Contributor, Scobie is a regular on Good Morning America and host of the network’s forthcoming podcast, The Heir Pod.
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