Clearing the mines will enrich these lands for all of humanity
Countess Sophie, Letizia, Duchess Camilla, Maxima & Duchess Kate THE Duke of Sussex yesterday echoed his mother’s words by calling for action to clear Angola of landmines.
More than two decades after Diana famously walked through the south-west African country’s minefields, Harry delivered a speech urging leaders not to leave the work “half done”.
Backing a £ 47million landmine clearing initiative, Harry, 34, branded the explosives the “remnants of war” and said they are “a humanitarian issue not a political one”.
Last week, the Mirror exclusively revealed Harry and wife Meghan, 37, plan to visit Angola later this year to continue Diana’s work.
The visit will be part of their autumn tour.
Diana famously sly visited a minefield in the country with the landmine- e- clearing charity HALO Trust just months before her er death in 1997. The devices vices are left over from the he civil war that ravished d Angola for decades.
Images of Diana wearing protective tive gear in Huambo in central
Angola prompted ed global mine-clearing efforts. forts.
Harry, patron n of HALO Trust, spoke about ut the impact of Diana’s work as s he addressed Chatham House think-tank in London. He said: aid: “I was told just the other day of the positive transformation in Huambo since my mother walked that minefield all those years ago.
“What is less well known is the impact landmines can have on conservation and wildlife, and therefore the economy. This unique ecosystem is one of the great wildlife refuges of the world – enriching its b biodiversity for all of humanity.” Harry was speaking after Angola’s Environment Minister Paula Coelho p pledged £ 47million to fund H HALO Trust’s work.
The money will be used to c clear 153 minefields across a m major conservation area. Harry added: “My hope is th that through this collaboration m minefields can be cleared, land ca can be protected, wildlife can be free to return to where they once roamed.” roamed.
The royal also s spoke of “the importance of landmine lan clearance ance within a humanitarian h emergency b because land mines are a h humanitarian issue, not a po political one”. In recent years ye the prince has taken on Diana’s humanitaria humanitarian legacy in Africa. In 2013 2013, he followed in his mothe mother’s footsteps when he visited Angola with HALO Trust to me meet victims of landmine attacks and observe the organisatio organisation’s work to remove the munitions. m VOW Mirror last week. Inset, Harry yesterday