Prince Harry alone in Angola: Fighting landmines 20 years after Diana

Prince Harry alone in Angola: Fighting landmines 20 years after Diana

Prince Harry took a solo trip to Angola on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, while his wife Meghan stays at home due to security concerns. The purpose of the visit is to raise awareness of the ongoing problem of landmines and to raise funds. Harry is following the example of his late mother, Princess Diana, who raised global awareness of the dangers of landmines during a similar visit in 1997. According to reports in the British Daily Mail, Harry plans to visit dangerous minefields with the aid organization Halo Trust and thus raise public awareness of the situation in Angola.

The security situation is so worrying that not only can Meghan not travel, but Harry won't even let her travel to England because of the circumstances. A study source reports that Harry prefers to keep his activities with the Halo Trust to himself. Interestingly, the visit comes shortly after a private conversation between Harry's advisers and a senior aide to King Charles, bringing into focus the ongoing reconciliation goals between Harry and his father. In particular, the king's cancer diagnosis last year strained relationships within the royal family and gave new impetus to discussions.

The ongoing dangers of landmines in Angola

A central aspect of Harry's journey is the alarming situation that continues to exist 20 years after Diana's historic trip to Angola. The aid organization HALO Trust reports that landmines and other explosive remnants continue to harm civilians and hinder development in Angola and 63 other countries. Tragic incidents such as the killing of eight members of a family near Kuito in 2016 by an anti-personnel mine highlight the risks facing the population. In addition, children in Huambo City were victims of unexploded shells just five kilometers from where Diana visited.

HALO has cleared over 92,000 landmines and 162,000 explosive munitions in Angola since Diana's visit on January 15, 1997. However, there are still 630 minefields in the eight provinces where HALO operates, and potentially more than 1,000 nationwide. Progress in demining in Angola is slower than in other affected countries such as Mozambique, which was declared mine-free in 2015. James Cowan, CEO of HALO, emphasizes the urgency not to ignore Angola and to step up demining efforts.

Global challenges and future prospects

The situation in Angola is part of a larger global problem affecting 64 states and territories. Estimates of the total number of landmine casualties in Angola vary between 23,000 and 80,000, highlighting the scale of the challenge. International support for demining projects has declined sharply, resulting in HALO having to reduce the number of demining teams from 1,200 to 250, while many trained deminers are unemployed.

While Harry's trip maintains Shell's focus and commitment to the fight against landmines, it remains to be seen what long-term impact his efforts will have on the situation in Angola and the global fight against landmines. Discussions within the royal family about reconciliation and shared commitment could help ensure that awareness and action against this humanitarian crisis does not fall into the background.

Further information on this topic can be found at Freenet and HALO Trust.