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The Duke of Sussex has visited Angola to discuss landmine clearance efforts with the country's president, continuing his mother's legacy in the fight against the deadly weapons. Prince Harry met with President Joao Lourenco alongside representatives from the Halo Trust, a charity he serves as patron.
The landmine clearance charity said President Lourenco "expressed his intention to continue to support our work" during the high-level meeting. The discussion focused on the ongoing efforts to rid Angola of the buried munitions that continue to pose a threat to civilians.
Presidential commitment secured
James Cowan, chief executive of the Halo Trust, described the meeting as "an honour" and thanked the president for his "extraordinary dedication to and investment in the vision of a mine-free country". President Lourenco committed to supporting the charity's work with "a further significant contract for the next three years".
The visit echoes Prince Harry's previous trip to Angola in 2019, when he donned body armour and a protective visor to set off a controlled explosion in a partially cleared minefield. He was highlighting the ongoing threat of landmines in the same nation his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, had visited in 1997.
Following Diana's footsteps
Diana's 1997 visit to Angola became one of her most iconic humanitarian missions, just months before she died in a car crash. Wearing a protective visor and vest, she walked through a minefield being cleared by the Halo Trust in the south-west African country.
The Princess of Wales spoke out against the sale and use of landmines and famously called for an international ban on the weapons. Her images in body armour and a mask gave the anti-landmine campaign global recognition and helped drive international efforts to ban the weapons.
Continuing the mission
During his 2019 trip, Prince Harry delivered a call to action to help rid the world of landmines and suggested Angola's problem would likely have been solved if his mother had lived. The Duke of Sussex has continued to champion the cause through his patronage of the Halo Trust.
Cowan said the partnership between the charity and Angola is "strengthened and renewed" following the latest meeting. He expressed gratitude to President Lourenco "for his leadership on this critical issue" as the country works towards becoming mine-free.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
