The Duke of Sussex walked through a minefield and delivered vital safety lessons to children in a remote Angolan village on Wednesday, following in the footsteps of his mother's famous 1997 campaign against the deadly weapons.
Prince Harry visited families living near Africa's largest minefield as part of The Halo Trust's community outreach programme.
He taught children simple Portuguese phrases, including "stop, go back and tell your elders," to help prevent them from accidentally detonating devices left from the civil war that ended in 2002.
The visit to Cuito Cuanavale highlighted the ongoing danger faced by communities nearly three decades after Princess Diana brought global attention to Angola's landmine crisis.
The Halo Trust
|Prince Harry followed in his mother's footsteps as he walked a minefield during his trip to Angola
"Children should never have to live in fear of playing outside or walking to school. Here in Angola, over three decades later, the remnants of war still threaten lives every day," Prince Harry said during his visit.
The Duke continued: "The Angolan government’s continued commitment is a powerful testament to Halo's success in saving lives and reducing humanitarian risk.
"We thank President Lourenço for his leadership and partnership, as well as continued donor support as we work together towards completing the mission of a landmine-free country," he added.
On Tuesday, the Duke met with President João Lourenço in Luanda to discuss Angola's renewed commitment to clearing the country's remaining minefields.
The Halo Trust
|The Duke was in the central African nation for The Halo Trust to observe efforts rid the country of landmines
The meeting focused on a new three-year contract between the Angolan government and The Halo Trust.
It reinforced Angola's position as Halo's largest single donor in the country, marking a significant step forward in de-mining efforts.
Following the presidential meeting, Prince Harry attended a British Embassy reception where he engaged with business leaders about the importance of continued partnerships in humanitarian work.
This renewed commitment builds on support first highlighted during the Duke's 2019 visit to Angola, when he retraced his mother's path.
GETTY
|Harry's mother, Princess Diana, similarly walked an Angolan minefield in 1997
James Cowan, The Halo Trust's CEO, delivered a glowing tribute to the success of the visit.
"It was an honour to have an audience with His Excellency President Lourenço today alongside Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, to discuss Halo's continued demining efforts in Angola," he began.
Cowan thanked the Angolan leader for his "extraordinary dedication to and investment in the vision of a mine-free country", adding that President Lourenço "expressed his intention to continue to support our work with a further significant contract for the next three years".
"Our partnership is, and we are grateful to President Lourenço for his leadership on this critical issue," the statement concluded.
The Halo Trust
|Harry also led a vital safety lesson to children of a nearby village on mine safety
The Halo Trust has cleared more than 120,000 landmines and 100,000 bombs from Angola since beginning operations in 1994, making safe an area equivalent to nearly 7,000 football pitches.
Despite this progress, over 1,000 minefields remain to be cleared across the country.
At least 60,000 people have been killed or injured by landmines in Angola since 2008, though the actual number is likely higher.
In the past five years alone, at least 80 Angolans have lost their lives to these devices.
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The Halo Trust
|The Duke visited Angola solo, owed to security fears for his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two young children
Remaining minefields include areas around the strategically important Lobito Corridor railway and the World Heritage site of the Okavango headwaters, which provides water for over one million people.
The Duke of Sussex arrived in the Central African nation on Monday, having travelled without his wife and children due to safety concerns.
A source told the Daily Mail: "The duke won't let his wife go to England over security concerns, so there was no chance he'd allow her to go to Angola to walk across landmines."
Harry retraced his mother's steps by walking across explosive landmine sites, echoing Princess Diana's famous visit to Angola 28 years ago for the same charity.