Prince Harry “irritated” by lack of effort to clear landmines

Prince Harry is reportedly “irritated” that some nations which have provided landmines in Africa are not providing help or assistance with the clearance effort.

These revelations were made by the head of the Halo Trust, one of Prince Harry’s charities, and came after the prince had journeyed to Angola to see the charity mine’s clearance operation.

The prince paid a visit to Cuito Cuanavale, the town believed to be the most largely mined in Africa after their civil war, in order to meet people whom the charity’s work would be benefitting.

A statement was issued by Kensington Palace in which Prince Harry expressed his enthusiasm to help the Halo Trust in any way that he could. The charity was strongly supported by the Prince’s late mother Princess Diana, and Prince Harry is now the patron of its 25^th appeal.

The chief executive of the Halo Trust, Guy Willoughby, said that Prince Harry “is irritated about the countries that supplied these landmines are not actually putting in any funds to clear them 25 years later. He has got quite a bee in his bonnet and that is good”.

He added: “The commitment shown by Prince Harry plays an invaluable role in helping us to raise awareness of Halo’s work and mission. He is technically very competent but he’s also very good with dealing with the people, the villagers, the de- miners and he understands the big issue, even the political issue. Wars may be over but many people are still unable to resume their normal lives, facing the threat of death or injury by landmines every day.”    

Thousands of residents in the country have been injured or killed as a result of landmines. Mr Willoughby said that good progress was being made, with the province of Humbao now almost mine-free. However there are still 19 years of work that need to be done across the country to complete solve the problem.

Molly Kersey