PRINCE HARRY VISITS MOZAMBIQUE MINEFIELD

THIRTEEN YEARS AFTER DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES DREW THE WORLD'S ATTENTION TO THE HORRORS OF LAND MINES, PRINCE HARRY HAS REKINDLED HER LEGACY WITH A VISIT TO A MINEFIELD IN MOZAMBIQUE. THE PRINCE SPENT TWO DAYS LEARNING ABOUT THE WORK OF THE HALO TRUST, THE SAME BRITISH CHARITY THAT THE PRINCESS SO FAMOUSLY VISITED IN ANGOLA EIGHT MONTHS BEFORE HER DEATH. PRINCE HARRY IS ACUTELY AWARE OF THE CONTROVERSY THAT SURROUNDED HIS MOTHER'S VISIT TO AFRICA IN JANUARY 1997, WHEN THE THEN JUNIOR DEFENSE MINISTER EARL HOWE DERIDED THE PRINCESS AS A LOOSE CANNON MEDDLING IN GOVERNMENT POLICY. BOTH HE AND HIS BROTHER, PRINCE WILLIAM, HAVE MAINTAINED A CLOSE INTEREST IN THE CHARITY'S WORK, AND HAVE WANTED TO VISIT THE MINEFIELDS 'FOR YEARS', ACCORDING TO ONE ROYAL AIDE, WHO SAID THE TRIP WAS 'VERY MUCH AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PRINCE TO FOLLOW IN HIS MOTHER'S FOOTSTEPS.' THE PRIVATE VISIT TO THE CAHORA BASSA MINEFIELDS IN THE TETE PROVINCE WAS KEPT SECRET UNTIL THE PRINCE HAD LEFT MOZAMBIQUE, PARTLY BECAUSE OF FEARS IT WOULD OVERSHADOW THE OFFICIAL TOUR OF SOUTHERN AFRICA HE AND PRINCE WILLIAM UNDERTOOK LAST WEEK. AS WELL AS MEETING VICTIMS OF LANDMINE BLASTS, INCLUDING A 14 YEAR OLD BOY WHO LOST A LEG LAST YEAR, THE PRINCE WAS TAUGHT MINE-CLEARING TECHNIQUES AND PERSONALLY ATTACHED A DETONATOR TO A LIVE MINE BEFORE CARRYING OUT A CONTROLLED EXPLOSION FROM A SAFE DISTANCE. GUY WILLOUGHBY, FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF HALO, SAID: 'I WAS WITH HIM WHEN HE LAID THE CHARGE AND SET UP THE DETONATION. ONE OF THE DE-MINERS HAD FOUND AND CLEARED THE EDGE OF IT AND HARRY PLACED A SMALL CHARGE AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE MINE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES ABSOLUTE CONCENTRATION, RATHER LIKE THE CONCENTRATION I IMAGINE HE NEEDS AS A HELICOPTER PILOT. WE'RE DELIGHTED HE HAS COME OUT TO SUPPORT US. HIS MOTHER WAS BRILLIANT AT GETTING THE PROFILE OF THE RISK OF MINES GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED. PRINCE HARRY CLEARLY WISHES TO FOLLOW IN HER MAGNIFICENT EXAMPLE, AND BY COMING HERE HE HAS HELPED SHOW THERE IS STILL A REAL NEED FOR MINE CLEARANCE.' SINCE IT WAS SET UP IN 1988 HALO HAS CLEARED 13 MILLION MINES IN TEN COUNTRIES, AND ESTIMATES THAT IT COULD MAKE MOZAMBIQUE MINE-FREE IN FOUR YEARS IF IT RECEIVES ENOUGH FUNDS TO CLEAR THE 60-70,000 REMAINING DEVISES THAT WERE LAID DURING A CIVIL WAR MORE THAN 30 YEARS AGO.