From Huambo to Kyiv: Diana’s Legacy and Harry’s Mission in a World Still Mined

In 1997, Princess Diana walked through a cleared path in a minefield in Huambo, Angola — clad in body armour and a visor, her presence igniting global outrage over the silent killers buried beneath war-torn soil. That moment helped catalyse the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel landmines. Twenty-eight years later, her son Prince Harry retraced those steps, not just symbolically, but as a patron of The HALO Trust, meeting Angola’s president and reaffirming support for a mine-free future.

But the world Diana hoped to demine remains dangerously littered. 

In Cambodia, where landmines from decades of conflict still maim civilians, clearance efforts continue. In Myanmar, the situation is worsening: the country now leads the world in landmine casualties, with over 1,000 civilian deaths and injuries in 2023 alone. The military’s use of banned mines — including in homes, farms, and even churches — has been labelled a war crime. Children are forced to act as human minesweepers, and flooding has displaced mines into IDP camps.

Libya, too, is haunted by its past. Since the withdrawal of forces from Tripoli in 2020, at least 130 civilians have been killed by mines and unexploded ordnance. Mines hidden in toys, toilets, and saucepans continue to injure children, with over 400 casualties since 2019. Despite international condemnation, clearance remains slow, and vast areas of farmland and residential zones are still unsafe.

Ukraine presents a new and complex chapter. Once a signatory to the Ottawa Treaty, Kyiv withdrew in June 2025 amid escalating Russian aggression and widespread use of mines by both sides. With over 174,000 square kilometres contaminated, Ukraine is now the most mined country on Earth. Mines have crippled agriculture, displaced millions, and left thousands of civilians dead or injured. The HALO Trust alone has cleared over 36,000 explosive devices since 2022, but full demining is projected to cost $37 billion and take decades.

Harry’s return to Angola isn’t just a tribute — it’s a reminder. The legacy of landmines spans continents and generations. From the jungles of Cambodia to the deserts of Libya, from Myanmar’s villages to Ukraine’s fields, the buried remnants of war continue to kill long after the fighting ends.

Diana’s walk was a call to conscience. Harry’s mission is a call to action. The world must not only remember — it must respond. Because every mine cleared is a life saved, a child protected, a community restored.

In 2025, Finland became the fifth European nation to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, joining Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland. Citing national defence needs and Russia’s aggressive use of mines in Ukraine, Finnish lawmakers voted 157–18 in favour of reintroducing landmines as a defensive tool suited to Finland’s rugged terrain. While the move sparked internal dissent within the Social Democratic Party, the government pledged continued support for humanitarian demining abroad. This reversal marks a significant shift in European disarmament norms, raising concerns about treaty erosion and the future of mine-free zones.

Meanwhile, Belgium continues its century-long “Iron Harvest,” recovering over 150 metric tons of unexploded ordnance (UXO) annually from World War I battlefields near Ypres and Flanders. Farmers routinely uncover shells, grenades, and chemical weapons during harvests, with bomb disposal teams operating daily. In Laos, the legacy of the Vietnam War remains deadly: over 80 million cluster bomblets failed to detonate, contaminating 25% of villages. UXO Lao and APOPO have cleared thousands of hectares, but at current rates, full clearance could take decades. 

The Falkland Islands, by contrast, declared themselves mine-free in 2020 after a UK-funded operation removed 30,000 mines laid during the 1982 conflict—a rare success story in global demining.

The Falklands a contrast to the Devil's Garden of miles of Libyan and Egyptian desert of WW2 era minefields.

Finland’s 2025 exit from the Ottawa Treaty might signal strategic resolve, but the landmines it seeks to reintroduce are already eclipsed by 21st-century warfare. AI, drones, and precision-guided systems dominate the battlefield, while static explosives increasingly hinder mobility—even for defenders. Finland’s own defence analysts warn that legacy mines may slow friendly advances more than deter invaders.

Contrast this with Asia and Africa, where demining accelerates via innovation and inclusion. Cambodia cleared over 93 km² in 2024 thanks to drone surveying, AI detection, and ASEAN-backed upskilling. Mozambique deploys flail vehicles like the Hydrema 910MCV, while Bosnia uses remotely operated systems and mechanical rollers to recover mine-contaminated farmland. Laos pairs APOPO's mine-sniffing rats with metal-detecting drones, mapping out UXO zones across 25% of its territory.

The UK, once steeped in mine-laying doctrine, now funds demining in Libya, Iraq, and Lebanon — linking historical responsibility to modern remedy. British legacy vehicles, including WWII-era Hobart’s Funnies like the Churchill Crab and AVRE, pioneered battlefield clearance and still inspire today’s tracked solutions.

As Africa and Asia unearth buried threats with advanced tools and local expertise, the global South moves forward — while Finland re-embraces outdated dangers. The future of warfare isn’t buried. It’s being cleared.

Across Asia and Africa, ASEAN nations are pivoting toward green jobs and digital upskilling to counteract landmine-related displacement and economic stagnation. Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam face ongoing UXO threats, while Mozambique and Bosnia still contend with millions of buried mines. Bosnia alone has over 800 km² of contaminated land and more than 1,800 post-war casualties since 1996. ASEAN’s Green Jobs Forum and regional TVET initiatives aim to equip workers with future-ready skills, balancing mine clearance with inclusive development. 

The challenge now is to align humanitarian demining with economic resilience—ensuring that land once feared becomes land that feeds.

Top Nations by Landmine & Explosive Remnant Deaths (2023)

Country	Total Casualties	Estimated Deaths	Notes
Myanmar	1,003	~430	Highest global total; extensive new mine use by military
Syria	933	~380	Third year as top casualty nation; widespread contamination
Afghanistan	651	~270	Legacy mines + new ERW incidents
Ukraine	580	~240	Massive new contamination from war; 13 mine types used
Yemen	499	~210	Post-conflict mines still killing civilians
Nigeria	343	~140	Improvised mines used by armed groups
Burkina Faso	308	~125	Sahel region mine use rising
Mali	174	~70	ERW and improvised mines in conflict zones
Ethiopia	106	~45	Tigray region contamination
Iraq	102	~40	Legacy mines + new ERW incidents

Civilians made up 84% of all casualties globally, with children accounting for 37%.

Global Totals (2023)

• Total casualties: 5,757

• Estimated deaths: 2,426

• Countries affected: 55

• Most common devices: Improvised mines (32%), factory-made mines (11%), ERW (20%)