Angola

When Angola's 27-year civil war ended in 2002, landmines and explosives littered fields, villages and towns, killing and injuring thousands. Some estimate that around 88,000 Angolans were casualties of landmines, although no precise number has ever been established.

At the end of 2024, just over 1,000 minefields covering an estimated 67km sq remained to be cleared in Angola.

In the southeast, Cuando Cubango is home to some of Angola's most complex and dangerous minefields, as well as some of the most historically significant battles from the Civil War. Importantly, the civilian accident rate in Cuando Cubango is high and mines there affect some of the country's most vulnerable people.

From 1994 to 2025 we have destroyed over 123,000 landmines in Angola. Initially we focused on removing landmines in regional capitals and towns, such as Huambo, which Princess Diana visited in 1997 and is now a thriving city. Entire provinces, including Huambo and Benguela, are now free from the impact of mines.

HALO's work in Angola has cleared and released back to the people the equivalent of almost 6,000 football pitches of land that can be used for growing crops, building schools and developing the country.

Key to Angola's development is the Lobito Corridor, a strategically important railway line and infrastructure zone running through the heart of Angola. Mine clearance along the railway is removing barriers to accessing the corridor, enabling investment in road and rail infrastructure.

The Corridor will serve as a route for exports serving the global switch to renewable energy, which has attracted international investment.

The Government of Angola's leadership on mine clearance has been transformational. Its unique commitment of $60 million to clear landmines in two national parks in the southeast of the country has led to investment in scientific research and conservation across the region.

This area is home to one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet with the potential to attract tourism and help secure Angola's wildlife as part of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area. None of this is possible while landmines remain in the ground.

In partnership with the Angolan police and military, we have also destroyed thousands of unwanted weapons and tons of ammunition, reducing the risk of armed violence or unplanned explosions. Finally, we keep people safe by teaching risk education – preventing devastating accidents until we can remove all the landmines and explosives for good.

HALO Angola has been the pioneer of female empowerment programmes in demining, growing from 3 per cent of staff in 2017 to 44 per cent in 2024. Filomena joined HALO after watching deminers clear mines from around her village in Benguela. She has risen through the organisation to become a Sub-Unit Commander, leading her own teams in the minefield. Her role gives her skills, status and a secure income, allowing her to support her two young daughters. 

In 1997, nobody had heard of the HALO Trust. Few people cared about landmines. Then the most famous woman in the world walked through a minefield being cleared by HALO in Angola. In this podcast episode we hear from Paul Heslop, the man charged with escorting Princess Diana and keeping her safe. A walk that highlighted the landmine problem to billions of people around the world.

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