August 1997-August 2020, 27 years after the demise of Lady Diana; what impact for Africa’s Peace and Development?
Arguably the mother of philanthropic causes, the extraordinary life of princess Diana remains unequivocally exemplary to the world. Her efforts in raising humanitarian concerns pertaining to matters of Africa and the world at large did not “only humanized the British monarchy, but captured the world’s attention” admitted The Time.
After her tragic death, the best place for her family to find solace was the place where she sought to establish solace the most – Africa. “My dad told my brother and me to pack our bags — we were going to Africa to get away from it all,” says Prince Harry to Town and Country. The symbolic connection that Lady Diana has with Africa is demonstrated in her humanitarian concerns and availability all over Africa.
Through her countless visits to Africa, her tours around Africa and her presence in significant occasions, she determinedly countered the stigma surrounding leprosy patients by touching them. Her quest to eradicate polio and her great support for rehabilitation is evident in the multiple relations she had with Red Cross and other related Organizations. Attending a Rural Women’s Fair in Lagos, Nigeria, illustrates her demonstrable concern for women in Africa. Likewise, her visit to hospital victims in Bamenda, Cameroon simply defines her passionate worry for humanity. One of the most robust condemnation she led through typical leadership is her walk through a landmine in Angola in an effort to stridently, yet basically, highlight its danger. Her mission didn’t stop there, she intensely changed the perception of Aids in Africa through subtle awareness by touching and sitting with Aid patients, it was for this dramatic effort that she was complimented by Nelson Mandela. Until today, princess Diana will always be remembered for her commitment to Africa’s growth and Development. “From destroying landmines to shattering the stigma against AIDS and leprosy victims, the People’s Princess was committed to helping the country” Rachel Chang reports.
Twenty years after her demise, her family, in keeping up with her legacy, is still actively engaged in humanitarian services across Africa. In 2017, her youngest son Prince Harry spent three weeks in Malawi where he participated in “the most momentous human-engineered migration of wildlife in history—a Big Bang of 21st-century conservation.” In a speech he gave in the same year, he pronounced his mission to continue to work with the Halo Trust to successfully achieve the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty, lack of which results to too many African communities remaining “shackled in a cycle of poverty and fear” he said.
Twenty-three years after, polio is no longer endemic in Nigeria, announced WHO. South Africa has successfully destroyed and defeated the operation of landmines, admitted Mandela. Aids and Leprosy have gained continual awareness and sensitization in Africa (and around the globe) for lack of discrimination and maximum inclusion of the patients. The latest Global Leprosy Update by WHO indicates that the rate of new case detection is 1.93 with 0.21 prevalence in Africa – a remarkable achievement. Her campaign for a worldwide ban on landmines successfully impacted on Angola which has destroyed over a 100,000 by 1994. The few left (about 1200) pioneers Prince Harry’s mission of an Angola free of landmines by 2025. How much then is the price of her humanitarian commitment in Africa today?
Today, peace and development in Africa is far-fetched. Nigeria is torn between corrupt leaders and Biafran secessionists. Northern Nigeria has long been infested with bandits, kidnnapers and terrorists. Somalia continues to struggle with civil war. The crises in South Sudan has ravaged and crippled any possible peace and development achievable for the Sudanese. Insecurity, cross border conflicts, corruption and lack of political commitment, failed state resulting from incompetence, geographical disparities etc. contribute to the agencies that hinder the attainment of absolute peace and development in Africa as desired by princess Diana.
As we reach her twenty-third death anniversary today, it is of utmost importance that African leaders be cognizant of the setbacks challenging African countries. To fulfill Lady Diana’s earnest wishes for Africa, we must unite and work towards attaining an everlasting peace and development for the betterment of all.
