Conservation Charity Linked to Prince Harry Acknowledges Human Rights Violations

Amid controversy, African Parks, a major conservation charity associated with Prince Harry, has conceded to human rights violations by its rangers in Congo-Brazzaville, following an independent review. The detailed findings remain undisclosed, fueling concerns from human rights advocates.

A significant conservation organization affiliated with Prince Harry, African Parks, has publicly acknowledged that human rights violations were perpetrated by its rangers in Congo-Brazzaville. This revelation follows allegations made by members of the Baka community, who accused rangers of acts including beating, waterboarding, and sexual assault to restrict their access to ancestral forests designated as conservation areas.

An independent review commissioned by African Parks explored these claims; however, the charity has kept the results private. Instead, it released a statement admitting to human rights abuses occurring within the Odzala-Kokoua National Park, which it manages. While full details of the abuses remain undisclosed, the review was conducted by Omnia Strategy LLP, a London-based law firm led by Cherie Blair, and has been investigating the alleged abuses since December.

The BBC has attempted to obtain comments from both Omnia and legal representatives involved in the inquiry but received no additional information beyond the initial statement. Similarly, a request for comment from Prince Harry has gone unanswered.

In response to criticism, African Parks claims to have enhanced its safeguarding protocols over the past five years, both in Odzala-Kokoua and at an institutional level. New measures include hiring an anthropologist to better support the Baka communities and collaborating with local human rights organizations for community assistance. The charity also plans to conduct an independent human rights impact assessment.

Survival International, an advocacy group for indigenous rights which initially flagged the issue to Prince Harry, denounced African Parks for not disclosing the review findings. They emphasized that past commitments to enhance reporting and staffing have not curtailed severe abuses and violations of international human rights standards, evidenced over more than a decade of awareness.

The allegations against African Parks initially surfaced in the previous year, leading the charity to state that it had reached out to Survival International for further details; however, Survival insisted on protecting its sources from potential reprisals.

African Parks, which operates from Johannesburg, ranks among Africa's largest conservation charities, managing 23 protected areas across 13 nations. With Prince Harry having served on its board since 2016, he transitioned to a director role in 2023. The charity enjoys substantial backing from influential donors, including the European Union and various wealthy philanthropists, and reported receiving over $500,000 (£375,000) annually in its latest annual report.