Prince Harry’s African charity, called African Parks, has been linked to numerous human rights abuses carried out by park rangers.
African Parks Issued A Formal Apology To The Victims
The Duke of Sussex was President of the charity from 2017 until 2023, when he was promoted to the governing board of directors.
An investigation conducted by the Mail, in January of last year, discovered evidence of abuse in the rainforest by guards working for the conservation organization who subjected indigenous people to a bevy of crimes, including rape, torture and beatings.
The charity admitted to these abuses that took place in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park, which African Parks manages.
These findings are a fresh blow to Harry after his Sentable charity became immersed in scandal when he resigned from the board, along with co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lethoso. The board of trustees also quit.
Chairwoman Sophie Chandauka accused Harry of harassment and bullying, which he vehemently denied.
African Parks issued a formal apology and claimed to “deeply regret the pain and suffering” perpetrated on the victims.
The Duke of Sussex is said to be heavily involved in the changes the charity will need to make. The crimes were inflicted on the Baka people, who were indigenous to the area.
The park rangers intended to stop the Baka from entering the forests where they foraged, hunted, fished, and found medicines to heal their people for centuries.
One woman’s testimony told of her being raped by an armed guard while clinging to her newborn child. She said the guard ordered her to the ground, ripped off her clothes, and raped her in the pitch-black night, ignoring her screams and her baby’s helpless cries.
Prince Harry’s Charity Is Keeping The Review Of These Abuses Private
A teenage boy said that he was groomed for paid sex by another guard. A community activist told of a man who was beaten and jailed without receiving proper treatment for his injuries.
One Baka man said,
“The forest was left to us by our parents and ancestors. Everything we have is found in the forest; our food, our medicine. We suffer so much without it. They are destroying our heritage and our people.”
African Parks launched an independent review, and the charity has now admitted that human rights abuses have occurred at the park. There is some outrage that the findings have not been made public.
Charity Survival International, which promotes the rights of indigenous people, has raised concerns about the abuse of the Baka people.
Caroline Pearce, the director, criticized African Park’s decision to keep their review of these abuses private.
“The root of the problem, which the investigation did not address, is that African Parks continues to cling to a racist and colonial model of conservation, which kicks out the indigenous people whose land it is, while outsiders take control. As long as this is the case, the Baka will continue to face abuses and the destruction of livelihoods,”
She explained.
African Parks has managed the park since 2010, when it signed a twenty-five-year deal with the Congolese government.
This is the second time in the past couple of months that Prince Harry has been engulfed in a scandal involving his African charities.
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