Prince Harry Requested to Resign From African Parks Board of Directors Amid Eco-Rangers Scandal

Horrifying evidence of intimidation by guards employed and paid by the African Parks charity has been found in the rainforests of the Congo, according to an investigation published in The Mail on Sunday. Due to allegations of abuse and rape by rangers, Prince Harry, who has been associated with African Parks since 2016, has been requested to resign from the board of directors.

According to The Times, in May 2023, while Prince Harry was president, Survival International, a human rights organization based in London that works to defend and protect the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples, wrote to him to express concerns about the abuse that the Baka people were suffering at the hands of armed guards employed by African Parks.

Additionally, Eyaya, a Baka man, submitted to the Duke of Sussex a video message in which he said, “The eco-guards are stopping us from going into the forest. I’d like whoever is sending all these people here to hear what it’s like. I want the person who is in charge of the eco-guards and gives them their orders to hear this. Now there is only torture in the forest.” Prince Harry “responded within a fortnight with an initially sympathetic letter, promising to escalate the concerns to the most senior ranks of the organization, including the chief executive, Peter Fearnhead.” 

Survival International's head of campaigns, Fiore Longo stated that the organization had not heard back from them and that the Duke of Sussex's appointment to the board of directors was depressing. “He said he took it seriously, but it didn’t achieve the change we had hoped to see. Then, very disappointingly, we learned that Harry had joined the board of directors,” said Longo. “We hope that his stepping down from the board of directors will give a clear signal to this organization that human rights abuses in the name of conservation are not tolerated anymore,” he added. 

As per People, African Parks released an official statement on its website saying, “African Parks has a zero-tolerance policy for any form of abuse and is committed to upholding the rights of local and indigenous people. Allegations of misconduct are thoroughly investigated and acted on, and all of our parks are managed with a central philosophy of awareness, sensitivity, and commitment to upholding the rights of local people."

“We are aware of the serious allegations regarding human rights abuses by eco-guards against local people living adjacent to Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Republic of Congo, which have recently received media attention. We became aware of these allegations last year via a Board Member who received a letter from Survival International,” the remarks went on, mentioning Prince Harry.

“We immediately launched an investigation through an external law firm based on the information we had available, while also urging Survival International to provide any and all facts they had. It’s unfortunate that they have chosen not to cooperate, despite repeated requests, and we continue to ask for their assistance,” the statement said. “This is an active, ongoing investigation that is our highest priority as an organization, and we encourage anyone with knowledge of any abuses to report them to us or to the Congolese law enforcement authorities which will assist with the investigation and ensure that the perpetrators of any abuses are brought to justice."