Prince Harry Steps Down from African Parks Board Amid Human Rights Controversy

Prince Harry has stepped down from the board of African Parks, a major wildlife conservation charity that faced scrutiny over human rights abuses committed by its rangers in the Republic of the Congo.

A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex confirmed he is no longer a trustee of the organization, which admitted last year that serious human rights violations occurred within the Odzala-Kokoua National Park managed by the charity.

The admission followed an independent review into allegations raised by members of the Baka indigenous community. In a 2024 report published by the Mail on Sunday, community members accused African Parks rangers of beating, waterboarding, and raping local inhabitants to block access to their ancestral forests, which are now part of a restricted conservation area.

Following the review, African Parks issued a statement acknowledging the human rights abuses and stating that it has significantly improved its safeguarding procedures both on the ground at the park and at an institutional level.

A spokesperson for Prince Harry stated that the duke, who served as president of the charity for six years before joining the board of directors in 2023, remains an active and avid supporter of the organization. “The duke is proud of his 10 years with African Parks and fully supports the ongoing strengthening of its board,” the spokesperson said. “His commitment to conservation in Africa continues, and he remains a supporter of African Parks’ mission.”

The move follows public calls for his resignation from Survival International, a global human rights organization advocating for indigenous peoples. Caroline Pearce, the executive director of Survival International, criticized the charity’s “fortress conservation” model, stating, “His

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