Survival International on Wednesday called on Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, to step down from the board of African Parks, saying the charity had not solved the problems exposed by the group’s own admission of severe abuse against Indigenous people in the Republic of the Congo.
The campaign group said it was outrageous that Harry continued to back African Parks after rangers committed abuses against the Baka, including rape and beatings. Harry, who attended a fundraising event in Scottsdale, Arizona, this week, became affiliated with the conservation organization in 2016, moving from volunteer work into the role of president before being formally appointed to its board in 2023.
African Parks manages national parks across 13 countries in Central, Southern, East and West Africa, giving the dispute weight well beyond one reserve in Congo. In May 2025, the organization admitted that its eco-guards had committed severe human rights abuses in Odzala-Kokoua National Park and said an independent investigation by law firm Omnia Strategy had exposed systemic failures. The full report has not been made public.
The admission landed after years of scrutiny over how the group operates across the continent, where it has positioned itself as a major conservation manager and is seeking to raise an additional $1 billion, or £743 million. In Chad, the government temporarily suspended African Parks’ management mandate over allegations of fraud, financial mismanagement and unexplained wildlife deaths before operations were later reinstated under pressure from international donors including the European Union.
Caroline Pearce, speaking for Survival International, said it was outrageous to see Harry’s continued support for African Parks despite the horrific human rights abuses committed by its rangers against the Baka. African Parks, for its part, says it has made substantial and sustained investment in human rights safeguards in Odzala-Kokoua, including a grievance and redress mechanism, three independent human rights NGO partners and an independent panel of African judges and human rights specialists to oversee complaints.
The organization also said in May 2025 that it would take action against staff members implicated in previously unknown incidents, or in cases not adequately dealt with before, where sufficient evidence is available. That pledge, together with the still-confidential investigation and the unresolved questions left by the Chad suspension, has kept pressure on the conservation group even after its public apology. For Harry, the issue is no longer about association alone; it is about whether his continued presence can be squared with the record now on the table.
