Prince Harry quits board of wildlife charity after rangers’ human rights abuses

A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex, pictured at a national park in Malawi in 2019, said his commitment to conservation in Africa continued. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PAView image in fullscreenA spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex, pictured at a national park in Malawi in 2019, said his commitment to conservation in Africa continued. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PAPrince HarryPrince Harry quits board of wildlife charity after rangers’ human rights abusesSpokesperson for Duke of Sussex says he remains an ‘active and avid supporter’ of African Parks’ mission

Prefer the Guardian on GoogleThe Duke of Sussex has stepped down from the board of a major African wildlife charity that had been at the centre of a human rights controversy.

Prince Harry’s spokesperson confirmed he was no longer a trustee of African Parks, which admitted last year that human rights abuses were committed by its rangers in the Republic of the Congo.

The charity’s admission followed an independent review into allegations made by members of the Baka community.

In a 2024 report published by the Mail on Sunday newspaper, community members accused African Parks rangers of beating, waterboarding and raping locals to stop them from accessing their ancestral forests, which are now in a conservation area.

After the review, African Parks published a statement acknowledging that human rights abuses occurred in the Odzala-Kokoua national park, which it manages. It said that it had improved its safeguarding processes both at the park and institutionally.

A spokesperson for Harry said the duke, who was president of the charity for six years before he became a member of its board of directors in 2023, remained an active and avid supporter of African Parks.

“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.”

Survival International, a global human rights charity that campaigns for the rights of Indigenous people, had called on Harry to step down as a member of the board.

Caroline Pearce, the executive director of Survival International, said it was “outrageous that for 10 years Prince Harry has served African Parks” while people working for it had “been responsible for abuse and violence against Indigenous people. His departure doesn’t undo that record — African Parks itself must now be held accountable, and must abandon this model of fortress conservation for good.”

Founded 26 years ago, African Parks manages more than 20m hectares (50m acres) in partnership with 13 African governments and hundreds of local communities.

African Parks expressed “deep gratitude” to the duke on concluding his tenure after his 10-year commitment to the organisation.

“His relationship with the organisation dates back to Malawi in July 2016, when he supported one of the largest elephant translocations in history. He served as president for six years before being appointed a member of the board of directors,” it said.

“Over the years, the duke has brought global attention to the urgent need for biodiversity protection for the benefit of people and wildlife, and has contributed greatly to promoting philanthropy for the cause of conservation in Africa. The duke remains deeply committed to this cause, and remains a strong supporter of African Parks’ work.”

The announcement comes as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are due to relocate to the UK from California with their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five.

Former Suits star Meghan is said to be pursuing an acting role, with reports she has been in talks about a role in the third series of Guy Ritchie’s Netflix hit The Gentlemen, swiftly followed by other reports that the deal was off.

The couple are understood to be planning an “extended stay” in the UK, and their children are already enrolled in school, but it has not been confirmed for how long.