For a decade, Prince Harry lent his name and presence to African Parks, a conservation organization managing vast wilderness across the African continent — but beneath the celebrated mission of protecting wildlife lay a darker reality. In 2024, investigations revealed that the charity's rangers had subjected Indigenous Baka people in the Republic of Congo to beatings, waterboarding, and sexual violence in the name of guarding ancestral forests now enclosed within a national park. Harry has now stepped away from the board, a departure that raises enduring questions about who conservation truly
Prince Harry steps down from African Parks board amid ranger abuse scandal
Indigenous Baka community members were subjected to beatings, waterboarding, and sexual assault by African Parks rangers to prevent them from accessing ancestral forests.
You can't claim to support Indigenous rights while sitting on the board of an organization that's been documented harming Indigenous people.
Mark
Why did Harry stay on the board for so long after the abuses were documented?
Mimi
The timeline matters here. The abuses happened over years, but they weren't publicly exposed until 2024. Harry didn't join the board until 2023, so he came on after the worst of it, though before the world knew. Once the Mail on Sunday published the investigation, the pressure mounted quickly.
Mark
His statement says he remains an "active and avid supporter." Does that ring hollow given what happened?
Mimi
It depends on what you think support means. He's not walking away from conservation entirely—just from the formal role. But Survival International's point is sharper: you can't claim to support Indigenous rights while sitting on the board of an organization that's been documented harming Indigenous people. The statement tries to separate the mission from the method.
Mark
What is "fortress conservation" and why is it so controversial?
Mimi
It's the idea that you protect land by excluding people—by drawing a fence around a park and keeping locals out. African Parks does this at scale across millions of hectares. The problem is those "locals" are often Indigenous communities with centuries of connection to the land. The model treats conservation and human rights as separate problems. Critics say they're inseparable.
Mark
Did African Parks actually change anything after admitting the abuses?
Mimi
They said they improved safeguarding processes. But there's no independent verification of that in the reporting, and Survival International isn't satisfied. The real test would be whether they fundamentally restructure how they operate—whether they actually partner with Indigenous communities as decision-makers, not just stakeholders to manage around.
Mark
What happens to African Parks now?
Mimi
That's the open question. Harry's departure removes some reputational cover, but the organization still manages 20 million hectares. The pressure from human rights groups will likely continue, and there may be donor consequences. But institutional change is slower than resignations.
El Pulso
- Rangers employed by African Parks — a charity Harry championed for a decade — subjected Indigenous Baka people to waterboarding, beatings, and rape to keep them from their own ancestral lands.
- A 2024 Mail on Sunday investigation forced the abuses into public view, compelling African Parks to acknowledge wrongdoing and promise reforms, while Harry's continued board membership became a lightning rod for criticism.
- Survival International publicly demanded Harry's resignation, arguing his presence granted legitimacy to an organization whose 'fortress conservation' model treats Indigenous communities as threats rather than stewards.
- Harry has now left the board, but his spokesperson insists he remains a supporter — a position human rights advocates call inadequate given the scale and duration of the documented harm.
- African Parks faces mounting calls to abandon its exclusionary conservation model entirely, with critics warning that gratitude statements and procedural reforms cannot substitute for structural accountability.
For a decade, Prince Harry lent his name and presence to African Parks, a conservation organization managing vast wilderness across the African continent — but beneath the celebrated mission of protecting wildlife lay a darker reality. In 2024, investigations revealed that the charity's rangers had subjected Indigenous Baka people in the Republic of Congo to beatings, waterboarding, and sexual violence in the name of guarding ancestral forests now enclosed within a national park. Harry has now stepped away from the board, a departure that raises enduring questions about who conservation truly serves, and at what human cost.
Prince Harry has resigned from the board of African Parks after the wildlife conservation charity acknowledged that its rangers committed serious abuses against Indigenous Baka communities in the Republic of Congo — including beatings, waterboarding, and sexual assault carried out to prevent Baka people from entering forests that had long been their ancestral home.
The abuses were exposed through a 2024 investigation by the Mail on Sunday, in which Baka community members described systematic violence tied to the management of Odzala-Kokoua national park. African Parks, following an independent review, confirmed the abuses had occurred and pledged to strengthen its safeguarding procedures.
Harry's connection to African Parks stretched back to 2016, when he supported one of the largest elephant translocations in history in Malawi. He served as the charity's president for six years before joining its board in 2023. His spokesperson confirmed the departure while stressing that Harry remains proud of his decade with the organization and continues to support its conservation mission.
The resignation followed sustained public pressure from Survival International, whose executive director Caroline Pearce called Harry's exit a wholly insufficient response. She argued that the organization itself must now face real consequences and dismantle what she described as a 'fortress conservation' model — one that treats Indigenous communities as obstacles rather than partners in protecting the land.
African Parks, which manages more than 20 million hectares across 13 African countries, thanked Harry for his contributions to global conservation awareness but did not address the deeper criticism of its operating philosophy. The announcement arrived alongside reports that Harry and Meghan are planning an extended return to the United Kingdom with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Prince Harry has stepped away from his role as a board member of African Parks, a major wildlife conservation organization, following revelations of serious human rights violations committed by the charity's rangers. The move came after the organization acknowledged in 2024 that its staff had perpetrated abuses against members of the Baka Indigenous community in the Republic of the Congo, including beatings, waterboarding, and sexual assault.
The abuses came to light through a 2024 investigation published by the Mail on Sunday, in which Baka community members described a pattern of violence used to prevent them from accessing their ancestral forests. These lands now fall within the Odzala-Kokoua national park, which African Parks manages. Following an independent review of the allegations, the organization issued a statement acknowledging that human rights abuses had indeed occurred at the park and committed to strengthening its safeguarding procedures both locally and across the institution.
Harry's decade-long involvement with African Parks began in July 2016, when he supported one of the largest elephant translocations in history in Malawi. He served as president of the charity for six years before joining its board of directors in 2023. His spokesperson confirmed his departure while emphasizing that the duke remains committed to conservation work in Africa and continues to support the organization's mission. "The duke is proud of his 10 years with African Parks and fully supports the ongoing strengthening of its board," the statement read.
The resignation comes amid sustained pressure from human rights advocates. Survival International, a global organization focused on Indigenous rights, had publicly called for Harry to leave the board, arguing that his continued association with African Parks was incompatible with the charity's documented record of violence against the very communities whose lands it manages. Caroline Pearce, Survival International's executive director, characterized Harry's departure as insufficient accountability. "It is outrageous that for 10 years Prince Harry has served African Parks while people working for it have been responsible for abuse and violence against Indigenous people," she said, adding that the organization itself must now face consequences and fundamentally abandon what she called its "fortress conservation" model that excludes Indigenous communities.
African Parks, founded 26 years ago, manages more than 20 million hectares across partnerships with 13 African governments and hundreds of local communities. In its own statement marking Harry's departure, the organization expressed gratitude for his contributions to raising global awareness about biodiversity protection and conservation philanthropy. The charity did not directly address Pearce's criticism of its conservation model or provide details about how it plans to prevent future abuses.
The announcement of Harry's resignation coincides with reports that he and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, are planning to relocate from California to the United Kingdom with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. While the couple is understood to be arranging an extended stay in Britain and their children are already enrolled in school, the duration of their time in the UK remains unconfirmed.
Citas Notables
It is outrageous that for 10 years Prince Harry has served African Parks while people working for it have been responsible for abuse and violence against Indigenous people.— Caroline Pearce, executive director of Survival International
The duke is proud of his 10 years with African Parks and fully supports the ongoing strengthening of its board.— Prince Harry's spokesperson
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