Prince Harry Faces Renewed Calls to Stand Down from Africa Charity That is Accused of Torture

By Roisin Kelly Parade - Trending Stories

Updated May 29, 2026 2:21 AM

Prince Harry has been urged to step down from his leadership role at an African charity that has been accused of human rights abuses against indigenous people in the Republic of Congo.

African Parks, a wildlife charity that protects natural areas across 13 African countries, is alleged to have funded rangers who have committed torture and rape against the Baka people living in Odzala-Kokoua national park.

Two days ago Survival International, an indigenous rights charity, called on the Duke of Sussex to step down from African Parks' board of directors.

They criticized Prince Harry's decision to attend a fundraiser for African Parks that was held in Scottsdale, Arizona earlier this month.

Following the allegations in January 2024 of human rights abuses by their rangers, African Parks launched an investigation. A year later the charity admitted that "human rights abuses have occurred, and we deeply regret the pain and suffering that these have caused to the victims."

But Survival International has now released a statement in which they claim "the problems on the ground have not been solved."

A leader of the Baka community told Survival International that the way African Parks treated the indigenous people in the rainforests of the Republic of Congo is "violent."

Their identity was kept confidential to protect them against retribution by African Parks rangers.

Caroline Pearce, director of Survival International, said: "It is outrageous to see Harry's continued support to African Parks despite the horrific human rights abuses committed by its rangers against the Baka."

She said that African Parks' use of the fortress conservation model was "colonialist and racist."

A fortress conservation model is an environmental preservation approach that seeks to exclude human presence from protected wilderness areas.

Pearce said, "If there is not a fundamental change in this conservation model, the Baka will be destroyed as a people."

When the allegations first became public in 2024 African Parks released a statement that said, "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 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 co-operate, despite repeated requests, and we continue to ask for their assistance.

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."

African Parks oversees the management of over 20 million hectares of protected wildlife areas.

When African Parks confirmed the abuses a year later, Survival International said, "Baka men and women have been beaten, tortured and raped in Odzala-Kokoua National Park by rangers who are managed and paid for by African Parks. The charity has known this for many years, but it was only after Survival complained to Prince Harry, and the ensuing global media story, that the charity finally commissioned this 'independent investigation.'

"We still don't know the details of what they found, because African Parks has refused to allow the findings to be made public. It has committed to more reports, more staff and more guidelines – but such approaches have not prevented horrific abuses and violations of international human rights law in the decade or more that African Parks has known of these atrocities, and there is no reason to believe they will do so now.

"The root of the problem – which the investigation did not address – is that African Parks continues to cling to a racist and colonial model of conservation which kicks out the Indigenous people whose land it is, while outsiders take control. As long as this is the case, the Baka will continue to face abuses and the destruction of their livelihoods. The Baka are the forest's best guardians: governments, foundations, and celebrity supporters like Prince Harry, should pull the plug on African Parks now, and stop their complicity in this crime."

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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 1:00 AM.

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