An independent investigation revealed serious allegations against African Parks, including claims of violence to deter the local community from accessing their ancestral lands. While the charity has verified that abuses took place, it hasn’t disclosed specific findings from the review.
**Charity Affiliated with Prince Harry Acknowledges Human Rights Violations in Congo**
**Charity Affiliated with Prince Harry Acknowledges Human Rights Violations in Congo**
A prominent conservation group tied to Prince Harry admits to human rights abuses by its rangers in Congo-Brazzaville, following accusations from local Baka community members.
African Parks, which manages protected areas across Africa and counts Prince Harry among its board members, has initiated new safeguarding measures but continues to face criticism for its lack of transparency regarding the issue.
The charity has accepted findings of a report indicating human rights abuses committed by its rangers in Congo-Brazzaville. The admission follows an independent review examining allegations made by the Baka community against the African Parks rangers, which included serious accusations such as physical violence and sexual assault to prevent access to their ancestral forests.
Some of these allegations were first reported by the Mail on Sunday last year, where community members asserted that the rangers employed brutal tactics to control local populations in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park, which is under African Parks' management. Despite conducting an independent review to investigate these allegations, the organization has opted not to publicly release the report’s findings, merely stating that human rights abuses occurred.
The examination was conducted by Omnia Strategy LLP, led by Cherie Blair, and was completed in December 2023. While the investigation’s recommendations have been directed exclusively to African Parks, the results remain undisclosed to the public.
The charity has claimed to have implemented stronger safeguarding processes over the past five years, appointing an anthropologist to provide better support for the Baka community and collaborating with human rights NGOs. Nevertheless, these measures have drawn skepticism, particularly from Survival International, which emphasizes that previous commitments have failed to prevent ongoing human rights violations.
Survival International criticized the lack of transparency, asserting that the charity had ignored the community's plight for years. They have emphasized a legacy of abuse dating back over a decade, claiming African Parks had knowledge of such abuses since 2013 but had failed to take adequate action.
African Parks operates across 13 African nations, managing 23 protected areas, and has garnered substantial support from prominent figures and organizations, including Prince Harry, who has been involved with the charity since 2016.
As the organization faces mounting scrutiny, questions remain about the effectiveness of its new measures and the commitment to uphold human rights within the communities it serves. The attention to this issue not only affects African Parks but could also resonate through Prince Harry's association with the organization as a member of its board.
The charity has accepted findings of a report indicating human rights abuses committed by its rangers in Congo-Brazzaville. The admission follows an independent review examining allegations made by the Baka community against the African Parks rangers, which included serious accusations such as physical violence and sexual assault to prevent access to their ancestral forests.
Some of these allegations were first reported by the Mail on Sunday last year, where community members asserted that the rangers employed brutal tactics to control local populations in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park, which is under African Parks' management. Despite conducting an independent review to investigate these allegations, the organization has opted not to publicly release the report’s findings, merely stating that human rights abuses occurred.
The examination was conducted by Omnia Strategy LLP, led by Cherie Blair, and was completed in December 2023. While the investigation’s recommendations have been directed exclusively to African Parks, the results remain undisclosed to the public.
The charity has claimed to have implemented stronger safeguarding processes over the past five years, appointing an anthropologist to provide better support for the Baka community and collaborating with human rights NGOs. Nevertheless, these measures have drawn skepticism, particularly from Survival International, which emphasizes that previous commitments have failed to prevent ongoing human rights violations.
Survival International criticized the lack of transparency, asserting that the charity had ignored the community's plight for years. They have emphasized a legacy of abuse dating back over a decade, claiming African Parks had knowledge of such abuses since 2013 but had failed to take adequate action.
African Parks operates across 13 African nations, managing 23 protected areas, and has garnered substantial support from prominent figures and organizations, including Prince Harry, who has been involved with the charity since 2016.
As the organization faces mounting scrutiny, questions remain about the effectiveness of its new measures and the commitment to uphold human rights within the communities it serves. The attention to this issue not only affects African Parks but could also resonate through Prince Harry's association with the organization as a member of its board.
