Charity related to Prince Harry admits human rights violations in Congo Park
A major protection charity associated with Prince Harry acknowledged that the Congo-Brasavile Rangers’ violations of human rights were conducted in an independent review of allegations against the African Park Rangers by members of the Baka community.
In a report released Sunday by the British newspaper The Post last year, community members accused African park rangers of beating, water boards and raping locals in order to prevent them from entering the ancestral forests that are now in the reserve.
However, despite independent review of the operations of the Congo-Bracharlie Rangers, African Parks did not have a public review of the findings.
Instead, it issued a statement acknowledging that human rights violations occurred in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park, which it manages. It ruled out the details of abuse.
The review conducted by London law firm Omnia Strategy LLP was handed directly to African Parks.
Omnia said in a statement that it has been an independent investigation into alleged abuse in Odzala-Kokoua since December 2023.
Its statement does not include its findings and recommendations, and the findings and recommendations were sent directly to African Parks.
The BBC contacted Omnia from Doughty Street Chambers, who participated in the investigation, and asked for their findings, but they refused to make a statement outside of the investigation and refused to comment.
Prince Harry sat on the African Park board and has been involved in the charity since 2016. In 2023, after six years as president, he was appointed to the board of directors, the organization's governing body.
The BBC has asked Prince Harry for comment.
Africa Park said it has improved its conservation process over the past five years in Odzala-Kokoua National Park and institutions. Other measures it has taken include appointing anthropologists to ensure better support from the Baka community, working with local human rights NGOs to support local communities, and an independent human rights impact assessment will be conducted.
The charity lobbying for the rights of indigenous peoples Survival International and raised questions about Prince Harry's abuse of Baka people, he criticized the African Park's decision and did not want the findings to be made public.
Survival told the BBC: “African Parks have been committed to more reporting, more staff and more guidelines – but this approach has not prevented terrible abuse and violations of international human rights law over the past decade or more, that African Parks have known about these atrocities and there is no reason to believe they will do so now.”
When the charges were first made public last year, Survival said African Park had been suspected of abuse of Baka people since 2013.
At the time, Africa Park said it had reached out to survive to learn more, but the latter refused to cooperate.
Survival says hopes to protect the source of its local community because of fear of revenge.
The Johannesburg-based African Park is arguably one of the largest conservation charities in Africa. It manages 23 protected areas in 13 African countries and is supported by strong customers.
On its website, Africa Park lists many high-profile donors, including the EU, Rob Walton, the heir to Walmart Fortune and Warren Buffet’s son Howard Buffett.
The charity said in its annual report for 2023 that its funders provide it with more than $500,000 (£375,000) per year.
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