Janice R. Andrews
A scandal involving claims of rape and torture by guards in the Republic of the Congo is currently plaguing African Parks, a wildlife charity that Prince Harry serves on the board of. The nonprofit, which oversees 22 national parks in 12 countries, has called the inquiry into these allegations its “highest priority” and is requesting that anybody with information on abuse come forward.
The non-profit organisation lists Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, as a board member after he presided over it for six years.
According to allegations made public by the Mail on Sunday, African Parks-paid and employed guards are suspected of abusing, torturing, and beating indigenous people in the Republic of the Congo’s rainforests.
In a statement, the board and CEO of African Parks reaffirmed their commitment to protecting the rights of local and Indigenous people and stressed their zero-tolerance policy for abuse. The charity Survival International notified an unidentified board member about claims of guard abuse, which prompted the start of the investigation.
Nonetheless, the declaration charged Survival International of failing to assist with the investigation. It said, “It’s unfortunate that they have chosen not to cooperate, despite repeated requests, and we continue to ask for their assistance.” The board urged anyone who had information on abuses to contact the charity or the police in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
African Parks oversees more than 20 million hectares of protected areas. It was established in 2000 with the goals of preserving Africa’s national parks and advancing wildlife conservation. If the accusations turn out to be accurate, it will be extremely concerning for the charity’s moral behaviour and its ability to defend Indigenous rights.
According to Fiore Longo, head of conservation campaign for Survival International, abuse instances have been happening often in the area for a long time. She underlined that since African Parks assumed power in 2010, the violence increased. According to Longo, the people were being assaulted for going to their houses in the forest for basic needs like hunting, gathering food for their family, and gathering medicinal plants.
Since 2013, Survival International has voiced concerns over these matters. “They are the manager of the parks and the employer of the rangers, and they had the money to conduct their own investigation,” Longo said in an apparent jab at African Parks. We have no duty to provide them with specifics. When we bring up an issue, it is their duty to go look into it.” She declared that the alleged maltreatment experienced by the local population was “not a secret.” As the investigation goes on, the circumstances keep changing.
