Prince Harry’s charity has ‘a whiff of neocolonialism’, ministry says

Prince Harry‘s African Parks charity has been described as having ‘a whiff of neocolonialism’ by a ministry.

The organisation wasted investment, which in turn prevented it from helping wildlife and made locals poorer, according to Chad’s environment ministry.

It urged African Parks’ funders to make sure their donations were going to the right places.

Chad cut ties with the wildlife charity associated with Prince Harry last week after accusing it of being ‘disrespectful’.

Its environment minister Hassan Bakhit Djamous gave a damning four-page statement as he announced an end to the country’s 15-year partnership with African Parks.

He accused the charity of ‘a recurring indelicate and disrespectful attitude toward the government’.

And the ministry has now doubled down on his remarks, telling The Times: ‘They [African Parks] don’t engage in conservation — they engage in politics.

‘There hasn’t been enough investment [In Chad] to prevent poaching and there is a lack of surveillance tools, anti-poaching efforts and appropriate response plans. Fundamentally, transparency in fundraising, spending and reinvestment must be a priority.’

Prince Harry’s African Parks has been described as having ‘a whiff of neocolonialism’ by Chad’s environment ministry (pictured: Harry in Malawi in 2019)

It also suggested African Parks had banned locals visiting certain areas under its control, adding: ‘Chad is a sovereign state and does not permit any action with the slightest whiff of neocolonialism.’

Claiming that local people were worse off, the ministry asked other African nations to assess whether they wanted to follow the same course as Chad. 

It claimed that African Parks treated attempts for it to look into violations of banking and tax regulations and breaches of government contracts with disrespect.

The ministry also argued the charity had taken its motto of ‘a business approach to conservation’ to its extreme, putting toursim above protecting wildlife.

The Daily Mail has approached African Parks for comment. 

Last week, Mr Djamous said there had been a resurgence in poaching and a lack of investment at the reserves managed by the conservation group.

It is the latest scandal to hit the charity after a Mail investigation found evidence that guards managed by African Parks were embarking on campaigns of abuse and intimidation.

Allegations of abuse of indigenous people were upheld earlier this year.

The Duke of Sussex pictured while he worked in Malawi with African Parks as part of an initiative involving moving 500 elephants over 200 miles across the country in 2016

The Duke of Sussex was the president of African Parks for six years until being elevated to the governing board of directors two years ago.

The non-profit said in a statement it was in talks to ‘better understand the government’s position’ and ‘explore the best way forward to support the continued protection of these critical landscapes’.

‘African Parks will continue to keep its partners and stakeholders informed, as further clarity is obtained,’ the charity said.

It had led anti-poaching efforts and to restore elephant populations at the Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve and the Greater Zakouma Ecosystem, which includes the Zakouma and Siniaka-Minia national parks.

According to African Parks, the elephant population at Zakouma National Parks increased from 450 in 2010, when it took over management of the site, to over 550 by 2019.

It comes just six months after Chad renewed its agreement with the charity and is the latest blow to hit African Parks.

Last year, an investigation by The Mail on Sunday discovered evidence of intimidation and abuse in the rainforests of the Republic of the Congo by guards managed and paid by the African Parks charity, including allegations of rapes and beatings.

The MoS found first-hand testimonies of atrocities inflicted on the Baka, an indigenous people once known as pygmies, to stop them entering forests where they have foraged, fished, hunted and found medicines for millennia.

One woman told of being raped by an armed guard while clinging to her newborn baby. And a teenage boy claimed he was groomed for paid sex by another guard.

A community activist said a Baka man died after being beaten and jailed without getting treatment for his injuries.

African Parks then launched an independent review and the charity has now admitted that human rights abuses occurred in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park since December 2023.

The results of the probe, carried out by London law firm Omnia Strategy LLP, then went directly to African Parks. It did not publicly share the results.

The charity said in a statement in May: ‘The board of African Parks has reviewed Omnia’s advice and endorsed the management plan and timeframes to implement the recommendations resulting from this process.

‘African Parks acknowledges that, in some incidents, human rights abuses have occurred, and we deeply regret the pain and suffering that these have caused to the victims.

‘Omnia’s process also highlighted several failures of our systems and processes that were insufficient for the level of responsibility given to us, particularly in the early years of our management of Odzala.’