Prince Harry faces scrutiny following more accusations of severe human rights abuses by the African conservation charity where he serves as the director. The allegations involve rangers under the management of African Parks, a charity that oversees parks in 12 African nations and claims to run conservation efforts by collaborating with local communities.
The reported abuses emerge from Zambia’s Bangweulu Wetlands, where African Parks has overseen land management since 2008. The alleged abuses include violent beatings and extra-judicial killings and have cast a shadow on the charity’s operations. These unsettling claims of violence follow previous reports of African Parks armed guards beating, raping, and torturing the Baka tribespeople in the Republic of Congo.
According to the reports, “12 people have been shot dead or beaten to death,” and poaching suspects were “paraded naked in front of their families and neighbors.” African Parks rangers allegedly killed a man who was caught fishing. ‘They just beat him — but not a single ranger has been imprisoned,” a local said.
The people of Bangweulu claim they endure intimidation to deter them from hunting and fishing activities on their own land. The same land is also frequented by tourists on safari ventures that can come at a high price. The most chilling allegation cites a September 2021 incident where a local marketplace was attacked, causing injuries to several villagers, including children.
Despite these grave accusations, the charity maintains it has “zero tolerance” for human rights violations and has engaged a law firm to investigate the allegations. While Prince Harry has voiced concerns about the allegations, there is no suggestion that he had prior knowledge of the incidents in Zambia.
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