Charity linked to Prince Harry investigated over allegations of rape and torture

The Duke of Sussex was president of non-profit African Parks from 2017 until last year, when he was appointed to the organisation’s board of directors. Photo / AP

A charity linked to Prince Harry is investigating allegations of rape and torture committed by its park rangers.

The Duke of Sussex was president of non-profit African Parks from 2017 until last year, when he was appointed to the organisation’s board of directors.

A Mail on Sunday investigation has claimed guards working for the not-for-profit organisation have subjected indigenous people to a range of human rights abuses including rape and torture.

African Parks is responsible for 22 national parks and protected areas across the continent.

The newspaper’s allegations centre on the Odzala-Kokoua National Park, in the northwest of the Republic of Congo.

The Baka people have reportedly lived in Odzala-Kokoua, which was designated a national park in 1935, for generations.

The Mail on Sunday alleges rangers are committing atrocities against the ethnic group to stop them entering forests where they hunt and forage.

Allegations reported by the newspaper include that one man had his head forced under water while his hands were cuffed and his back whipped repeatedly with a belt.

‘Woman holding newborn baby raped’

Meanwhile, a community activist claimed a woman holding a newborn baby had been raped by an armed guard.

Survival International, a campaign group for indigenous people, reportedly wrote to the Duke in May to ask him to use his “influence and position” to stop “abuses being committed by an organisation to which [he has] lent [his] name”.

Responding to the allegations, a spokesman for Archewell, Prince Harry’s charitable foundation, told the newspaper: “When the Duke became aware of these serious allegations, he immediately escalated them to the CEO and chairman of the board of African Parks, the appropriate people to handle next steps.”

Caroline Pearce, Survival International’s director, has called on the Duke of Sussex to step down from African Parks’ board of directors.

She said: “African Parks, along with other big conservation organisations like WWF, takes indigenous land to turn it into militarised parks or reserves – and then their guards attack people like the Baka just for trying to live their lives. Prince Harry can help stop this.

“We’re calling on him to step down as a director of African Parks. He needs to distance himself from an organisation that is complicit in evictions and the heinous abuse of indigenous people.”

Zero tolerance of abuse

A statement on African Parks’ website says it has a “zero-tolerance policy for any form of abuse” and that it is “committed to upholding the rights of logical and indigenous people”.

The charity said it became aware of “serious allegations regarding human rights abuses by eco-guards” against people “living adjacent to Odzala-Kokoua National Park” after a board member received a letter from Survival International.

Its statement added: “We immediately launched an investigation through an external law firm based on the information we had available, while also urging Survival International to provide any and all facts they had.

“It’s unfortunate that they have chosen not to co-operate, despite repeated requests, and we continue to ask for their assistance.”