Latest news with #OmniaStrategy
09-05-2025
- Politics
Congo national park associated with Prince Harry acknowledges human rights abuses
DAKAR, Senegal -- A national park associated with Prince Harry in the Republic of the Congo has acknowledged that its guards committed human rights abuses against Indigenous peoples who were displaced when the park was constructed. An internal investigation by African Parks, a South African-based wildlife parks consortium, uncovered cases of torture, rape and forced displacement of Indigenous people who used to inhabit the land now occupied by the Odzala-Kokoua National Park. Prince Harry sits on the board of African Parks. '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,' read a statement released Thursday by the group and London-based law firm Omnia Strategy. The initial reports of the abuse, which allegedly took place in 2023, were raised by international rights group Survival International. The allegations were investigated, but the final report of the abuse remains confidential and many details remain unclear. The rights group said Thursday in a statement that men and women were beaten, tortured or raped 'by rangers who are managed and paid for by African Parks.' It did not provide details. Jonathan Mazower, a spokesperson for Survival International, alleged that African Parks has known since at 'least 2013' of cases of abuse when a researcher raised the issue with them. 'This is not a particularly isolated case,' he said. Founded in 2000, African Parks established a hard-nosed reputation by going into seriously degraded places armed with the right to hire and fire from governments, which retained broad authority but respected a clear separation of roles. The group assumes day-to-day management of countries' wildlife areas, seeking more efficiency and accountability in the campaign to protect flora and fauna from poaching and habitat depletion. Many partner nations struggle to run parks on their own, challenged by poverty, corruption and conflict. ___
The Sun
09-05-2025
- The Sun
Charity linked to Prince Harry ‘admits human rights abuses following claims of rangers beating and raping locals'
A MAJOR charity linked to Prince Harry has admitted that its park rangers committed human rights abuses. The Duke of Sussex, 40, served as the president of conservation charity African Parks from 2017 to 2023, before stepping down and becoming a board member. 4 4 4 The admission comes after an investigation by the Mail on Sunday in January alleged that guards working for the organisation in the Republic of Congo committed human rights abuses. The report alleged that the non-profit subjected indigenous people to a range of abuses, including rape and torture. The charity has now admitted that human rights abuses did take place. The admission follows a review by Omnia Strategy, a London-based law firm that had been investigating the alleged abuse since December 2023. They did not publish the full findings or recommendations - and instead sent them straight to African Parks. There is no suggestion that any of the alleged abuses took place when Harry was president of the organisation or on its board. It also did not make any suggestion that Prince Harry was aware of any of the alleged abuses. The non-profit said that they had reviewed Omnia's advice and "endorsed the management plan and timeframes to implement the recommendations". They then said in a bombshell admission: "African Parks acknowledges that, in some incidents, human rights abuses have occurred." African Parks added that they "deeply regret the pain and suffering that these [abuses] have caused to the victims". Prince Harry's torched any chance of an olive branch from the king - he isn't trusted The organisation added that Omnia's landmark review "highlighted several failures of our systems", in particular during the early years of management of a national park called Odzala. Prince Harry has been closely involved in understanding the findings and implementing any necessary recommendations, according to The Telegraph. He was made a member of the Board of Directors in 2023 when he ended his tenure as president of the charity. Harry is no longer on the charity's board. African Parks is one of Africa's largest conservation charities. Headquartered in Johannesburg, it manages 23 protected areas in 13 African countries. The admission comes after the Duke of Sussex was caught up in a blistering row with the boss of his charity Sentebale after he sensationally quit the trust. The Duke of Sussex had set the African charity up in 2006 in memory of his mum, Princess Diana, along with his pal Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. But the pair then revealed they have sided with their charity's furious trustees after they unanimously resigned following a row with board chair Sophie Chandauka. The charity's boss then released an explosive statement in which she slammed "unthinkable" infighting in the organisation as well as made claims that there had been a "cover-up". Chandauka, a Zimbabwe-born lawyer, was selected to be chair of the trustees last year. However, it is understood the trustees strongly opposed this move and had wanted her to step down - a move which has seen her sue. The bitter feud appeared to be triggered by the move to transfer the charity's fundraising operation to Africa, which caused several key figures to quit the organisation. 4
