Prince Harry has walked away from another Africa-linked charity, and this time the reason goes far beyond a simple change of plans. The Duke of Sussex has officially stepped down from the board of African Parks, the wildlife conservation group he had been tied to for almost a decade, just as he prepares to shift his base back to the United Kingdom.
The move comes months after African Parks admitted something deeply troubling. An independent probe found that rangers working under the charity had abused indigenous Baka people living near Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Republic of Congo. The claims were harrowing, including accusations of beating, sexual assault and torture carried out by guards who were supposed to be protecting the land, not harming the people living on it.
Despite stepping away from the board, Harry has not distanced himself from the organisation itself. A spokesperson for the Duke said he remains proud of his long association with African Parks and continues to back efforts to reform and strengthen its leadership structure. His team also stressed that his passion for conservation work across Africa has not faded.
Harry's journey with African Parks began back in 2016, when he took on the role of president before later moving into a board position in 2023. That long history is exactly why campaigners feel his continued support is hard to accept. Survival International, a group that advocates for indigenous communities, had publicly pushed Harry to cut ties with African Parks after he showed up at a charity fundraising event in Arizona earlier this year. The organisation's director did not hold back, calling his ongoing loyalty to the charity troubling given what the Baka community endured.
This is not the first time Harry has left a charity connected to Africa under a cloud. Back in March 2025, he exited Sentebale, the charity he had personally co-founded in Lesotho, after what he described as a serious breakdown in trust with its leadership. That fallout turned messy, with the charity's chair accusing him of orchestrating bullying behind the scenes, and Sentebale later filing a defamation case against him and another trustee.
African Parks, meanwhile, currently oversees roughly twenty national parks and protected reserves spread across a dozen African countries. Following the scandal, the charity said it deeply regretted the harm caused to victims and pointed to gaps in its internal systems, especially during its earlier years of managing the affected park. It has since promised tighter safeguarding rules and a broader shake-up of its board.
Key Takeaways
- Prince Harry has resigned from the African Parks board ahead of his planned return to the UK.
- The exit follows an independent investigation confirming rangers abused Baka indigenous people in Congo.
- Harry still publicly supports African Parks and its ongoing leadership reforms.
- He served as president from 2016 before joining the board in 2023.
- Survival International had urged him to cut ties after he attended a charity event in Arizona.
- This marks his second departure from an Africa-focused charity, following his 2025 exit from Sentebale.
- African Parks manages about 20 parks across 12 African nations and has pledged stronger safeguards.
