Prince Harry served as president of African Parks from December 2017 through October 2023, then he was “elevated” to a position on the Board of Directors. African Parks is an enormous NGO devoted to conservation work across the African continent. The NGO has extensive financing from Western billionaires and they work across thirteen countries. Does everything operate completely within the law? No. It doesn’t. Especially given that African Parks also tries to empower local communities to step up their conservation work, meaning some of the work is being outsourced. Anyway, for years, the Windsors have been trying to find a way to harm African Parks or convince African Parks to dump Harry. Prince William left his fingerprints all over a campaign to oust Harry back in 2023. Now, two years later, Chad has announced that they don’t want African Parks managing their protected parks anymore. The coverage is making this all about Harry.
The Duke of Sussex’s conservation charity has been removed from its role managing protected parks in Chad after the government accused it of arrogance, serious financial misconduct and failing to protect wildlife. In a statement announcing the end of the 15-year partnership “with immediate effect”, Hassan Bakhit Djamous, Chad’s environment minister, said the charity, African Parks, had displayed a “recurring, indelicate and disrespectful attitude towards the government”.
Over four pages, the ministry alleged grave breaches of contract and financial irregularities, accusing the charity of keeping unaudited accounts and not being transparent over how funds were raised, managed and spent. It alleged that the charity illegally collected tourism revenues, used tax-haven bank accounts in the Isle of Man and transferred capital and foreign exchange abroad “to the detriment of Chad and in flagrant violation of national banking and tax regulations”. The ministry also claimed African Parks had prioritised tourism over conservation, banned Chadians from certain sites and failed to invest in essential equipment for rangers as poaching surged across its parks.
Prince Harry became president of the organisation in 2017 before being promoted to the governing board of directors in 2023, assuming greater responsibility for management and strategy.
The statement from Chad represents a rare and public rebuke for the charity, which manages 24 protected areas across 13 African countries with the backing of billionaire philanthropists including Howard Buffett and Bill Ackman. Its work in Chad, focused on anti-poaching efforts and the restoration of elephant populations at the Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve and the Greater Zakouma Ecosystem, was directly supported by funds from US government agencies and the Rob Walton Foundation, financed by the former Walmart chairman.
In response to the statement from Chad, the charity said it had “initiated discussions to understand the reasons and to ensure the conservation and social gains achieved over the past 15 years are sustained,” adding that it was committed to “listening and learning” from the concerns raised. Africa Parks said its management agreement with Chad for the Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve had been renewed in April. According to its reports, the elephant population at Zakouma National Park increased from 450 in 2010, when it took over management of the site, to more than 550 by 2019. The loss of two reserves in Chad sets back the charity’s ambitions to manage 30 parks by 2030. Its billionaire backers provide the $100 million annual budget.
Maybe there’s legitimacy to some of the accusations, maybe there isn’t. I have no way of knowing. What I find suspicious is this years-long campaign to denigrate African Parks and to create some kind of wedge between the NGO and Prince Harry. They continue to blame Harry for every single thing that happens (real or imagined) around African Parks. After what “they” did to Sentebale, I just hope that… Harry is making sure all of his patronages and charitable associations are protected.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
