African Parks: Chad Controversy

Conservation Under Fire: Chad Severs Ties with Prince Harry-Linked Charity Amid Grave Allegations

Authorities in Chad have abruptly ended a 15-year conservation partnership with African Parks. The prominent Johannesburg-based organisation has the Duke of Sussex serving on its board. Citing a litany of failures, including a surge in poaching and "serious financial misconduct," the move casts a harsh spotlight on the charity's operations. This also adds to a turbulent period for Prince Harry's philanthropic associations.

The unilateral decision came via a formal letter from Hassan Bakhit Djamous, the Environment Minister. It brings an immediate end to the mandate for African Parks to manage two of the nation's most critical conservation areas. These are the Greater Zakouma Ecosystem and the Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The government accused the organisation of fostering a "disrespectful attitude," failing to cooperate with authorities, and not investing sufficiently in the protected sites.

African Parks manages 22 protected zones in a dozen African countries. The charity stated it has initiated discussions with the ministry to clarify the administration's stance. It hopes to find the best path forward for the ongoing safeguarding of these vital landscapes. The organisation now faces a profound crisis of confidence, compounded by separate, severe allegations of human rights abuses in one of its other flagship parks.

A Resurgence of Poaching

A key factor in the Chadian decision appears to be a recent and alarming spike in illegal wildlife killings within Zakouma National Park. The region was previously hailed as a conservation success story. According to a grim tally reported in early 2025, poachers have killed twelve giraffes, a dozen buffalo, and, most alarmingly, two rhinoceroses since the start of the year. This loss is a devastating blow to the ambitious rhino reintroduction program, leaving only two males of the species in the park.

This "outrageous failure," as described by Minister Djamous, directly contradicts the narrative of success that African Parks has projected. The organisation had previously been credited with dramatically turning the tide on poaching in Zakouma. Between 2002 and 2010, the park's elephant population was decimated. It plummeted from around 4,000 to just 450 due to rampant slaughter for ivory, often by heavily armed groups from Sudan.

Under the management of African Parks, which began in 2010, elephant poaching was significantly curtailed. The population began to recover, surpassing 550 by 2019. This achievement, however, is now overshadowed by the current crisis. Critics have also suggested that the organisation may have inflated its success metrics. They claim the actual increase in elephant numbers was more modest than reported when accounting for natural herd growth. The recent poaching spree suggests a severe breakdown in security and enforcement within the park.

Allegations of Financial Misconduct

Beyond the failures in wildlife protection, Chad's government has levelled serious accusations of financial impropriety against African Parks. In a scathing letter, Minister Djamous denounced the charity for "opaque management and lack of transparency" in its financial dealings. The most damning claims include the "illegal collection of tourism revenue" and the use of offshore bank accounts in tax havens.

The government report specifically references an account held with a banking institution on the Isle of Man. It accuses the charity of transferring capital abroad to Chad's detriment and maintaining unaudited accounts. These allegations strike at the heart of the organisation's governance and financial integrity. They suggest a system operating outside national regulations. Minister Djamous also condemned what he termed the "unilateral management" of the parks and a "strict ban on access to certain tourist sites for nationals," painting a picture of an organisation operating with impunity.

African Parks has not yet publicly responded to these specific financial allegations. The organisation receives substantial funding from a range of prominent funders. Among them are the European Union, the Rob Walton Foundation, and the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. In 2021, it received a landmark $100 million pledge from the Rob and Melani Walton Foundation to help expand its operations. The gravity of Chad's accusations could have significant repercussions for the charity's ability to secure future funding.

The Shadow of Human Rights Abuses in Congo

The crisis in Chad unfolds against the backdrop of a separate and deeply disturbing scandal for African Parks in Congo-Brazzaville. The organisation is facing widespread condemnation over credible and horrific allegations of human rights abuses committed by its rangers. The victims are the Indigenous Baka people in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park.

Testimonies gathered by human rights organisations, including Survival International, detail a pattern of extreme violence. Baka community members have reported being subjected to beatings, whippings, and torture, including having scalding hot wax poured on their bodies. There are also multiple, harrowing accounts of rape and sexual assault by park rangers. These acts of brutality were allegedly carried out against Baka people who entered the forest, their ancestral land, to hunt, fish, and gather food.

In response to the allegations, which gained significant media attention in early 2024, African Parks commissioned an independent investigation. It was conducted by the London-based law firm Omnia Strategy LLP, co-founded by Cherie Blair. The investigation, which concluded in May 2025 after 16 months of work and interviews with approximately 180 people, confirmed that "in some incidents, human rights abuses have occurred."

African Parks issued a statement expressing "deep regret for the pain and suffering caused." The charity committed to implementing the investigation's recommendations. However, the organisation has refused to make the full Omnia report public. This decision has drawn sharp criticism from human rights advocates who argue it conceals the true scale of the problem. Critics contend the abuses stem from a "racist and colonial model of conservation" that displaces and persecutes Indigenous communities.

A Difficult Period for the Duke of Sussex

The dual controversies in Chad and Congo represent a significant blow to the charitable work of the Duke of Sussex. Prince Harry's association with African Parks dates back to 2016. He served as its president for six years before being appointed to its governing board in 2023. His role has been to advance the organisation's mission of safeguarding Africa's national parks. A spokesperson for the Duke stated that he immediately escalated the Congo abuse allegations to the CEO and the board's chairman upon learning of them.

This situation follows another recent charitable setback for the Prince. He also departed his role as patron of Sentebale earlier in the year. This is a charity he co-founded in 2006 that assists children in Lesotho and Botswana impacted by HIV and AIDS. His departure came after a very public and acrimonious boardroom dispute with Dr Sophie Chandauka, who chairs the organisation, amid claims of bullying and misogyny. The Charity Commission in the UK confirmed it was assessing concerns about Sentebale's governance.

These successive challenges have placed the Duke's philanthropic efforts under intense scrutiny. The severe nature of the allegations against African Parks, ranging from conservation failures and financial wrongdoing to horrific human rights abuses, raises serious questions. These questions concern the governance and oversight of an organisation with which he is so closely associated.

The Future of Chad's Protected Areas

The choice by Chad's administration to cut its ties with African Parks creates an uncertain future. The management of two key areas, the Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve and the Greater Zakouma Ecosystem, is now in question. Ennedi, a vast sandstone massif, is a site of immense natural beauty and cultural value. It is home to thousands of examples of rock art and provides a crucial sanctuary for desert-adapted wildlife.

Zakouma has been a critical habitat for Central African biodiversity. It holds a significant portion of the world's Kordofan giraffe population. The park's survival has long been precarious, and the recent breakdown in security threatens to undo years of conservation work. While the government has expressed its commitment to protecting these areas, managing vast, remote landscapes challenged by poverty, regional instability, and armed poachers is a monumental task.

The collapse of this high-profile public-private partnership serves as a cautionary tale for the conservation world. It highlights the complex interplay of finance, sovereignty, local community rights, and effective wildlife protection. As Chad seeks a new path for its natural heritage, the fallout from the tenure of African Parks will undoubtedly be felt across the continent. This will prompt a wider re-evaluation of international conservation models and their accountability to both the people and the wildlife they are meant to protect.