Prince Harry facing calls to step down as director of African Parks Charity after serious allegations

TW: mentions of physical and sexual abuse

Being a public figure comes with its pros and cons. On the one hand, you can use your power and status to make influential changes and decisions and on the other, association with any fraudulent or faulty organisation can ruin your image in society.

This could even be more intense when you belong to the world’s most popular Royal Family - the British Royal Family. Reportedly, one of the charities that Prince Harry supports is accused of horrific crimes.

Prince Harry urged to step down as the director of African Parks charity

Prince Harry was the president of the African Parks charity for 6 six years before he was promoted to its governing board of directors last year. In a shocking new twist, an investigation against the charity has confirmed that it is involved in many ill practices including torturing indigenous people and sexual abuse.

Survival International - a charity that fights for the rights of indigenous peoples - has launched a campaign to urge Prince Harry to step down from the director position. This comes as the Africa Parks charity is found to be guilty of beatings, sexual assault and torture of the indigenous population by its guards.

Caroline Pearce, of Charity Survival International, said:

We’re calling on him to step down.

Meanwhile, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told The Sun:

He must intervene and take decisive action.

The charity raised cases with the Duke - whose recent appearance in Jamaica has also caused conflicting reactions - last May of ‘women being r**ed and men having their heads put under river water.’ According to Prince Harry’s Archewell Foundation, as soon as he got to know about allegations the issue escalated to the CEO and board chairman. The foundation said:

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 the next steps.

What are African Parks charity's allegations all about?

African Parks manages national parks in 12 African countries through government partnerships. However, a recent investigation of their work revealed that the charity guards have been severely cruel to the indigenous Baka people of Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Republic of the Congo.

It is claimed that the guards have stopped them from entering the forests where they have been welcomed for millennia. The Baka people have always foraged, fished, hunted and found medicine in these forests. According to MailOnline, the charity is ‘brutalising the Baka people and enforcing theft of their rainforest.’

Last year, Prince Harry was made aware of a sexual assault case that took place in the region by one of the guards of the society. The guard allegedly assaulted a young mother and was the dismissed, jailed and ordered to pay his victim about £1,300 in compensation. However, the victim has confirmed receiving only £500. Seeing the current state of things in the Republic of Congo, Caroline Pearce insisted that Prince Harry’s disassociation from the ‘heinous’ charity is a first step towards justice for indigenous people. She said:

As someone who has taken a high-profile stand against racism, the Prince could help to bring about real change for indigenous people.

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Sources Used

The Sun: Prince Harry urged to step down as director of wildlife charity linked to allegations of torture and rape

Daily Mail: Prince Harry faces calls to quit his role in a conservation charity accused of operating an armed militia engaged in human rights atrocities in Africa