African Parks—which counts Prince Harry as a director—has launched an investigation into allegations its guards raped and tortured tribespeople in a Congolese jungle.
Survival International, which represents Indigenous people around the world, contacted African Parks and Harry and Meghan Markle directly to warn them of the accusations from Baka people in Odzala-Kokoua National Park.
A journalist from The Mail on Sunday also interviewed a number of Baka people who have alleged abuse by the guards, including a woman who says she was raped while she clutched her newborn baby.
Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage
Ella Ene is quoted by the newspaper describing how a guard came to her house in the night and ordered her into the forest, warning “I’ll shoot you.”
“I was holding my baby while being raped and trying to protect him,” she said. “My first reaction had been to protect my baby. It was very violent.”
Another man said he was cuffed, whipped on the back with a belt and his head forced under water.
He told the newspaper: “Some guards are bad people and their activities should be stopped. What they are doing is cruel and inhumane.”
The alleged attacks appear to have taken place against the backdrop of efforts to prevent tribespeople from entering certain areas of forest.
Survival International said on X, formerly Twitter: “We’re calling on Prince Harry to step down from the board of @AfricanParks, and its funders to withdraw their support – until the Baka are allowed to return to Odzala park > their home < with land ownership rights recognised.”
Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation said in a statement: “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 next steps.”
African Parks said in a statement from its board and chief executive: “We are aware of the serious allegations regarding human rights abuses by eco-guards against local people living adjacent to Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Republic of Congo, which have recently received media attention.
“We became aware of these allegations last year via a Board Member who received a letter from Survival International.
“We immediately launched an investigation through an external law firm based on the information we had available, while also urging Survival International to provide any and all facts they had.
“It’s unfortunate that they have chosen not to cooperate, despite repeated requests, and we continue to ask for their assistance.
“This is an active, ongoing investigation that is our highest priority as an organisation, and we encourage anyone with knowledge of any abuses to report them to us or to the Congolese law enforcement authorities which will assist with the investigation and ensure that the perpetrators of any abuses are brought to justice.”
Jack Royston is Newsweek‘s chief royal correspondent based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.