Prince Harry has suffered a new professional blow after the government allegedly withdrew support for one of his charities, citing its “indelicate and disrespectful attitude.”
On Tuesday, the Duke of Sussex’s charity role took a hit as Chad’s government cut ties with African Parks, where he sits on the board.
Officials cited rising poaching, poor funding, and a “disrespectful attitude” toward the government in ending the 15-year partnership.
After the announcement was released, the charity shared that it was engaged in discussions to "better understand the government's position”.
This included exploring "the best way forward to support the continued protection of these landscapes that are critical to conservation”.
The organization also revealed that under their management, Zakouma’s elephant population grew from 450 in 2010 to more than 550 by 2019.
This latest setback came after new controversies that emerged in May, when the organization publicly accepted that its guards had carried out human rights violations against Indigenous Baka people in the Republic of Congo's Odzala-Kokoua National Park.
In a statement issued at the time, African Parks said. "We deeply regret the pain and suffering that these have caused to the victims."
They added, "We are committed to addressing the shortcomings that have been identified. Further, where sufficient evidence is available, we will take action against staff members implicated in incidents not yet known about, or that had not been adequately dealt with.”
"The Board is confident that the institutional improvements implemented over the past five years, along with those planned for the coming months—incorporating valuable recommendations from Omnia—will mitigate risks in the future," the statement concluded.
To note, Prince Harry served as a president of African Parks from 2017 to 2023 before joining its board.
