A leading conservation charity partially run by Prince Harry is under investigation for operating a militia that has allegedly engaged in hu...
A leading conservation charity partially run by Prince Harry is under investigation for operating a militia that has allegedly engaged in human rights violations in Africa.
The Mail on Sunday first revealed its investigation Sunday, stating findings that guards managed and paid by the African Parks charity beat, raped and tortured indigenous people in rainforests of the Republic of the Congo. Various accounts of "cruel and inhumane behavior" included at least one report of a man dying from injuries sustained during torture.
A spokesman for Harry's foundation, Archewell, told the outlet: ‘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."
The African Parks board and chief executive said in his own statement following this that the organization "has a zero-tolerance policy for any form of abuse and is committed to upholding the rights of local and indigenous people," adding that "allegations of misconduct are thoroughly investigated and acted on, and all of our parks are managed with a central philosophy of awareness, sensitivity and commitment to upholding the rights of local people."
However, the charity, which says it became aware of the allegations via a board member who received a letter from humanitarian group Survival International, claims that the organization responsible for blowing the whistle isn't cooperating with African Parks' investigation of the matter.
"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 contin
