Chad Cuts Ties With Conservation Charity Linked To Prince Harry

The Chadian government has abruptly ended its 15-year partnership with African Parks, a conservation charity where Prince Harry is on its board of directors. Officials in Chad accuse the group of financial misconduct, failing to stop poaching, and showing a "disrespectful attitude" towards the government.

In a strongly worded statement, Environment Minister Hassan Bakhit Djamous cited a “recurring, indelicate and disrespectful attitude” from the organisation, and blamed African Parks for a resurgence of poaching in the country’s protected areas due to what he described as a lack of investment.

African Parks had been managing two major reserves in Chad: the Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve and the Greater Zakouma Ecosystem, which includes Zakouma and Siniaka-Minia national parks. The charity was responsible for protecting wildlife and restoring ecosystems, particularly elephant populations devastated by poaching in past decades.

But in a four-page report seen by The Times, the Chadian government went even further, accusing African Parks of using tax-haven bank accounts in the Isle of Man, moving capital out of the country, and keeping unaudited financial accounts—claims that, if substantiated, would mark a serious breach of trust in the nonprofit’s operations.

The organisation, which manages over 20 million hectares of protected land across 13 African countries, said it was taken by surprise. “African Parks has initiated discussions with the ministry to understand the government’s position and to explore the best possible way forward,” a spokesperson said, promising to protect the progress made over the past 15 years.

Founded in 2000, African Parks aims to help African nations conserve their wildlife amid the challenges of poverty, instability, and conflict. The charity says it takes over the day-to-day management of protected areas with a long-term goal of making them ecologically, socially, and financially sustainable.

Prince Harry has been associated with the organisation since 2016, serving as its president until 2023, when he transitioned to a board role. The group has high-profile donors including the European Union, Howard Buffett, and Rob Walton, heir to the Walmart fortune.

The news is yet another setback for Prince Harry’s charitable work. Earlier this year, he resigned from Sentebale, a charity he co-founded to support children affected by HIV in southern Africa, after a bitter internal dispute. He said he was "utterly devastated" by the events, which included accusations of a toxic boardroom culture. Although an inquiry found no evidence of widespread misconduct, it criticised all sides for mishandling the situation.

Adding to African Parks’ troubles, the charity had already faced criticism earlier this year over human rights abuses in the Republic of Congo, where park rangers employed by the charity were accused of beating, raping, and torturing members of an indigenous community. The group admitted the abuses occurred and said it "deeply regret[ted] the pain and suffering caused to the victims."

Despite an increase in elephant numbers at Zakouma between 2010 and 2019 under African Parks' management, the Chadian government now seems determined to move on. The decision raises major questions about the future of conservation in the region and could dent the credibility of one of the most well-funded conservation organisations on the continent.

So far, representatives for Prince Harry have not commented on the Chadian government’s claims.