Charity associated with Prince Harry recognizes violations of human rights in Congo-Brozaville

Prince Harry’s main charity preservation charity acknowledged that human rights abuses were committed by his Rangers in Congo-Brasaville, following an independent review of the accusations made by Baka Community members against the African Rangers Parks.

In a report published last year by British Post Office on SundayCommunity members accused the Rangers African parks of beating, water boards and rape of locals to prevent them from accessing their forests of the ancestors now in the conservation area.

Although he has commissioned an independent review of the actions of his rangers in Congo-Brasaville, African parks have not made the discoveries of the review publicly.

Instead, she publishes a statement acknowledging that human rights violations have happened in the Odzala-Coca National Park, which manages. He excluded the details of the abuse.

The review performed by Omnia Strategy LLP, based in London law firm, was handed over directly to African parks.

In a statement, the Omnia said he was conducting an independent investigation into the alleged abuse of Odzala-Kokua since December 2023.

His statement does not include his discoveries and recommendations, which he said were sent directly to African parks.

The BBC has addressed both Omnia and Doughty Street Chambers lawyers who participated in the investigation to request their findings, but they refused to comment after their statement.

Prince Harry sits on the board of parks in Africa and has participated in the charity since 2016. In 2023, after serving as president for six years, he is a member of the Board of Directors, the governing body of the organization.

The BBC asked for a comment from Prince Harry.

African parks have said that over the last five years they have improved the processes of protection over the last five years in both Odzala-Coca National Park and institutionally. The additional measures that have been introduced include the appointment of an anthropologist to ensure that the bacca communities are better supported and work with the local NGOs for human rights to support the local community. He also said he would carry out an independent assessment of human rights.

The charity Survival International, which lobbies to the rights of the indigenous population, and raised the issue of abuse of bacca people with Prince Harry, criticized the African Park’s decision not to make the findings of the investigation publicly.

Survival told the BBC that “African parks are committed to more reports, more staff and more guidance – but such approaches did not prevent horrifying abuses and violations of international human rights in the decade or more that African parks knew about these atrocities and there is no reason to believe that they will do it.”

When the claim was first announced last year, Survival said African parks knew about the alleged abuse of the 2013 Bacca people.

At that time, the African parks said he had reached for survival to find out more, but the latter refused to cooperate.

Survival said he wanted to protect his sources in the local community from fear of revenge.

The African parks, which are headquartered in Johannesburg, is probably one of the largest charity protection organizations in Africa. It manages 23 protected areas in 13 African countries and is supported by powerful patrons.

On it WebsiteAfrican parks lists a number of high -profile donors, including the European Union, Rob Walton, a heir to Walmart Fortune, and Howard Buffett, the son of Warren Buffett.

In its annual report for 2023, the charity said that its financing provided it more than $ 500,000 (£ 375,000) a year.