Charity linked to Prince Harry admits to human rights abuse after damning investigation

A charity with ties to Prince Harry has owned up to multiple human rights abuses carried out by its park rangers.African Parks — a non-profit conservation organization that had the Duke of Sussex as its president from 2017 until 2023 — admitted to several violations that took place in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park.A damning investigation published earlier this year exposed myriad of abuses against indigenous people in the Republic of the Congo — including rape and torture.Following an in-depth review, London-based law firm Omnia Strategy LLP, helmed by Cherie Blair, has released a statement about the shocking findings.The law firm described its probe as “thorough and proportionate without attempting to be exhaustive.”The charity, for its part, formally acknowledged the findings — saying that “in some incidents, human rights abuses have occurred.”“The board of African Parks has reviewed Omnia’s advice and endorsed the management plan and timeframes to implement the recommendations resulting from this process,” the charity, which boasts Harry as one of its board members, said in a statement.“African Parks acknowledges that, in some incidents, human rights abuses have occurred, and we deeply regret the pain and suffering that these have caused to the victims.”“Omnia’s process also highlighted several failures of our systems and processes that were insufficient for the level of responsibility given to us, particularly in the early years,” the organization added, fessing up to to systemic failures.The organization said it has significantly strengthened its safeguarding protocols over the past five years across all its sites, including Odzala-Kokoua National Park.Among the reforms is the appointment of an anthropologist tasked with ensuring the Baka communities receive more effective support.Despite admitting to the findings, African Parks has withheld the full review from the public, raising questions about transparency.It’s understood...