The Chadian government has terminated its agreement with a controversial conservation organisation that has the Duke of Sussex on its board of directors.
It accused the charity African Parks of failing to curb poaching, ending a 15-year mandate to manage two of its protected sites in central Africa. The environment ministry stated that African Parks displayed an arrogant and disrespectful attitude towards the government and failed to cooperate fully with local authorities.
African Parks expressed its intention to engage in talks with the ministry to better understand the government's stance and find a way to continue supporting conservation efforts in the country.
Prince Harry, who is a board member and former president of African Parks, was involved in managing sites including the Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve and the Greater Zakouma Ecosystem. These reserves are crucial for maintaining biodiversity amid rising threats from poaching and illegal wildlife trade.
In its communique regarding the termination, Chad's environment ministry cited a lack of investment from African Parks as a contributing factor to the resurgence of poaching in its natural parks.
African Parks, founded in 2000 to protect Africa's national parks, has faced scrutiny in recent months for various governance issues, including allegations of employee misconduct at its parks. The termination of the partnership represents a significant setback for the organization, which aims to create sustainable environments for wildlife and local communities.
With this development, the Duke of Sussex’s charitable associations continue to draw criticism, as he also recently stepped down from another charity, Sentebale, after internal disputes.
