LONDON (Reuters) – A conservation charity that counts Britain’s Prince Harry as a board member has been launched in Chad after the country’s government accused it of failing to protect wildlife.
King Charles’ youngest son Harry has been appointed to the African Parks Council (APN), the charity that protects natural habits and wildlife, for 2023, after seven years of involvement.
Chad’s environment minister, Hassan Bakhit Djamous, said the decision to cut ties was in response to “a resurgence in poaching and a severe lack of investment, including in infrastructure and anti-poaching efforts, APN’s failure to respect key terms of the agreement” and the “repeated non-renewal” demonstrated by Chad’s government.
Parks managed the park in 12 other countries, including Angola, Malawi and Zambia, where Chad was confirmed to have terminated its two management mandates.
“Africa Parks has initiated discussions with the Department to understand the government’s position and explore the best way forward to support the continued protection of these key protected landscapes,” it said in a statement.
This is the second time this year that a charity linked to Prince Harry has attracted negative headlines.
He resigned from Sentebale after a public campaign with chair Sophie Chandauka, who accused Harry and trustees of bullying, misogyny and racism, after working with people living with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana.
Britain’s charities watchdog said in August it had found no evidence of bullying.
Harry, who lives in California with Meghan and their two children, stopped serving as a member of the British royal family in 2020.
(Reporting by Sarah Young, additional reporting by Robbie Corey-Boulet; Editing by Michael Holden)
