Prince Harry has stepped away from the board of African Parks a year after an internal investigation found that some of the conservation charity's rangers had abused indigenous people in one of the national parks under its stewardship in the Republic of Congo.
He had fulfilled the minimum three-year term, though he could have been appointed for two more and up to a maximum of nine years, according to People. The charitable group, founded in 2000, partners with authorities in 13 African countries to manage environmentally protected areas. Harry, the Duke of Sussex, became involved with the organization in 2016 and served as president from 2017 to 2023 before being made a trustee.
African Parks expressed its "deep gratitude" last week in announcing a "governance refresh" of its board of directors as it welcomed two new members and bid the U.K. royal farewell.
"The Duke is proud of his 10 years with African Parks and fully supports the ongoing strengthening of its Board," a spokesman for the prince told People. "His commitment to conservation in Africa continues, and he remains a supporter of African Parks' mission."
Harry's departure comes as African Parks grapples with the fallout from an internal investigation that found "in some incidents, human rights abuses have occurred" against the Baka community in Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Republic of Congo, the organization said in May 2025, announcing the findings from a three-year independent investigation. "We deeply regret the pain and suffering caused to the victims."
The London-based human rights group Survival International, which works to protect the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples, had been raising the alarm about abuses as severe as rape for years before Harry took over as president, according to The Times of London.
Survival International welcomed Harry's gesture on Monday and credited him with getting African Parks' officials to take the longstanding complaints seriously after the group appealed directly to him.
"Survival International has been calling on Prince Harry to step down from African Parks for years," the group said in a statement Monday. "He finally has."
Director Caroline Pearce said it was "outrageous" for him to serve African Parks "while the organization has been responsible for abuse and violence against Indigenous people."
Harry's departure from African Parks came ahead of his recently announced move back to the U.K. from California, where he has lived with wife Meghan Markle and their two young children since the couple announced their exit from official royal life in 2020.
It's the second African charity Harry has divested from, the first being Sentebale, which he co-founded in memory of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.