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Chad has terminated a 15-year partnership with African Parks, a non-profit conservation group associated with Prince Harry, accusing it of failing to curb poaching and showing “disrespect” toward the government.
Environment Minister Hassan Bakhit Djamous said African Parks had displayed a “recurring indelicate and disrespectful attitude” and failed to invest adequately in the wildlife reserves it managed. He also cited a resurgence in poaching within the protected areas.
The decision ends African Parks’ mandate to manage the Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve and the Greater Zakouma Ecosystem, which includes the Zakouma and Siniaka-Minia national parks.
African Parks said it was in discussions with the government “to better understand its position” and to “explore the best way forward to support the continued protection of these critical landscapes.”
The non-profit has managed the Zakouma National Park since 2010, during which time the elephant population reportedly grew from 450 to more than 550 by 2019.
Founded in 2000, African Parks has built a reputation for taking over struggling reserves across Africa, assuming day-to-day management while governments retain overall authority. The group is active in over a dozen countries, often praised for restoring degraded ecosystems but also criticised for its hardline tactics.
Prince Harry sits on the organisation’s board and previously served as its president.
Earlier this year, African Parks faced scrutiny after admitting that guards at one of its parks in the Republic of Congo committed human rights abuses against Indigenous peoples displaced by conservation projects.
The group said its management agreement for the Ennedi Reserve had been renewed as recently as April.
