Chad has renewed its partnership with African Parks, the conservation charity associated with Prince Harry, just two weeks after abruptly ending its agreement with the group. 

The central African nation had announced on October 6 that it was cutting ties with African Parks, accusing the organization of failing to stop poaching and of showing a “disrespectful attitude”  toward local authorities.

But on Friday, both sides released a joint statement saying they had reopened talks “in a spirit of dialogue and cooperation” to discuss the management of Chad’s protected areas.

Under the new arrangement, African Parks will once again oversee Zakouma National Park and the Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve, both of which it had managed for the past 15 years. The organization will continue funding and co-managing these sites while also exploring new conservation projects in the country.

“This milestone comes at the close of a challenging period that required significant dialogue to reach mutual understanding and commitment on the way forward,” African Parks said in a statement.

CEO Peter Fearnhead welcomed the renewed partnership, calling it “a stable foundation to continue safeguarding some of Chad’s most extraordinary natural and cultural landscapes, together with the communities who depend on them.”

African Parks, founded in 2000, manages around 20 national parks and protected areas across 12 African countries. The organization’s mission is to protect biodiversity and support sustainable development in local communities.

Earlier this year, the charity faced criticism after admitting that some employees at one of its parks in the Republic of Congo had abused local residents. African Parks later declined to release the findings of an independent investigation into the incident.

Despite these challenges, the group’s reinstatement in Chad marks a significant step toward stabilizing conservation efforts in one of Africa’s most wildlife-rich regions. Photo by Paul Mannix, Wikimedia commons.