By Judy Maina
NAIROBI – Tanzania is forcibly evicting Indigenous Maasai from their ancestral lands, according to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released on Wednesday.
The report claims that the Tanzanian government plans to relocate over 82,000 Maasai people from areas designated for “conservation and tourism purposes.”
Launched in 2022, the relocation program aims to move residents from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA)—a region the Maasai have called home for generations—to Msomera village, located approximately 600 kilometers (370 miles) away.
The forced relocations have sparked tensions between authorities and the Maasai community, occasionally resulting in deadly clashes. HRW conducted nearly 100 interviews between August 2022 and December 2023, including discussions with relocated individuals and those still facing eviction.
While Tanzania has permitted some nomadic communities to reside within national parks, officials argue that population growth among these communities threatens wildlife habitats.
However, the HRW report asserts that the government did not seek the “free, prior, and informed consent of the Indigenous Maasai residents” for the relocation plan.
Interviewees reported violations of their rights to land, education, health, and compensation, and described attacks on critics of the relocation process.
They also claimed that violence, including assaults by government-employed rangers, has been employed during the relocation.
HRW documented 13 instances of beatings by rangers between September 2022 and July 2023.
One Msomera resident revealed that individuals who voiced opposition to the relocation faced threats and intimidation from rangers and security forces.
“You’re not allowed to say anything,” the resident said, adding that people have “fear in their hearts.”
Juliana Nnoko, a senior researcher on women and land at HRW, emphasized the need for the Tanzanian government to respect the rights of Indigenous Maasai communities.
“It is an ethical obligation as well as a legal one,” she stated.
“The government should urgently reconsider its approach to ensure the survival, well-being, and dignity of the Maasai people, which this relocation process is putting at grave risk.”
The Tanzanian government maintains that its relocation scheme adheres to national laws regarding the rights of citizens.
The writer of this story can be reached at: judy.maina@alleastafrica.com
