Tanzania government made life increasingly difficult for Maasai Community: President Takes Action

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has made two committees to resolve land issues in the country’s northern Ngorongoro province which is known for its wildlife.

The first committee will look into resident concerns while the second will look into the government’s “voluntary” removal of residents from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to Msomera village inTanga Region’s Handeni which is nearly 600 kilometers away. The government justifies the relocations with “conservation” arguments.

Human Rights Watch has documented that since 2022 the government has cut important public services including hospitals and schools for making life more difficult for the 100,000 Indigenous Maasai pastoralists to live. After cutting the vital supplies the government states that these people should live in a safe region. Many had to relocate as a result. 

There have also been incidents where residents are being harassed and beaten by government officials for not following the laws that limit movement within and near the conservation area.

In August, the president pledged a way for these inquiries by promising to “fully provide” hospital and educational facilities and to establish voting places in the conservation area so that local voters may cast ballots in November elections. Since then, the government only removed vehicle tax for locals and put aside funds to construct a school dormitory in the conservation area.

But these are not enough and human rights suggests that the government should meet the impacted communities, prohibit any forceful displacement of residents and cancel any proposal to relocate people from the conservation area. They are also urging the government to include women in these meaningful talks. 

Residents who have been harassed, beaten or subjected to other forms of abuse by forest officials, especially commanding officials should be held accountable by the government through proper disciplinary and legal measures and they should be compensated accordingly.

The Human Rights Watch also forces the government to respect the Maasai community’s human rights as an Indigenous group as well as their legal systems, customs and practices that have been used for generations to administer their ancestral lands.