Maasai in Tanzania reply to the Tanzanian Government’s false statement on theirs rights

The government publication disputes the existence of Indigenous Peoples in the country, describing the Maasai as just one of 120 ethnic groups. However, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights considers the Maasai, Barabaig, Hadzabe and Akie communities as Indigenous Peoples, based on criteria such as self-identification, non-dominant societal status, a history of severe discrimination and a land-based culture.

The government’s claim that the Maasai enjoy the same rights as other citizens is disputed by the Maasai. The Maasai explain that they have been marginalised and denied access to essential services such as health care and education, and to have suffered discrimination, loss of land and disregard for their traditional knowledge and practices.

The Tanzanian government claims that the concept of Indigenous Peoples is a colonial construct designed to demean local communities. In contrast, the Maasai point out that the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights recognises the uniqueness of the culture and the historical injustices suffered by Indigenous Peoples in Africa, including the Maasai. As Indigenous Peoples, the Maasai demand redress for historical injustices and enjoyment of the same rights as other citizens.

The government’s argument that the Loliondo Game Controlled Area was unoccupied before 1961 and that the Maasai have no customary rights to this land is refuted by the Maasai. The Maasai argue they have been present in the Ngorongoro, Serengeti and Loliondo areas for a long time, thus underlining their deep connection to these lands.

The Maasai also object to the government’s claim that they have not been the main community in Ngorongoro for centuries. They point out that the law establishing the Ngorongoro Conservation Area recognises the Maasai as the exclusive social group in the area.

The Tanzanian government claims that the presence of the Maasai is incompatible with wildlife conservation and environmental protection. The Maasai argues that big game hunting, not conservation, was the reason for the evictions in Loliondo. As in other parts of the world, conservation is being used as a pretext to dispossess Indigenous Peoples of their lands, resulting in human rights violations and the destruction of livelihoods.

The government blames the growing Maasai population and livestock for the conflicts and destruction of wildlife. The Maasai community rejects this view, explaining that the permitted hunting in neighbouring areas has pushed elephants into Ngorongoro, creating conflict. They also explain that the government’s failure to address poverty and provide social services exacerbates these problems.

The Maasai community argues that the government’s promise to provide food to the people of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area has not been fulfilled, and that poverty and food insecurity persist due to inadequate support and resource allocation.

The Maasai also dispute the government’s claim that the Maasai resettlement programme in Msomera is voluntary and has been developed in consultation with them. The Maasai argue that genuine consultation has not taken place and that the Maasai are being pressured and coerced to move. The Maasai argue that the government’s relocation package, which includes housing, land and services, is inadequate. The land provided is insufficient for pastoralism and the promised services have not been adequately provided. They feel that relocation to Msomera disrupts the Maasai way of life and challenges their cultural practices. In addition, the Maasai of Ngorongoro fear that the forced relocation will generate new conflicts with the Maasai of Msomera.

Questions about the government’s openness to visits by the UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples and the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing were also raised. The Maasai point to past actions by the Tanzanian government that have undermined previous attempts by the UN Special Rapporteur to visit the country, suggesting a lack of genuine willingness to address their human rights concerns.

While the government awaits the recommendations of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights mission, the Maasai are urging the Commission to thoroughly investigate the historical injustices and current violations of their rights. They hope that the Commission will provide recommendations that will address their long-standing grievances.

In conclusion, the Maasai of Ngorongoro and Loliondo are challenging the Tanzanian government’s claims concerning their rights. They demand recognition and respect for their land rights, as guaranteed by the Tanzanian Constitution. They call on the government to respect international human rights instruments, including those protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples, to end the violence and human rights violations against the Maasai people and to engage in meaningful dialogue and consultation to address the historical injustices they have suffered.

The Maasai remain determined to defend their rights, lands and welfare. They call on the international community, including international donors, human rights organisations and concerned individuals, to support their cause and oppose the injustices they face.

The full text of the Maasai response is available here.

For media enquiries, please contact

• Edward Porokwa, PINGO Forum, +255 754 479 815, eporokwa@pingosforum.or.tz
• Joseph Oleshangay, +255 769 637 623, joseshangay@gmail.com
• Martin Lena, Survival International, +33 142 41 47 62, ml@survivalinternational.fr

The Indigenous Pastoralist Non-Governmental Organisations Forum (PINGO’s Forum) is an advocacy coalition of 53 indigenous peoples’ organisations working in Tanzania for the rights of marginalised indigenous pastoralist and hunter-gatherer communities. It was formed in 1994 by six pastoralist and hunter-gatherer organisations as part of their struggle for land rights and development.

Maasai delegation to meet European leaders
in a bid to end the forced evictions and Human Rights abuses they are facing in Tanzania

A high-profile delegation of Maasai representatives starts a tour in several European countries this May, seeking international support to halt the ongoing forced evictions and human rights abuses against the Maasai people in Tanzania.

The Maasai have lived for generations in the Serengeti ecosystem in Tanzania and have shaped and protected these lands, preserving wildlife and biodiversity in areas such as Loliondo, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the now Serengeti National Park. However, they have been systematically marginalised and violently evicted from their ancestral lands to make way for conservation projects, tourism, and trophy-hunting schemes, severely violating their human and constitutional rights. This has also happened with the support of conservation NGOs like the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) and European funding.

In recent years, the Tanzanian government has been running a brutal campaign against the Maasai, characterised by forced evictions which have already affected tens of thousands of Maasai people across various regions. In 2022, the evictions of the Maasai in Loliondo to make way for a tourism and conservation operation were marked by extreme violence. The Tanzanian government has also paralysed the availability and access to vital social services, such as health services in Ngorongoro, as a weapon to force the Maasai out of their ancestral land. The government is running a brutal campaign against Maasai in Tanzania.

European governments, EU institutions and NGOs like FZS are involved directly or indirectly in tourism and conservation projects in Tanzania, including in the Ngorongoro district. Therefore, the delegation will visit Germany, Austria, and the EU headquarters in Brussels to raise their concerns. Its goal is to ensure these government entities take measures to respect and promote the human rights of the Maasai and prevent their financial support to the Tanzanian government from enabling further forced evictions and violence.

The Maasai delegation insists on the need to change the current tourism and conservation model, which promotes the vision that nature protection must be separated from human settlement. Indigenous peoples in many countries are being evicted in the name of conservation, and their livelihoods are destroyed, such as the lives of the Maasai. The delegation demands that: i) EU Member states and European institutions halt funding for tourism and conservation projects that violate human rights and ii) they ensure that international partnerships fully respect and promote land rights and human rights.

The Maasai delegation hopes that by raising awareness of these issues and garnering international support, they can help end the ongoing forced evictions and human rights abuses against their people in Tanzania. They also wish to show the dark side of tourism and correct the false assumptions about conservation, which have devastating consequences on their lives and lands. The Maasai’s traditional way of life is not incompatible with the protection of the environment. On the contrary, the Maasai shape and protect nature and biodiversity – if only they are free to access and move in their lands.

Background information on the conflict and demands of the Maasai:

• Tanzania: Maasai Forcibly Displaced for Game Reserve
• Community opinions on socio-economic, cultural & ecological status in Ngorongoro
• Open Letter from Survival International to the Executive Director of the Frankfurt Zoological Society
• The Tanzanian government recently issued a publication denying the Maasai’s status as an Indigenous People to justify the violation of their rights and the theft of their lands. In a public statement, the Maasai of Tanzania refute these allegations and denounce this serious undermining of their rights.

The Pastoralists Indigenous Non-Governmental Organization’s Forum (PINGO’s Forum) is an advocacy coalition of 53 indigenous peoples’ organisations working in Tanzania for the rights of the marginalised indigenous pastoralist and hunter-gatherer communities. It was established in 1994 by six pastoralist and hunter-gatherer organisations in their struggle for land rights and development.

The Maasai delegation to Europe is supported by a group of NGOs and civil society organisations in solidarity with the Maasai people of Tanzania. They work to raise awareness, foster international solidarity, and give Maasai people a voice as they are being criminalised. They further advocate for policy changes that will help the Maasai communities live in harmony with their land and wildlife, free from forced evictions and human rights abuses.

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