Tanzania Should Halt Plan to Relocate Maasai Pastoralists - HRW

The government of Tanzania plans to displace about 150,000 pastoralists for its conservation initiatives in two areas in Ngorongoro district, Loliondo Game Controlled Area and Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA). In June 2022, security forces and Maasai clashed violently in Loliondo during a land demarcation exercise, which restricts access to grazing sites, and water sources - and in some places cuts across homes.

The resettlement plan will forcibly displace people in these herder communities from Ngorongoro district, Arusha region, to Handeni district, Tanga region, about 600 kilometers away - with little or no consultation. Up to 500 residents and 2,000 livestock have been moved to Msomera village in Handeni district since the relocation began on June 16, 2022.

The government should consult affected communities and ensure that they and their representatives have access to relevant information prior to consultation to obtain their free, prior, and informed consent, consistent with international standards, to any changes to conservation management plans, write Oryem Nyeko, senior researcher, Africa division and Juliana Nnoko-Mewanu, senior researcher, women's rights division at Human Rights Watch.