DAR ES SALAAM (Tanzania): Two presidential commissions in Tanzania have formally recommended that the government proceed with plans to remove Indigenous Maasai communities from parts of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) and other iconic wildlife and tourism zones. The recommendations were submitted to President Samia Suluhu Hassan earlier this week as part of ongoing efforts to redefine land use in the region, potentially displacing thousands of pastoralists who have lived on the land for generations.
The commissions were established last year following widespread protests by Maasai communities against earlier eviction plans that sought to relocate them from ancestral grazing lands in the conservation area. The government said the reviews were intended to balance conservation goals with socio‑economic development priorities, but Maasai leaders and rights advocates have criticized the process as biased and lacking genuine consultation with affected communities.
The Maasai are semi-nomadic pastoralists whose livelihoods depend on seasonal movement with their cattle across communal lands in northern Tanzania, including parts of the Serengeti ecosystem and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Their way of life, recognized as part of the country’s cultural heritage, has increasingly come under pressure from expanding tourism, hunting concessions, and conservation policies that restrict livestock grazing and human settlement.
The controversy dates back many years, with previous attempts by the government to restrict Maasai land use triggering national and international criticism. In 2024, large protests erupted within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, drawing attention to longstanding grievances over land rights, access to resources, and what Maasai representatives described as marginalization in decision-making. Human rights groups and legal advocates have argued that past eviction efforts violated legal protections and court injunctions, though the government maintained such measures were necessary for environmental protection and economic development.
The reports of the commissions have intensified fears among Maasai communities that any endorsement of eviction policies could legitimize sweeping relocations under the banner of conservation. Critics contend that displacement could undermine pastoralist livelihoods, disrupt traditional patterns of land use, and erode cultural identity. The Maasai have also voiced concern that relocation plans would strain receiving areas and lead to conflict with existing residents over grazing land and water resources.
On the other hand, it is argued that the dense human and livestock population within key conservation areas has contributed to environmental degradation, and that carefully managed relocation could reduce pressure on sensitive ecosystems while bolstering tourism revenue, which is a significant source of foreign exchange for Tanzania. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority, which oversees the site, has periodically offered incentives such as housing and land elsewhere for those who choose to move voluntarily, but many Maasai have rejected such proposals, insisting on remaining on their ancestral grounds.
Land rights advocates have emphasized that any resettlement or eviction must adhere to international standards for free, prior and informed consent, a principle they say was not observed by the two commissions. They point to a history of legal challenges and appeals by Maasai communities at both national and regional courts, arguing that there should be a judicial review before any large-scale displacement is enforced.
The recommendations are now with the president, but it is unclear as to how or when government will act on them. Observers say the debate around Maasai land rights and conservation policy in Tanzania reflects broader tensions in East Africa over how to reconcile Indigenous land tenure systems with modern development and environmental protection goals.
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