“Maasai Fight for Survival: Land Grabs, Evictions, and the Struggle for Cultural Identity in Tanzania”, March 6, 2025

In Tanzania, the Maasai, one of Africa’s most iconic Indigenous Peoples, are relentlessly struggling to protect their ancestral lands, cultural heritage, and way of life. Despite facing challenges such as forced evictions, environmental degradation, and systemic marginalization—often justified under the guise of conservation and tourism development—there is still hope for dialogue and constructive solutions. Tanzania is home to approximately 130 diverse ethnic groups, including the Maasai, Hadzabe, Barabaig, and Akeiye, who identify as Indigenous Peoples… The ancestral lands of the Maasai, located in some of Tanzania’s most fertile and biodiverse regions, serve as a means of livelihood and the foundation of their cultural and spiritual identity. However, these lands face increasing threats from “exclusionary fortress conservation,” a model that prioritizes the protection of wildlife and biodiversity over human rights. This often leads to the eviction of local and Indigenous communities. However, their activism comes at a significant personal cost. Many activists have been arrested multiple times for defending Maasai land rights and, due to government pressure, have been forced into exile in neighboring countries. There are numerous cases of disappearances, intimidation, and threats faced by these defenders.

During our visit, activists shared their experiences and multiple cases of such violations, highlighting the risks of advocating for Indigenous rights in Tanzania. They chose to remain anonymous, as it is evident that the government is cracking down on its critics, including the press and civil society, especially with the general election in Tanzania due in October 2025. During our visit, we met with several civil society organizations, from grassroots to national levels, forming a critical and dedicated coalition to raise awareness of Indigenous communities’ rights, advocate for their legal recognition, and document land rights violations. More than ever, civil society organizations must actively advocate for Indigenous Peoples’ rights nationally and internationally. There is also a need to build community members' capacity through training on legal matters and human rights, equipping them to document and report land invasions. We saw communities using cameras and GPS machines to precisely map areas where land violations occur. Such information is crucial for raising awareness and mobilizing local and international support. There are also instances where coalitions of civil society organizations have been instrumental in challenging high-profile land grabs. These organizations consolidated their advocacy and contacted different UN Special Rapporteurs to express their concerns and demands to the Tanzanian government and the World Bank. In January 2025, the World Bank halted funding for a regrow project in southern Tanzania. This project would have expanded Ruaha National Park, resulting in the eviction of 44 Indigenous villages and the displacement of over 84,000 people.

In 2024, civil society organizations united Maasai living near the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti to protest the deregistration of 25 villages in the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti, leading the government to reverse its decision. On August 2, 2024, the Arusha High Court ordered suspending further evictions. These are just a few examples of the many movements undertaken by civil society organizations that have reversed government decisions regarding the grabbing of Indigenous Peoples' land…