Conservation vs. Indigenous People in Tanzania

Residents of Endulen village in Tanzania's Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) have expressed their frustration over ongoing government efforts to relocate their community. Many Maasai men and women voiced their weariness, recalling how their ancestors were also displaced from the Ngorongoro Crater. The Tanzanian government cites rising populations and livestock as a conservation concern, prompting the relocation of hundreds of Maasai to Msomera, a village on the eastern coast, since 2021. Research by Human Rights Watch has revealed that these relocations are not voluntary and have severely undermined the rights of the Maasai people. The government has systematically diminished access to essential services such as education and healthcare, with the downgrading of Endulen Hospital to a mere dispensary leading to critical shortages of medicines. Local schools are in disrepair, lacking adequate facilities, while the government has refused to allocate funds for improvements. Moreover, government rangers have reportedly harassed and attacked residents who resist relocation, creating an atmosphere of fear. Authorities have also barred non-governmental organizations from entering the area, effectively preventing external support for the affected communities. The government has taken unilateral decisions regarding relocation sites, constructing homes without consulting the Maasai, and has even displaced families in Msomera, labeling them as “trespassers” and threatening eviction for dissent. The strained relationship between the Maasai and the residents of Msomera has further exacerbated tensions, with locals feeling their land and resources are being unjustly taken.