The Hadzabe community of Yaeda China valley, Tanzania, aren’t the only ones facing eviction and starvation so the commercial sport hunting industry can make a name for itself.
According to Survival International, eight Maasai villages were burnt to the ground last month—leaving 3,000 people without any food, shelter, or water.
“On 4 July, heavily armed Tanzanian riot police set fire to Maasai homesteads and foodstores to evict them from their ancestral land,” says Survival. “Thousands of Maasai are now destitute with their cattle in acute drought conditions. They were forced from their villages to create a game hunting area for the Otterlo Business Corporation (OBC). ”
17 years ago, the Tanzanian government granted OBC exclusive hunting rights to Maasai lands in Loliondo, northern Tanzania. The company is reportedly connected to Royal families from the United Arab Emirates—undoubtedly the same families pushing for a sport hunting enterprise on Hadzabe lands.
In the Name of Luxury
This wasn’t simply an eviction, like what the Ogiek are facing in nearby Kenya. It was also an attempt to dehumanize the Massai–specifically, Maasai women.
An unknown number of women were raped and severely beaten during the eviction. One woman told Survival, “two armed men chased me and forced me to lie down, at the same time another six men followed them and all raped me.”
“The recent atrocities show that the situation is now critical,” Survival goes on to say. “Maasai women recently demonstrating in Loliondo against the violent evictions were told they had no right to protest. Anonymous threats have also been made to local community leaders.”
Further, “the burning of villages has now stopped. But any Maasai herding cattle within the OBC hunting area are being arrested. Five people have already been tried without access to legal defence or bail, and have been imprisoned for six months. A further ten Maasai are due to appear in court on 24 August.”
International Demands
Since the July 4 eviction, several NGO’s have stepped forward in support of the Maasai, demanding a full, independent inquiry into the human rights violations.
They are also calling for the resignation of the Minister responsible for Natural Resources, for some recent, intolerable claim that the Massai were burning their own villages.
The NGO’s are further calling:
- Compensation which “can be paid by the government and OBC”;
- “For the process of degazetting Game Controlled Areas on village land “to be accelerated so the people of Loliondo can use their land without obstruction;”
- That “all the leaders… involved in this injustice and brutality be pursued and administrative and legal steps taken of prosecuting them in court;” and
- That “OBC’s hunting license be withdrawn and the company ordered to leave Loliondo Game Controlled Area.”
What You Can Do
If you would like to speak out in support of the Masaai and the Hadzabe (who’s situation has received next to no attention), send an email to:
- President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, United Republic of Tanzania – State House Luthuli Road, Box 9120, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 00 255 22 2 116 898 / 22 2 116 899 00 255 22 2 113 425 info@ikulu.go.tz
- Private Secretary to Mizengo Pinda, Prime Minister of Tanzania, Email: pm@pmo.go.tz; privatesec@pmo.go.tz
- Mr. Yacoub El Hillo, UNHCR Representative to Tanzania, elhillo@unhcr.org
- Tanzanian Embassy in your country: http://www.embassiesabroad.com/embassies-of/Tanzania
PHOTO: © Erika Bloom
John Ahniwanika Schertow is an indigenous rights activist of Mohawk (Kanienkehaka) and mixed-European descent. For the past 8 years, he has served as the e... 
The Maasai (also Masai) are a semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are among the most well known Indigenous People in all... 
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Jessica Tanady
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thanks for the report!
do you know any of the NGO’s that are involved in speaking out against this?
Hey Tina. Yeah, there’s quite a few. I don’t have the list of the “ngos that stepped forward” but First Peoples Worldwide, http://firstpeoplesworldwide.org Survival International http://www.survival-international.org and I believe Cultural Survival, http://www.culturalsurvival.org have released statements. Hope this helps.
What a sad and archaic act by the Tanzanian government. The Association of Maa Abroad is infuriated by the ruthless act of a government that should otherwise should have been helping such communities that are struggling from the drought. The masses are suffering at the expense of one tycoon. The act is an infringement of the fundamental human rights.
Such moves by governments and conservation institutions only exacerbate failure in meeting conservation goals. Who would teach who how to conserve? They should ask the local communities who have since time e memorial live on the land and co-existed with wildlife.
Tanzania should not be blinded by the short term dollars supply at the expense of its resources and people. The Arabs will come and go but the Maasai are there to stay.
Well said, Dennis. Well said.
What an act of aggression this is for the Maasai and Pastoralists of Tanzania. Is this the price the Maasai have to for preserving the flora and fauna of the Republic of Tanzania?, has the government of the now pet of the Western hemisphere in the name of Jakaya Kikwete forgotten so fast that he now allows a system that has sustained the Eco- system for centuries and has brought fame to Tanzania.
I wish to join the voices of the many citizens of the world who have raised their voiced to to speak of the inhuman, uncalled for and present day slavery that a community within an independent state can be subjected by its own government.
The act of forceful evictions accompanied by indiscriminate destruction of property and is tantamount to gross abuse and violation of the foundamental rights of the Maasai Pastoralists of Loliondo, Ngorongoro, Kilosa and other parts where the Tanzanian governments has sold the rights of the indigenous communities to the Moguls of the Arabian Peninsular.
I demand that all lovers of justice rally to the support of the communities who have now been left in the cold without food .
What ashame for our leaders! absolutely sad to hear bout this issue. And next year is another election they gonna go to them and beggin them to vote for them, shame corupt Government.
Thats very bad situation to our felow Tanzanian. The government is silence about all these! What are they waiting? or they are waiting for the ELECTION TIME? its high time for Tanzania leaders to act against this sityuation to rescue the citizen
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