Tanzania has forced the indigenous Maasai people to abandon their ancestral villages, according to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The report, released on Wednesday, reveals that the Tanzanian government intends to relocate over 82,000 people from areas designated for “conservation and tourism.” This program, launched in 2022, aims to move residents of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), where the Maasai have lived for generations, to the village of Msomera, approximately 600 kilometers away. Tensions have arisen between the authorities and the nomadic community during this forced relocation, sometimes resulting in deadly clashes.

HRW interviewed nearly 100 individuals, including community members who have already relocated to Msomera and those facing relocation, between August 2022 and December 2023. While the nomadic community in Tanzania has been permitted to live within certain national parks, the authorities argue that a growing population threatens wildlife habitats.

The final report concludes that the government did not seek the free, prior, and informed consent of the indigenous Maasai residents regarding the relocation plan. Residents have also described to HRW how their rights to land, education, health, and compensation have been violated, along with reports of attacks on critics of the relocation process.

The report indicates that violence has been employed during the relocation process, with “government-employed rangers attacking and beating residents with impunity.” HRW documented 13 instances of violent assaults by rangers between September 2022 and July 2023. A resident from Msomera reported that those criticizing the relocation faced threats and intimidation from rangers and security forces. “You can’t say anything,” said the resident, adding that people live in fear.

Juliana Nnoko, senior researcher in women’s rights and land at HRW, emphasized that the Tanzanian government must respect the rights of indigenous Maasai communities. “It is both an ethical obligation and a legal one,” she stated. “The government should urgently reconsider its approach to ensure the survival, well-being, and dignity of the Maasai people, who are being put at serious risk by this relocation process.”

The Tanzanian government has consistently maintained that its relocation plan complies with the country’s laws concerning rights.