The Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy (IPLP) Program at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law has submitted a legal brief to the two Presidential Commissions established by the President of Tanzania to address land disputes and assess the relocation process for Indigenous Peoples in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA). The brief underscores the binding human rights obligations of the Government of Tanzania under international and regional law.

For years, the Maasai in Tanzania have been resisting state-led efforts to displace them from their ancestral lands. Today, more than 170,000 Maasai are at risk of forced eviction—or have already been displaced—in the name of trophy hunting, safari tourism development, and fortress conservation initiatives in Loliondo and the NCA.

In April 2025, IPLP submitted a comprehensive legal analysis to the two Presidential Commissions affirming that the Maasai meet all established international criteria to be recognized as Indigenous Peoples. The brief emphasizes Tanzania’s legal obligations to respect and protect the Maasai’s rights to self-identification, land, culture, and Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). 

Drawing on authoritative UN and African human rights instruments, regional jurisprudence, and expert commentary, the brief documents serious and ongoing human rights violations—including forced evictions, loss of access to ancestral territories, and exclusion from decision-making in conservation governance. 

The report offers 10 key recommendations, including the formal recognition by the Government of Tanzania of the Maasai as Indigenous Peoples, the full implementation of the Maasai right to consultation and FPIC, the provision of effective remedies and reparations, and the adoption of a rights-based approach to conservation.