Loliondo Game Controlled Area
Pastoralists’ Indigenous NGOs Forum (Pingos Forum): Email: info@pingosforum.or.tz
Legal And Human Rights Centre (LHRC): Email: lhrc@humanrights.or.tz
Cultural Survival Amnesty International IWGIA: Website: https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/iwgia-international-work-group-indigenous-affairs
The Frankfurt Zoological Society's stated mission goals are: Protecting wildlife and ecosystems. Supporting protected areas and wilderness. Focusing on science and long-term partnerships.
Managed by Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TAWA) Email: cc@tawa.go.tz
Under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT)
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT) MINISTER: Hon. Angellah Jasmine Mbelwa Kairuki: Email: dw@maliasili.go.tz
Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS)
While FZS is a major conservation NGO working in the Serengeti ecosystem, it has stated that it has not provided technical or financial advice or assistance regarding Loliondo GCA or the Pololeti area.[1] However, FZS does receive significant funding from the German government—reportedly €18.6 million (~$19.7 M) since 2012—and has used those funds to support TANAPA (Tanzania National Parks Authority) with equipment, such as vehicles and aircraft. [2]
Website: https://fzs.org/en/
German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
This government body has provided financial support to Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS)—but again, not specifically earmarked for Loliondo.[3] Although FZS has denied involvement in the Loliondo evictions, it was mentioned as one of the funders in the land use plan report for Ngorongoro District, which proposed redrawing village boundaries after the 1,502 square kilometres were taken.[4] That land use plan was an attempt to legitimize the illegal evictions of 2022. In 2023, the land use plan proposal intended to take a small portion of the remaining land for the Wildlife Management areas (WMAS). FZS has admitted supporting the establishment of Wildlife Management Areas, which likewise do not offer better protection.[5]
[1] Frankfurt Zoological Society, ‘Appraisal of the situation of Loliondo’ (6 November 2022) https://fzs.org/en/news/appraisal-of-the-situation-of-loliondo/
[2] Benjamin Hindrichs, ‘How German government funds are used to dispossess Tanzania’s Maasai in Serengeti land grab’ Mongabay (29 November 2024)https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/how-german-government-funds-and-tanzanian-conservation-agencies-fuel-the-serengeti-land-grab/
[3] Benjamin Hindrichs, ‘How German government funds are used to dispossess Tanzania’s Maasai in Serengeti land grab’ Mongabay (29 November 2024)
[4] Earth Journalism Network, ‘How German government funds and Tanzanian conservation agencies fuel the Serengeti land grab’ https://earthjournalism.net/stories/how-german-government-funds-and-tanzanian-conservation-agencies-fuel-the-serengeti-land
[5] Msuha M, ‘Conservation in Tanzania: Partnering with Communities for People and Nature’ Frankfurt Zoological Society https://fzs.org/en/programs/tanzania/serengeti-national-park/conservation-in-tanzania-partnering-with-communities-for-people-and-nature/
In 1951[6], the British colonial government designated the Loliondo Game Control Area (LGCA) in Tanzania, spanning 4,000 square kilometers, allowing both wildlife preservation and human habitation. The establishment of game-controlled areas was not intended to restrict human activities, residence, or entry, but rather to regulate unauthorized hunting in such areas. Along with the game-controlled area, there were also registered villages with people living there.[7]
In 1992, the Tanzanian government planned to reserve 1,500 square kilometers of LGCA exclusively for wildlife viewing and hunting after the land was handed over to the Ortello Business Corporation, a UAE-based company for trophy hunting, with licenses issued in 1992 and renewed in 2009.[8]
In 1993, a plan was developed to restrict local community use of the earmarked 1,500 square kilometers for tourism purposes.[9]
[6] Human Rights Watch, ‘Tanzania: Maasai forcibly displaced for game reserve’ (27 April 2023) https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/04/27/tanzania-maasai-forcibly-displaced-game-reserve
[7] Definitions section of the Fauna Conservation Ordinance, 1951. Cap 302. Available at https://elibrary.osg.go.tz/items/61352521-0bf5-4f5d-9b29-4536b712ba39/full.
[8] Amnesty International, Tanzania: Business as usual in bloodied land? Role of businesses in forced evictions in Loliondo, Tanzania (7 August 2024) https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr56/8320/2024/en/
[9] Amnesty International, Tanzania: Business as usual in bloodied land? Role of businesses in forced evictions in Loliondo, Tanzania (7 August 2024)
In 2009, Tanzania adopted a revised Wildlife Conservation Act, restricting local communities' access and grazing rights in game reserves and controlled areas. [18]
In 2009, pastoralists were harassed, livestock were seized, and homesteads were burned within 1,500 square kilometers.[19] In the same year, the government enacted the Wildlife Conservation Act, No. 5 of 2009. The new law restricted human activities within game-controlled areas. However, the law clearly provides that when a game-controlled area overlaps with registered villages, the game-controlled area will be discontinued.[20] The Pololeti Game Controlled Area, which was later upgraded to a game reserve, overlaps with 15 villages in Loliondo and Sale.[21]In April 2013, the government announced that local inhabitants would have limited access to 2,500 square kilometers for community development, while the remaining 1,500 square kilometers would become an exclusive game reserve.[22]
The 2009 gross human rights violations were repeated on an even larger scale in 2017, with increased violence.[23] The community responded to these human rights violations by filing a case in the East African Court of Justice.[24] The most egregious wave of human rights violations in Loliondo occurred in June 2022, when the government employed state machinery to invade the land, attack the community, and seize the historically disputed land completely.[25]
On January 12, 2022, Mongella, the regional Commissioner for the Arusha region, reaffirmed the government's plan to convert and demarcate 1,500 square kilometers as a game reserve without community consultation.[26]
On February 14, 2022, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa addressed conservation stakeholders in Loliondo, promising that the government would not take Maasai land and acknowledge their role in conservation efforts.[27]
On June 8, 2022, Police, military personnel, and game rangers arrived in several villages in Loliondo, initiating the enforcement of the demarcation.[28]
On June 9, 2022, ten Loliondo community leaders were arrested and detained by authorities.[29]
On June 10, 2022, Security forces violently confronted residents protesting the demarcation, resulting in injuries, destruction of property, and loss of life.[30]
On June 13, 2022, Government officials denied reports of violence and threatened individuals sharing information about the events in Loliondo.[31]
On June 15, 2022, Isaya Olepose Laizer, an activist, was arrested and beaten for speaking out about the situation in Loliondo.[32]
Similarly, on 15 June 2022, the Minister for Home Affairs, Hamad Masauni, landed in Loliondo with a military helicopter. Like the Inspector General of Police, the Minister for Home Affairs directed immigration department officers to deal with immigrants who interfered with the demarcation of the village land.[33] Unlike Simon Sirro, Hamad Masauni went a step further to intimidate non-governmental organizations engaged in supporting the community.[34]
On 17 June 2022, the Minister for Tourism and Natural Resources declared the area measuring 1,502 square kilometres, which belongs to 15 registered villages, as the Pololeti Controlled Area.[35]
On 22 June 2022, Anna Makakala, the Commissioner General of Immigration, during her visit to Loliondo, executed the ministerial directives by ordering a ten-day operation to identify and arrest all unlawful immigrants.[36] This was followed by the arrest of over 100 people, of whom 62 were taken to court and charged with immigration-related offenses. The latter were acquitted by the court due to a lack of prosecution.[37]
Since June 2022, residents have faced restricted access to resources, including land, water, and livelihoods, leading to food insecurity and loss of cultural practices.[38]
Since June 2022, Arbitrary arrests and detention of community leaders and activists continued, along with threats and intimidation to silence dissent.[39]
Since June 2022, Sexual violence, including rape, has been reported, and victims were denied access to post-rape care and medical treatment.[40]
Since June 2022, livestock belonging to residents has been confiscated and auctioned off, exacerbating financial hardships.[41]
Since June 2022, Residents have faced a climate of fear, with many unable to return home due to continued threats and harassment by security forces.[42]
From June 20 to July 28, 2022, gross human rights violations took place, including the arrest of people, where 27 people were arrested and charged with murder and spent 6 months, and then were released after the whole process of acquiring the land was over.[43] These people include all the leaders from the affected areas. The government also began demarcating the off-limits area, destroying homes and property.[44]
In July 2022, livestock belonging to one community member were shot and killed by security forces conducting an operation in the area.[45]
On 14 October 2022, the President declared by gazetting the disputed land to be a Game Reserve without revoking the ministerial notice that had already designated the same area as a Game Controlled Area. [46]
On 28 September 2022, [47] The Minister of Constitution and Legal Affairs of Tanzania declared that the demarcated land measuring 1,502 square kilometers would be managed by the NCAA, which is contrary to the law that stipulates all game reserves and game-controlled areas should be under TAWA's management.[48]
In October 2022, the government, through the Ngorongoro District Commissioner, issued a notice to redraw village boundaries, excluding 1,502 square kilometers of land.[49]
On 28 November 2023, the NCAA issued a notice to the public that from January to November 2023, it had seized 19,382 livestock in the Pololeti area and charged them with Tanzania Shillings 788,475,000(equal to $323,809).[50]
In 2025, the Minister for Tourism and Natural Resources said in her speech in parliament that, from July 2024 to June 2025, the government (NCAA) had seized 11,000 livestock in the Pololeti area. This severe livestock seizure and fining reduced the community to devastation and a high level of poverty.[51]
[18] Section 16 (4) (5) of the Wildlife Conservation Act, ([Cap 283 RE 2022] available at https://www.maliasili.go.tz/assets/pdfs/CHAPTER283-THEWILDLIFECONSERVATIONACTrevisededition.pdf; see also: Human Rights Watch, ‘Tanzania: Maasai forcibly displaced for game reserve’ (27 April 2023)
[20] Section 16 (4) (5) of the Wildlife Conservation Act, ([Cap 283 RE 2022] available at https://www.maliasili.go.tz/assets/pdfs/CHAPTER283-THEWILDLIFECONSERVATIONACTrevisededition.pdf.
[21] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[22] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022), https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[23] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023) https://mwanzotv.com/loliondo-land-grabbing-history-of-pain-and-bitterness-in-an-unaccountable-state/
[24] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022)
[25] Leiyo Singo, ‘When Maasaiphobia Became Policy: An Insider’s Perspective on Environmental Racism and the Maasai Predicament in Ngorongoro’ The Republic (3 August 2022) https://rpublc.com/august-september-2022/maasai-predicament-ngorongoro/
[26] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[27] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[28] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[29]Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023); see also: Katie McQue, Mattha Busby and Rory James, ‘Maasai leaders arrested in protests over Tanzanian game reserve’ The Guardian (14 June 2022) https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/jun/14/maasai-leaders-arrested-in-protests-over-tanzanian-game-reserve
[30] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[31] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[32] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[33] Human Rights Watch, ‘Tanzania: Maasai forcibly displaced for game reserve’ (27 April 2023)
[34] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[35] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[36] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[37] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[38] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[39] Human Rights Watch, ‘Tanzania: Maasai forcibly displaced for game reserve’ (27 April 2023)
[40] Human Rights Watch, ‘Tanzania: Maasai forcibly displaced for game reserve’ (27 April 2023)
[41] Human Rights Watch, ‘Tanzania: Maasai forcibly displaced for game reserve’ (27 April 2023)
[42] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[43] Human Rights Watch, ‘Tanzania: Maasai forcibly displaced for game reserve’ (27 April 2023)
[44] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023), see also: Caroline Kimeu, ‘Tanzania drops murder charges against 24 Maasai leaders’ The Guardian (25 November 2022) https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/nov/25/tanzania-drops-charges-against-24-maasai-leaders
[45] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[46] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[47] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[48] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[49] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[50] Maasai International Solidarity Alliance (MISA), ‘Newsletter: November–December 2023’ (14 December 2023) https://www.celep.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/MISA-news-nov-and-dec-2023.pdf
[51] Pindi Chana, ‘Budget Speech 2025/2026’ (June 2025)-https://www.maliasili.go.tz/assets/pdfs/HOTUBAYABAJETIYAWIZARAKWAMWAKA2025-2026_updated.pdf. see also Amnesty International, ‘We have lost everything”: Forced evictions of the Maasai in Loliondo, Tanzania’ (5 June 2023) https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr56/6841/2023/en/
Tourism and trophy hunting
Several investors, such as Ortello Business Corporation (OBC), &Beyond Camp, TAASA Lodge, and Thomson Safaris, are operating in Loliondo. They are accused by the Maasai indigenous community of being complicit in their suffering.[10] According to various reports:
OBC has abetted the eviction of the Maasai in Loliondo. An eyewitness interviewed by Amnesty International said, among other things, that OBC facilitated the eviction by allowing security forces involved in the eviction to set up camps on its property.[11] The reports also assert that OBC personnel accompanied security personnel during their operations.[12] The involvement of OBC in human rights violations was also confirmed by Hamis Kigwangalla, former Minister of Tourism and Natural Resources; he said that the company bribed rangers to seize livestock and harass herders.[13]
Other tourism companies operating in these areas, like &Beyond Camp, stopped paying leasing fees to Ololosokwan village from 2022, when the evictions began, and continue to do so to this day.[14] &Beyond and TAASA Lodge operate within the 1,502 square kilometers from which the Maasai were evicted. The Maasai also claim that their livestock has been seized in those areas.[15]
Thomson Safaris is accused by the community of using state organs to burn down homes and beat community members.[16] During its 2022 operations in Loliondo, Thomson Safaris is accused of using security personnel to demarcate its boundaries without involving the community.[17]
[10]Amnesty International, Tanzania: Business as usual in bloodied land? Role of businesses in forced evictions in Loliondo, Tanzania (7 August 2024); see also; Laurel Sutherland, ‘Tanzania, siding with UAE firm, plans to evict Maasai from ancestral lands’ Mongabay (18 February 2022) https://news.mongabay.com/2022/02/tanzania-siding-with-uae-firm-plans-to-evict-maasai-from-ancestral-lands/
[11] Amnesty International, Tanzania: Business as usual in bloodied land? Role of businesses in forced evictions in Loliondo, Tanzania (7 August 2024) https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr56/8320/2024/en/; See also: Laurel Sutherland, ‘Tanzania, siding with UAE firm, plans to evict Maasai from ancestral lands’ Mongabay (18 February 2022)
[12] Amnesty International, Tanzania: Business as usual in bloodied land? Role of businesses in forced evictions in Loliondo, Tanzania (7 August 2024) See also Laurel Sutherland, ‘Tanzania, siding with UAE firm, plans to evict Maasai from ancestral lands’ Mongabay (18 February 2022)
[13] Amnesty International, Tanzania: Business as usual in bloodied land? Role of businesses in forced evictions in Loliondo, Tanzania (7 August 2024) See also https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/tanzania-ends-hunting-deal-with-dubai-royal-family--1377400
[14] Amnesty International, Tanzania: Business as usual in bloodied land? Role of businesses in forced evictions in Loliondo, Tanzania (7 August 2024). See also Laurel Sutherland, ‘Tanzania, siding with UAE firm, plans to evict Maasai from ancestral lands’ Mongabay (18 February 2022)
[15] Laurel Sutherland, ‘Tanzania, siding with UAE firm, plans to evict Maasai from ancestral lands’ Mongabay (18 February 2022)
[16] Community Report submitted to the government on 25th May 2022, two weeks before eviction available athttps://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf, p. 62
[17] Oakland Institute, ‘US Luxury Safari Operator Tightens Stranglehold Over Maasai Land in Tanzania’ (Press Release, 16 April 2024) https://www.oaklandinstitute.org/press-release/us-luxury-safari-operator-tightens-stranglehold-over-maasai-land-tanzania
In September 2017, Maasai communities affected by forced evictions in August 2017 filed a case before the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), represented by the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU).[52] In recent human rights violations, the community responded to more than 10 cases in both the High Court of Tanzania and the East African Court of Justice.[53] The following are some of the cases filed by the community:
Ndaloi Orias Ng’iyo v. Officer Commanding District for Ngorongoro District and 5 Others, Misc. Criminal Application No. 67 of 2022,[54] the case is about the enforced disappearance of Orias Ng’iyo, an old man aged 85. He disappeared during an operation that took place on 10 June 2022, while being injured by security forces. He was last seen by family members surrounded by gunmen and carried inside the police vehicle. The application was dismissed by the court on 17 May 2022 for insufficient evidence to hold the government accountable. The court dismissed the habeas corpus application for two reasons: the Applicant never reported to the police that his father’s whereabouts were unknown, and neither of the 27 residents from Loliondo mentioned whether Orias had been detained with them.
Ndalamia Partareto Taiwap and 4 Others vs Minister of Natural Resource and Tourism and Another, Miscellaneous Civil Cause No. 21 of 2022,[55] 5 Maasai from Loliondo went to court to challenge the decision the minister declared the village land as a game-controlled area. Though the court faulted the minister for the failure to consult relevant local authorities before declaring the village land as a game-controlled area, but was hesitant to nullify the notice by the minister, as the same land had already been upgraded to a game reserve by the president. In addition, the court said it would be an “academic exercise.’’
Latang’amwaki Ndwati and 7 Others v. The Attorney General, Misc. Civil Cause No. 18 of 2023,[56] this case emanates from the presidential notice that declared the village land measuring 1,502 square kilometers as a Game Reserve on 14 October 2022 via the Government Notice No. 601 of 2022. The case was dismissed in 2024,[57]and now the appeal is pending at the Court of Appeal.
Ololosokwan Village Council and 2 Others vs the Attorney General, Application No 2 of 2022.[58] Contempt of Court against EACJ orders in Application No 15 of 2017 that directed the government not to evict people pending the determination of Reference No 10 of 2017. In June 2022, the government conducted operations that evicted people on the disputed land while the judgment delivery was pending. The case was dismissed by the first instance court as it had been overtaken by events, and now the appeal is pending in the Appellate Division.
Ololosokwan Village Council and 2 Others vs. AG Appeal No 12 of 2022 EACJ.[59] An appeal has been filed against the decision of the First Instance Court, which ruled that the Applicants failed to prosecute their case. The Appellate Division overruled the decision of the first instance court and retrial. The First Instance court has never scheduled the case to date.
Megweri Mako & 5 Others V. A.G. Reference No 37 Of 2022 EACJ.[60] The Applicants are asking the court to declare that by Tanzanian Government breached the Treaty establishing the East African Community by conducting operations associated with gross violation of human rights, eviction of villagers in 14 villages, and declaration of the village land as a Game Controlled Area. Eviction is violence associated with it. In this case, pleadings are completed, and now the case is waiting for the court scheduling date.
[52] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[53] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[54] Ndoloi Orialisi Ng’iyo v Officer Commanding District for Ngorongoro District and 5 Others [2023] TZHC 17513 (17 May 2023) https://tanzlii.org/akn/tz/judgment/tzhc/2023/17513/eng@2023-05-17
[55] Ndalamia Partareto Taiwap & 4 Others v Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism & Another (Misc Civil Cause No 21 of 2022) [2023] TZHC 21407 (19 September 2023) https://tanzlii.org/akn/tz/judgment/tzhc/2023/21407/eng@2023-09-19
[56] Latang’amwaki Ndwati & 7 Others v Attorney General (Misc Civil Cause No 18 of 2023) [2024] TZHC 10844 (24 October 2024) https://tanzlii.org/akn/tz/judgment/tzhc/2024/10844/eng@2024-10-24
[57] Oakland Institute, ‘Tanzanian High Court Tramples Rights of Indigenous Maasai Pastoralists to Boost Tourism’ (Press Release, 29 October 2024) https://www.oaklandinstitute.org/press-release/tanzanian-high-court-tramples-rights-indigenous-maasai-pastoralists-boost-tourism
[58] Ololosokwan Village Council and 3 Others v Attorney General of the United Republic of Tanzania (Application No 2 of 2022, arising from Reference No 10 of 2017) (East African Court of Justice, First Instance Division) https://www.eacj.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Application-No.-2-of-2022-Arising-from-Reference-No.-10-of-2017-Ololosokwan-Village-County-Council-3-Others-v.-The-Attorney-General-of-the-United-Republic-of-Tanzania-1.pdf
[59] Ololosokwan Village Council, Oloirien Village Council, Kirtalo Village Council and Arash Village Council v Attorney General of the United Republic of Tanzania (Appeal No 13 of 2022, arising from Reference No 10 of 2017) (East African Court of Justice, Appellate Division, 29 November 2023) https://www.eacj.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Appeal-No.-13-of-2022.pdf
[60] Magweri Mokinga Mako & 5 Others v Attorney General of the United Republic of Tanzania (Reference No 37 of 2022) (East African Court of Justice, First Instance Division) https://www.eacj.org/?cases=reference-no-37-of-2022-magweri-mokinga-mako-5-others-v-the-attorney-general-of-the-united-republic-of-tanzania
The Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania of 1977 https://www.nao.go.tz/uploads/Constitution_of_the_United_Republic_of_Tanzania_en.pdf
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Act Cap. 284 R: E 2002 https://www.mnrt.go.tz/index.php/resources/view/the-ngorongoro-conservation-area-act-cap-284
https://tanzlii.org/akn/tz/act/1959/14/eng@2002-07-31
The Wildlife Conservation Act No.5 of 2009
The Village Land Act No.5 of 1999 https://media.tanzlii.org/files/legislation/akn-tz-act-1999-5-eng-2019-11-30.pdf
The Land Act No.4 of 1999. https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/tan23795.pdf
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area ordinance Act No. 14 of 1959 https://www.parliament.go.tz/polis/uploads/bills/acts/1565009945-The%20Ngorongoro%20Conservation%20Area%20Ord.%20(Amdt.)%20Act,%2043-1963.pdf https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/tan17717.pdf
The National Parks Act Cap. 252 https://tanzanialaws.com/statutes/principal-legislation/239-national-parks-act https://www.mnrt.go.tz/index.php/resources/view/the-national-parks-act-cap-283
The Land Acquisition Act, Cap. 118. https://tanzlii.org/akn/tz/act/1967/47/eng@2019-11-30/source.pdf
On June 2, 2023, a Maasai delegation meets with European governments and politicians on the eviction crisis.[61]
In January 2023, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights initiated a joint mission to Loliondo, Ngorongoro, and Msomera, where it noted various concerns of human rights violations. The Commission’s report was published on its website in August 2025.[62]
In December 2023, the European Parliament made a resolution about the Maasai human rights situation in Loliondo and Ngorongoro.[63]
[61] International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), ‘Maasai delegation meets with European governments and politicians on eviction crisis’ (2 June 2023) https://iwgia.org/en/tanzania/5212-maasai-delegation-european-leaders-g…
[62] African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), ‘The United Republic of Tanzania: Joint Promotion and Fact-Finding Mission, 2023’ (6 August 2025) https://achpr.au.int/en/mission-reports/tanzania-joint-promotion-fact-finding-mission-2023
[63] European Parliament, ‘The Maasai Communities in Tanzania’ (Resolution of 14 December 2023) P9_TA(2023)0478 (2023/3024(RSP)) https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0478_EN.html
[1] Frankfurt Zoological Society, ‘Appraisal of the situation of Loliondo’ (6 November 2022) https://fzs.org/en/news/appraisal-of-the-situation-of-loliondo/
[2] Benjamin Hindrichs, ‘How German government funds are used to dispossess Tanzania’s Maasai in Serengeti land grab’ Mongabay (29 November 2024) https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/how-german-government-funds-and-tanzanian-conservation-agencies-fuel-the-serengeti-land-grab/
[3] Benjamin Hindrichs, ‘How German government funds are used to dispossess Tanzania’s Maasai in Serengeti land grab’ Mongabay (29 November 2024)
[4] Earth Journalism Network, ‘How German government funds and Tanzanian conservation agencies fuel the Serengeti land grab’ https://earthjournalism.net/stories/how-german-government-funds-and-tanzanian-conservation-agencies-fuel-the-serengeti-land
[5] Msuha M, ‘Conservation in Tanzania: Partnering with Communities for People and Nature’ Frankfurt Zoological Society https://fzs.org/en/programs/tanzania/serengeti-national-park/conservation-in-tanzania-partnering-with-communities-for-people-and-nature/
[6] Human Rights Watch, ‘Tanzania: Maasai forcibly displaced for game reserve’ (27 April 2023) https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/04/27/tanzania-maasai-forcibly-displaced-game-reserve
[7] Definitions section of the Fauna Conservation Ordinance, 1951. Cap 302. Available at https://elibrary.osg.go.tz/items/61352521-0bf5-4f5d-9b29-4536b712ba39/full
[8] Amnesty International, Tanzania: Business as usual in bloodied land? Role of businesses in forced evictions in Loliondo, Tanzania (7 August 2024) https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr56/8320/2024/en/
[9] Amnesty International, Tanzania: Business as usual in bloodied land? Role of businesses in forced evictions in Loliondo, Tanzania (7 August 2024)
[10] Amnesty International, Tanzania: Business as usual in bloodied land? Role of businesses in forced evictions in Loliondo, Tanzania (7 August 2024); see also Laurel Sutherland, ‘Tanzania, siding with UAE firm, plans to evict Maasai from ancestral lands’ Mongabay (18 February 2022) https://news.mongabay.com/2022/02/tanzania-siding-with-uae-firm-plans-to-evict-maasai-from-ancestral-lands/
[11] Amnesty International, Tanzania: Business as usual in bloodied land? Role of businesses in forced evictions in Loliondo, Tanzania (7 August 2024) https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr56/8320/2024/en/; see also Laurel Sutherland, ‘Tanzania, siding with UAE firm, plans to evict Maasai from ancestral lands’ Mongabay (18 February 2022)
[12] Amnesty International, Tanzania: Business as usual in bloodied land? Role of businesses in forced evictions in Loliondo, Tanzania (7 August 2024); see also Laurel Sutherland, ‘Tanzania, siding with UAE firm, plans to evict Maasai from ancestral lands’ Mongabay (18 February 2022)
[13] Amnesty International, Tanzania: Business as usual in bloodied land? Role of businesses in forced evictions in Loliondo, Tanzania (7 August 2024); see also https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/tanzania-ends-hunting-deal-with-dubai-royal-family--1377400
[14] Amnesty International, Tanzania: Business as usual in bloodied land? Role of businesses in forced evictions in Loliondo, Tanzania (7 August 2024); see also Laurel Sutherland, ‘Tanzania, siding with UAE firm, plans to evict Maasai from ancestral lands’ Mongabay (18 February 2022)
[15] Laurel Sutherland, ‘Tanzania, siding with UAE firm, plans to evict Maasai from ancestral lands’ Mongabay (18 February 2022)
[16] Community Report submitted to the government on 25th May 2022, available at https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf, p. 62
[17] Oakland Institute, ‘US Luxury Safari Operator Tightens Stranglehold Over Maasai Land in Tanzania’ (Press Release, 16 April 2024) https://www.oaklandinstitute.org/press-release/us-luxury-safari-operator-tightens-stranglehold-over-maasai-land-tanzania
[18] Section 16 (4) (5) of the Wildlife Conservation Act (Cap 283 RE 2022) https://www.maliasili.go.tz/assets/pdfs/CHAPTER283-THEWILDLIFECONSERVATIONACTrevisededition.pdf; see also Human Rights Watch, ‘Tanzania: Maasai forcibly displaced for game reserve’ (27 April 2023)
[19] https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[20] Section 16 (4) (5) of the Wildlife Conservation Act (Cap 283 RE 2022) https://www.maliasili.go.tz/assets/pdfs/CHAPTER283-THEWILDLIFECONSERVATIONACTrevisededition.pdf
[21] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[22] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[23] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023) https://mwanzotv.com/loliondo-land-grabbing-history-of-pain-and-bitterness-in-an-unaccountable-state/
[24] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022)
[25] Leiyo Singo, ‘When Maasaiphobia Became Policy’ The Republic (3 August 2022) https://rpublc.com/august-september-2022/maasai-predicament-ngorongoro/
[26] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[27] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[28] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[29] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023); see also Katie McQue et al., The Guardian (14 June 2022) https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/jun/14/maasai-leaders-arrested-in-protests-over-tanzanian-game-reserve
[30] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[31] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[32] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[33] Human Rights Watch, ‘Tanzania: Maasai forcibly displaced for game reserve’ (27 April 2023)
[34] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[35] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[36] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[37] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[38] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[39] Human Rights Watch, ‘Tanzania: Maasai forcibly displaced for game reserve’ (27 April 2023)
[40] Human Rights Watch, ‘Tanzania: Maasai forcibly displaced for game reserve’ (27 April 2023)
[41] Human Rights Watch, ‘Tanzania: Maasai forcibly displaced for game reserve’ (27 April 2023)
[42] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[43] Human Rights Watch, ‘Tanzania: Maasai forcibly displaced for game reserve’ (27 April 2023)
[44] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023); see also Caroline Kimeu, The Guardian (25 November 2022) https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/nov/25/tanzania-drops-charges-against-24-maasai-leaders
[45] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[46] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[47] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[48] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[49] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[50] Maasai International Solidarity Alliance (MISA), ‘Newsletter: November–December 2023’ (14 December 2023) https://www.celep.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/MISA-news-nov-and-dec-2023.pdf
[51] Pindi Chana, ‘Budget Speech 2025/2026’ (June 2025) https://www.maliasili.go.tz/assets/pdfs/HOTUBAYABAJETIYAWIZARAKWAMWAKA2025-2026_updated.pdf; see also Amnesty International, ‘We have lost everything’ (5 June 2023) https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr56/6841/2023/en/
[52] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023)
[53] Ndoloi Orialisi Ng’iyo v Officer Commanding District for Ngorongoro District and 5 Others [2023] TZHC 17513 https://tanzlii.org/akn/tz/judgment/tzhc/2023/17513/eng@2023-05-17
[54] Ndalamia Partareto Taiwap & 4 Others v Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism & Another [2023] TZHC 21407 https://tanzlii.org/akn/tz/judgment/tzhc/2023/21407/eng@2023-09-19
[55] Latang’amwaki Ndwati & 7 Others v Attorney General [2024] TZHC 10844 https://tanzlii.org/akn/tz/judgment/tzhc/2024/10844/eng@2024-10-24
[56] Oakland Institute, ‘Tanzanian High Court Tramples Rights of Indigenous Maasai Pastoralists to Boost Tourism’ (29 October 2024) https://www.oaklandinstitute.org/press-release/tanzanian-high-court-tramples-rights-indigenous-maasai-pastoralists-boost-tourism
[57] Ololosokwan Village Council and 3 Others v Attorney General (EACJ, Application No 2 of 2022) https://www.eacj.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Application-No.-2-of-2022-Arising-from-Reference-No.-10-of-2017-Ololosokwan-Village-County-Council-3-Others-v.-The-Attorney-General-of-the-United-Republic-of-Tanzania-1.pdf
[58] Ololosokwan Village Council et al v Attorney General (EACJ Appeal No 13 of 2022) https://www.eacj.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Appeal-No.-13-of-2022.pdf
[59] Magweri Mokinga Mako & 5 Others v Attorney General (EACJ Reference No 37 of 2022) https://www.eacj.org/?cases=reference-no-37-of-2022-magweri-mokinga-mako-5-others-v-the-attorney-general-of-the-united-republic-of-tanzania
[60] International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), ‘Maasai delegation meets with European governments and politicians on eviction crisis’ (2 June 2023) https://iwgia.org/en/tanzania/5212-maasai-delegation-european-leaders-governments-politicians-eviction-crisis.html
[61] African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), ‘Joint Promotion and Fact-Finding Mission, 2023’ (6 August 2025) https://achpr.au.int/en/mission-reports/tanzania-joint-promotion-fact-finding-mission-2023
[62] European Parliament, ‘The Maasai Communities in Tanzania’ (Resolution of 14 December 2023) https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0478_EN.html
[63] European Parliament, ‘The Maasai Communities in Tanzania’ (Resolution of 14 December 2023) P9_TA(2023)0478 (2023/3024(RSP)) https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0478_EN.html