The Pololeti Game Reserve
PASTORALISTS INDIGENOUS NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS FORUM (PINGOs)
Website: https://pingosforum.or.tz/
FINAL GOVERNANCES
Website: https://finalgovernances.com/
PASTORAL WOMEN’S COUNCIL (PWC)
Website: https://pastoralwomenscouncil.org/
LEGAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER (LHRC)
Website: https://humanrights.or.tz/
Ngorongoro Pastoralists Council (NPC)
Website: https://pastoralwomenscouncil.org/
NGONET Ngorongoro NGOs Network
Information: https://www.landrightsnow.org/participant/ngorongoro-ngos-network-ngone…
TANZANIA HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS COALITION (THRDC)
Email: info@thrdc.or.tz
UJAMAA COMMUNITY RESOURCE TEAM (UCRT)
Phone: +255 767 568 444
Email: info@ujamaa-crt.or.tz
Community-Based Organizations (CBO)
The management of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA)
Contact information here: https://www.ncaa.go.tz/contact-us/
Mr ABDUL-RAZAQ BADRU: Conservation Commissioner (CC) and Chief Conservator
Mr. JOAS MAKWATI: Deputy Conservation Commissioner (DCC), Head of Conservation, Community Development and Tourism Directorate, and Deputy Conservation Commissioner (DCC)
Mr. AIDAN MAKALLA: Head of Cooperate Services Directorate.
Mr. EMMANUEL KAAYA: Head of Protection Services Department.
COL. HENRY KOMBA: A Military Officer.
MINISTRY: Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT).
LOCATED: Capital City of Tanzania: Dodoma
Contact:
(+255) 22 2861870,
(+255) 22 2861871,
(+255) 22 2861872
Fax: (+255) 22 2864217
MINISTER: Hon. Dr. Pindi Chana
DEPUTY MINISTER: Mr. Dunstan Luka Kitandula
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)
Although the FZS has denied involvement in the Loliondo evictions,(3) it was listed as one of the funders in the Ngorongoro District Land Use Plan (2023-2043), which proposed redrawing village boundaries after 1,502 square kilometres were taken.(4) The District Council, in the Land Use Plan Proposal, expressed its gratitude to “Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) in the Serengeti ecosystem for project implementation guidance under the FZS Country Director, Dr. Ezekiel, and the FZS SEMA Programme Manager, Mr. Msegeri Tumbuya Rurai, and other FZS staff for logistical support and mobilizing funds that facilitated the plan’s preparation.”(5)
This land use plan was an attempt to legitimize the illegal evictions of 2022. In 2023, the proposal sought to take the small remaining portion of land for the Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs). FZS has admitted supporting the establishment of WMAs, which likewise do not offer better protection.(6) The plan was ultimately rejected by the District Council, which argued that it served as a justification for the unlawful Pololeti declaration and posed additional threats of eviction. Government authorities have been using intimidation to pressure local leaders into accepting the plan.
German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
This government body has provided financial support to FZS, but not specifically earmarked for Loliondo.(7)
Wild Impact has supported local Maasai communities—Ololosokwan, Mairowa, and Sero—since around 2000 with:
Development of clinics and primary schools,
Food and water security initiatives,
Technology-based conservation efforts (e.g., “Cameras for Conservation”)(8)
[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] Frankfurt Zoological Society, ‘Appraisal of the situation of Loliondo’ (6 November 2022) https://fzs.org/en/news/appraisal-of-the-situation-of-loliondo/
[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]Ngorongoro District Council, ‘Ngorongoro District Land Use Framework Plan (2023-2043)’ 2023.
[6] Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS), ‘What does FZS see in the future for Loliondo, Tanzania?’ https://fzs.org/en/programs/tanzania/serengeti-national-park/conservation-in-tanzania-partnering-with-communities-for-people-and-nature/
[7] 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/
Pololeti was part of the defunct Loliondo Game Controlled Area, measuring 4,000 square kilometers with registered villages in both Loliondo and Sale divisions of Ngorongoro District. The area was both a game-controlled area and a village land because the establishment of game-controlled areas in Tanganyika in 1951 had nothing to do with residence and human activities, but only meant to regulate unauthorized hunting in such areas.[9] In 2009, when the Wildlife Act No. 5 of 2009 was enacted, it prohibited human activities within game-controlled areas. However, the new law clearly provides that when an area is both a game-controlled area and a registered village, then the game-controlled area shall be discontinued.[10] The government defied such a law by establishing the Pololeti Game Controlled Area and later upgrading it to a Game Reserve in the area belonging to 15 registered villages.[11]
[9] Definitions section of the ‘Fauna Conservation Ordinance, 1951. Cap 302’ https://elibrary.osg.go.tz/items/61352521-0bf5-4f5d-9b29-4536b712ba39/full.
[10] 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.
[11] 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/See also, 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-gra
The conflict in this area is divided into three main stages, namely the colonial period, post-independence, and the arrival of the OBC hunting company in 1992.⁽¹²⁾ Particularly, the problem in Loliondo (now Pololeti) traces its origin to 1992, when the land belonging to registered villages was handed to Ortello Business Corporation (OBC), a UAE-based company for trophy hunting. The Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Corruption of 1996⁽¹³⁾ (Warioba Commission) reported that the hunting license was given to OBC corruptly, to undeserving people (that lead to the so called “Loliondo gate”).⁽¹⁴⁾ Since then, a series of human rights violations have been reported, particularly in 2009, 2017, and escalated to an irredeemable level in 2022 to date.⁽¹⁵⁾
According to various reports, OBC has abetted the eviction of Maasai in Loliondo.⁽¹⁶⁾ 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. The reports also assert that OBC personnel accompanied security personnel during their operations.⁽¹⁷⁾ 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 has bribed rangers to seize livestock and harass herders.⁽¹⁸⁾
Other tourism companies operating in these areas, like ANDBEYOND Camp, stopped paying leasing fees to Ololosokwan village from 2022, when the evictions began; and continue to do so to date.⁽¹⁹⁾ ANDBEYOND and TAASA Lodge operate within the 1,502 square kilometers from which the Maasai were evicted. The Maasai also claim that their livestock have been seized in those areas.⁽²⁰⁾
In 1992 – 2008, although the OBC company went ahead with its operations, the surrounding villages did not accord it with cooperation since they did not have trust with the company.⁽²¹⁾
In 2008, there were some efforts to build relations and cooperation between OBC and 7 villages surrounding the company’s camp which OBC entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the purpose of easing the tension and resolving the existing dispute between the villages and the company.⁽²²⁾ The Agreement necessitated the company to pay money to the respective villages and help in community development projects. However, despite the effort and goodwill of the agreement the company did not implement.
In 2009, the new Wildlife law No 5 enacted by the Parliament in 2009 repealed the Wildlife Act of 1974. As opposed to the 1974 law, under this new legislation Game Controlled Areas are listed as special areas earmarked for wildlife conservation and all human activities are prohibited except for photograph tourism (no consumptive tourism) and gam, but the same law suggested discontinue of the game-controlled areas colliding with registered villages.⁽²³⁾
IN 2009, an operation led to forcefully evict livestock, herders harassed, and settlements set on fire in village land within 1500 square Kilometers area on the pretext that it is within the area leased to an investor. The operation was implemented by the government in collaboration with OBC.⁽²⁴⁾
In 2010, the Draft Land Use Plan of Ngorongoro District was prepared (2010 – 2030), under the support of NLUPC, NDC and OBC. This plan involved the former plan (1993 – 2008). This plan recommended allotment of 1500 square kilometers area and prepared a village land use plan in all seven wards.⁽²⁵⁾
In March 2013, the Minister of Tourism and Natural Resources Hon Khamisi Kagasheki announced allotment of 1500 square kilometers from 4000 of LGCA so that they can be governed by the government for conservation and tourism purposes.⁽²⁶⁾
On May 30, 2013, the Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda (MP) overturned a decree by the Minister of Tourism and Natural Resources through a letter with reference numbers. PM/P/1/569/29.⁽²⁷⁾
In 2014, the Former President Jakaya Kikwete went to his twitter page and wrote a message to assure the international community that the government doesn’t have a plan to take over the ancestral land of the Maasai.⁽²⁸⁾
In 2015, several state sponsored Media started a calculated narrative about Loliondo problem. For instance, ITV Television prepared a series of documentaries aired by its anchor Jerry Muro who did not report objectively and fueled the dispute.⁽²⁹⁾
In 2016, the Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa visited Loliondo and formed a Commission to give recommendations for finding a lasting solution of the conflict in Loliondo and Sale Divisions.⁽³⁰⁾ The Regional Commissioner was appointed to be the chairperson of the Commission. Other participants include public institutions dealing with conservation, Investors and Society.
In April 2017, the Gambo Commission completed the task to prepare the recommendations.⁽³¹⁾
In July 2017, while the people anxiously waited for feedback from the Prime Minister, a brutal operation to set ablaze people’s settlements and to remove livestock in the disputed village area of 1500 square kilometers started again.⁽³²⁾
In August 2017, Four Villages (Ololosokwan, Kirtalo, Olorien and Arash) filed a case at East Africa Court of Justice seeking court injunction so that destruction of people’s settlement stops while the case proceeds.⁽³³⁾
In Augusti 2018, the Court issued an injunction to maintain the status quo while the case is going on.⁽³⁴⁾
In August 2018, seeking Court Injunction to stop harassment of villagers who fled criminal cases to stop any operations.⁽³⁵⁾
The new wave of gross human rights violations escalated in June 2022.⁽³⁶⁾ The early signs of acquiring the land in Loliondo were seen on 11 January 2022 when the Regional Commissioner for Arusha, John Mongella, convened a meeting with village and ward leaders from 14 villages in the area regarding the intention of taking the land.⁽³⁷⁾
On 14 February 2022, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa visited Loliondo to address xenophobic attacks against the Maasai community in Ngorongoro.⁽³⁸⁾
On 25 May 2022, community leaders from Loliondo, Sale, and Ngorongoro presented the community's recommendations and handed them to the Prime Minister.⁽³⁹⁾
On 3 June 2022, Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Pindi Chana, expressed the intention of upgrading certain areas, including the Loliondo Game Controlled Area, to a Game Reserve during a speech to parliament.⁽⁴⁰⁾
On 8 June 2022, abnormal convoys of security forces were seen roaming around Wasso town in Loliondo, despite no signs of unrest or breach of peace.⁽⁴¹⁾
On 9 June 2022, all ward councilors representing the 14 villages that would be affected by the demarcation were arrested and held incommunicado for seven days.⁽⁴²⁾ These leaders were supposed to represent the community in a meeting with the government but were instead summoned by the District Commissioner for Ngorongoro, Raymond Mwangwala, and driven to Arusha that same night. They later spent six months in custody, by which time the land acquisition process was over.⁽⁴³⁾
On 10 June 2022, the government confronted the community with guns.⁽⁴⁴⁾ More than 31 people were shot with live ammunition, and many others were injured. On that date, an 85-year-old man disappeared after being carried inside a police car with bullet wounds. A habeas corpus for his missing was filed in court, and the court dismissed it.⁽⁴⁵⁾
The 10 June 2022 operations resulted in the separation of families, children dropping out of school, and thousands of people fleeing to Kenya for fear of persecution. The unrest and shootings were confirmed by Ngorongoro district member of parliament Emmanuel Oleshangai, who reported that at least 31 people had been injured and fled to Kenya to seek treatment as the health facilities in the vicinity refused to admit them without Police Form No. 3.⁽⁴⁶⁾
On 11 June 2022, the Regional Commissioner for Arusha, along with other regional and district officers, participated in the placement of beacons in various parts of Loliondo.⁽⁴⁷⁾
On 13 June 2022, the Inspector General of Police, visited Loliondo and warned that he would deal with anyone who interfered with the demarcation exercise.⁽⁴⁸⁾
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. It was reported that the Minister for Home Affairs intimidated non-governmental organizations engaged in supporting the community.⁽⁴⁹⁾
On 17 June 2022, the Minister for Tourism and Natural Resources declared the area measuring 1,502 square kilometers which belong to 15 registered villages as Pololeti Controlled Area.⁽⁵⁰⁾
On 22 June 2022, the Commissioner General of Immigration, during her visit to Loliondo on 22 June 2022 executed the ministerial directives by ordering a ten-day operation to identify and arrest all unlawful immigrants.⁽⁵¹⁾ 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 lack of prosecution.⁽⁵²⁾
Sexual violence, including rape, was reported, and victims were denied access to post rape care and medical treatment. According to witnesses interviewed by Human Rights Watch in 2022, in the midst of the operations, while men ran away for their lives, security personnel conducting the operations committed rapes and other forms of sexual violence.⁽⁵³⁾ The sexual violence was reported to have occurred between June and August 2022.
According to the testimonies of the witnesses, it was difficult to obtain treatment without Police Form No. 3 (PF.3), which is supposed to be issued by the police, yet it was the police who were accused of committing the violations.
In July 2022, a gross human rights violation took place, include the arresting 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. These people include all the leaders from the affected areas.⁽⁵⁴⁾
In July 2022, livestock belonging to one community member from Arash area were shot and killed by security forces doing operation in the area.⁽⁵⁵⁾
On 14 October 2022, the President declared the disputed land as a Game Reserve without revoking the ministerial notice that had already designated the same area as a Game Controlled Area.⁽⁵⁶⁾
On 28 September 2022, the Minister of tourism and natural resources said that the demarcated land measuring 1,502 square kilometres 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.⁽⁵⁷⁾
In October 2022, the government, through the Ngorongoro District Commissioner, issued a notice to redraw village boundaries, excluding 1,502 square kilometers of land.
On 28 November 2023, NCAA, issued a notice to public that from January to November 2023, it had seized 19,382 livestock in Pololeti area and charged them Tanzania Shillings 788,475,000 (equal to $323,809).⁽⁵⁸⁾
There were many livestock deaths due to lack of pasture, water, and other losess. The 2017 figures show that out of 4,698 forts, 1,190 were set ablaze.⁽⁵⁹⁾ From July 2024 to June 2025, the minister responsible for tourism and Natural Resources said in her speech to the parliament that they have seized 11,332 livestock in Pololeti area.⁽⁶⁰⁾ This severe livestock seizure and fining reduced the community to devastation and high level of poverty.
Economic Impacts: For instance, on 28 November 2023, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) issued a public statement admitting that it had seized 19,382 head of livestock in Loliondo, and charged them Tanzania Shillings 788,475,000 (equal to $323,809).⁽⁶¹
[12] 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 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/
[13] 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/
see also Erick Kabendera, ‘Tanzania Ends Deal with Dubai Royal Family’ The EastAfrican (11 November, 2017) https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/tanzania-ends-hunting-deal-with-dubai-royal-family--1377400
[14] Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Corruption of 1996 (Warioba Report) the relevant part about OBC is quoted in 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/
[15] 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/
[16] 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 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-gra
[17] 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 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-gra
[18] 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 Erick Kabendera, ‘Tanzania Ends Deal with Dubai Royal Family’ The EastAfrican (11 November, 2017) https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/tanzania-ends-hunting-deal-with-dubai-royal-family--1377400
[19] 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 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-gra
[20] 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-gra
[21] The Community Report submitted to the government on 25.05. 2022 two weeks before eviction. Available at PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[22] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[23] The Wildlife Conservertion Act, [ Cap 283 RE 2022].
[24] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[25] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[26] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[27] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[28] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[29] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[30] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[31] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[32] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[33] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[34] 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
[35] 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/
[36] 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/
also Singo L, ‘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/
[37] 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/
[38] 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/
[39] 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/
see also McQue K, Busby M and James R, ‘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
[40] 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/
[41] 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/
[42] 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/
[43] 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
[44] 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/
[45] 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/
[46] 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/
[47] Pindi Chana, ‘Budget Speech 2025/2026’ (June 2025) https://www.maliasili.go.tz/assets/pdfs/HOTUBAYABAJETIYAWIZARAKWAMWAKA2025-2026_updated.pdf
[48] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[49] 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/
[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] 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
[52] 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
[53] 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
[54] 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
[55] 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
[56] 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
[57] 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
[58] 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
[59] 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
[60] 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
[61] 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
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.⁽⁶²⁾ 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.⁽⁶³⁾ The reports also assert that OBC personnel accompanied security personnel during their operations.⁽⁶⁴⁾ 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.⁽⁶⁵⁾
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.⁽⁶⁶⁾ AndBeyond 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.⁽⁶⁷⁾
Thomson Safaris is accused by the community of using state organs to burn down homes and beat community members.⁽⁶⁸⁾ During its 2022 operations in Loliondo, Thomson Safaris is accused of using security personnel to demarcate its boundaries without involving the community.⁽⁶⁹⁾
[62] 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/
[63] 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)
[64] 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)
[65] Amnesty International, Tanzania: Business as usual in bloodied land? Role of businesses in forced evictions in Loliondo, Tanzania (7 August 2024) See also Erick Kabendera, ‘Tanzania Ends Deal with Dubai Royal Family’ The EastAfrican (11 November, 2017) https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/tanzania-ends-hunting-deal-with-dubai-royal-family--1377400.
[66] 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)
[67] Laurel Sutherland, ‘Tanzania, siding with UAE firm, plans to evict Maasai from ancestral lands’ Mongabay (18 February 2022)
[68] Community Report submitted to the government on 25th May 2022, two weeks before eviction available at https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf, p. 62
[69] 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
Livestock Capture (Serengeti District Court / Mwanza High Court)
In 2017, 290 livestock were captured along with six people who were prosecuted in the Serengeti District Court in Mugumu in Criminal Case No. 187. After being dissatisfied with the decision, they appealed to the Mwanza Regional High Court in Noonkirimban Seret Sironga v Republic. On 11 January 2018, the Court delivered its verdict in favor of the appellants and ordered Serengeti National Park to return the livestock that had been nationalized to their rightful owners.⁽⁷⁰⁾
United Republic of Tanzania v Relevant Parties (Arusha High Court & Civil Proceedings)
URT (1984) Tanzania Law Reports pp. 15–27 (HC-Arusha); URT (1988) Civil Case No. 52 of 1988, High Court of Tanzania, Arusha (unreported).⁽⁷¹⁾
Mondorosi, Sukenya & Soitsambu Village Councils v Tanzania Breweries Ltd & Others
URT (1987) Magistrate Court of Arusha Case No. 74 of 1987; URT (2017) Mondorosi Village Council, Sukenya Village Council and Soitsambu Village Council v Tanzania Breweries Ltd, Tanzania Conservation Ltd, Ngorongoro District Council, Commissioner for Lands and Attorney General.⁽⁷²⁾
Land and Civil Jurisprudence (Arusha High Court)
URT (1994) Civil Case No. 31 of 1994; URT (2011) Land Case No. 15 of 2011 (High Court of Tanzania, Arusha).⁽⁷³⁾
Ololosokwan Village Council & 3 Others v Attorney General (EACJ)
Ololosokwan Village Council & 3 Others v Attorney General of the United Republic of Tanzania, Case No. 10 of 2017.⁽⁷⁴⁾
Ndoloi Orias Ng’iyo v Officer Commanding District for Ngorongoro District & 5 Others
Miscellaneous Criminal Application No. 67 of 2022. This case concerns the enforced disappearance of Orias Ng’iyo, an 85-year-old man who disappeared during the 10 June 2022 operation after being injured by security forces. He was last seen surrounded by armed officers and taken in a police vehicle. The habeas corpus application was dismissed on 17 May 2023 for insufficient evidence, primarily because the disappearance was not formally reported to police and no co-detainees testified that Orias had been detained with them.⁽⁷⁵⁾
Ndalamia Partareto Taiwap & 4 Others v Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism & Another
Miscellaneous Civil Cause No. 21 of 2022. Five Maasai from Loliondo challenged the Minister’s decision to declare village land a Game Controlled Area. Although the court faulted the Minister for failure to consult local authorities, it declined to nullify the notice, holding that the land had already been upgraded to a Game Reserve by presidential action and that nullification would be an “academic exercise.”⁽⁷⁶⁾
Latang’amwaki Ndwati & 7 Others v Attorney General
Miscellaneous Civil Cause No. 18 of 2023. This case arose from Government Notice No. 601 of 2022 declaring 1,502 square kilometers of village land a Game Reserve on 14 October 2022. The case was dismissed in 2024, and an appeal is currently pending before the Court of Appeal.⁽⁷⁷⁾
Ololosokwan Village Council & 2 Others v Attorney General (Contempt Proceedings)
Application No. 2 of 2022. This case challenged contempt of court arising from the government’s eviction operations conducted in June 2022 despite interim EACJ orders in Application No. 15 of 2017 restraining evictions pending determination of Reference No. 10 of 2017. The First Instance Division dismissed the case as overtaken by events; an appeal is pending before the Appellate Division.⁽⁷⁸⁾
Ololosokwan Village Council & 2 Others v Attorney General (Appeal)
Appeal No. 12 of 2022 (EACJ). The appeal challenged the First Instance Court’s ruling that the Applicants failed to prosecute their case. The Appellate Division overturned the decision and ordered a retrial. To date, the First Instance Court has not scheduled the matter.⁽⁷⁹⁾
Magweri Mokinga Mako & 5 Others v Attorney General
Reference No. 37 of 2022 (EACJ). The Applicants seek a declaration that the Government of Tanzania breached the Treaty establishing the East African Community by conducting operations involving gross human rights violations, eviction of villagers from 14 villages, and the declaration of village land as a Game Controlled Area. Pleadings have closed and the case is awaiting scheduling.⁽⁸⁰⁾
[70] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[71] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf.
[72] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[73] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[74] Ololosokwan Village Council & 3 Others vs. The Attorney General of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, Case Number 10 of 2017 https://www.eacj.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Application-No.-15-of-2017-injunction-Ololosokwan-Village-Council-3-Others-vs-The-Attortney-Generl-of-URT.pdf
[75] 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
[76] 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
[77] 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
[78] 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
[79] 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
[80] 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
[81] 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 Tanzania of 1977, Articles 15.2 and 16(h), grants equal property ownership, acquisition, management, administration, enjoyment, and disposition rights. Article 14 safeguards the right to life, while Article 14.2(h) guarantees the right to adequate living conditions, specifically housing and water supply. Article 11 ensures equal and affordable educational opportunities for all. Articles 18(2), 20(1), and 27(2) protect freedom of expression, and Article 19 guarantees freedom of worship. Articles 24(1) and (2) affirm the rights to own property.
The National Land Policy of 1997, Section 4, states that all land in Tanzania is public land held by the President as a trustee for all Tanzanians.
The Land Act No. 4 of 1999, Section 4, grants the President the authority to revoke rights of occupancy. Factors that may lead to revocation include attempting to sell land to non-citizens, abandoning land for at least two years, breaching conditions in the certificate of occupancy, or violating regulations established under the law. Additionally, Section 2 defines land to include all land that is not reserved or village land. According to the Act, reserved land encompasses areas set aside by by-laws for conserving forests, marine resources, and wildlife.
The Village Land Act No. 5 of 1999, Section 7, states that village land includes areas within the jurisdiction of registered villages. A village is the lowest administrative unit in Tanzania, followed by wards, districts, and regions.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Act of 1959 pertains to multiple land use zones, implying coexistence between Maasai pastoralists and wildlife. However, this Act infringes on Maasai pastoralists’ rights to cultivate and violates indigenous peoples’ rights.
The Wildlife Conservation Act No. 5 of 2009 was enacted to establish a legal framework for conserving, managing, protecting, and sustainably utilizing wildlife and wildlife products. Section 21(1) states that no one shall graze livestock in any game-controlled area without prior written permission from the Director of Wildlife. This disregards the fact that game-controlled areas have historically been home to Maasai pastoralists who have grazed their livestock freely for centuries. Prohibiting grazing effectively strips the Maasai of their right to sustain themselves through pastoral livelihoods. To fully enforce this law, the Maasai pastoralists would need to be evicted and barred from using their ancestral lands.
Section 16(1) describes the process of establishing a game-controlled area, emphasizing the importance of consulting relevant local authorities. Sections 16(4) and (5) prohibit the minister from declaring land within registered villages as a game-controlled area. Pololeti, initially a game-controlled area, later became a game reserve, encompassing land belonging to 15 villages in Loliondo and Sale divisions.
The Environmental Management Act, Sections 3 and 4, mandate that citizens be informed promptly about environmental decisions and provided opportunities to participate.
Articles 15.2 and 16(h), provide equal property ownership, acquisition, management, administration, enjoyment, and disposition rights.
Article 14 provides for right to life
Article 14.2(h): right to adequate living conditions, particularly to housing and water supply:
Article 11 provides for equal and affordable education opportunities for all.
Articles 18(2); 20(1); and 27(2) for the freedom of expression
Article 19 provides for freedom of worship
Article 24 (1) and (2) provides for rights to own property
National Land Policy of 1997. Section 4 provides that all land in Tanzania is public land and is held by the President as a trustee on behalf of all Tanzanians.
The Land Act No.4 of 1999, section 4, provides that the power to revoke a right of occupancy is vested in the President of Tanzania. Factors that may lead to the revocation of a right of occupancy include an attempt to sell the land to a non-citizen, abandoning the land for not less than two years, breach of conditions listed in the certificate of occupancy, and breach of regulations made under the law.
Also, Section 2 defines the land to mean all land, not reserved or village land. According to the Act, reserved land includes land set aside by-laws governing the conservation of forests, marine resources, and wildlife.
The Village Land Act No.5 of 1999, section 7, provides that it consists of areas of land falling within the jurisdiction of registered villages. A village is the lowest administrative unit in Tanzania. Others are a ward, a district, and a region.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Act of 1959 multiple land use area the term “multiple land use” implies the Maasai pastoralists and Wildlife co-existence. However, the Ngorongoro Conservation Act infringes upon Maasai pastoralists’ right to cultivate and violates indigenous people’s rights.
The Wildlife Conservation Act No.5 of 2009 was enacted to enable a legal environment for conserving, managing, protecting, and sustainably utilizing wildlife and wildlife products. The relevant provision under section 21(1) provides that any person shall not graze any livestock in any game-controlled area, save with the written permission of the Director of Wildlife previously sought and obtained. This provision disregards the fact that Game Controlled areas are homes to Maasai pastoralists who have freely grazed their livestock for centuries, so prohibiting livestock grazing effectively deprives the Maasai of their right to sustain themselves utilizing a pastoral livelihood. Therefore, for this new law to be fully implemented, the Maasai pastoralists must be evicted and barred from continued use and occupation of their ancestral land.
Section 16 (1) of the law provides the procedure for establishing a game-controlled area, with emphasis that consulting the relevant local authority is imperative. Also, section 16 (4) and (5) of the same law prohibited the minister from declaring an area that falls within a registered village to be a game-controlled area. Pololeti game-controlled area and later game reserve is the land that belongs to 15 villages of Loliondo and Sale divisions.
The Environmental Management Act, sections 3 and 4, provides that citizens shall be provided with timely information before the making of an environmental-related decision, as well as the opportunity to participate.
The Community responded to recent human rights violations and land grabbing by filing more than ten cases in the High Court of Tanzania and the East African Court of Justice. Maasai indigenous communities also appealed to different international forums like the UN, EU, and African Commissions to air their voices. (82)
In January 2023, the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights visited Loliondo and Ngorongoro, and Msomera, where it noted various concerns of human rights violations. The Commission’s report was published on its website in August 2025. (84)
In December 2023, the European Parliament made a resolution about the Maasai human rights situation in Loliondo and Ngorongoro.
In December 2024, the president initiated two Presidential Commissions of Inquiry which one of which is investigating the land issues in Loliondo and Ngorongoro. (85)
[82] Katie, McQue, ‘Tanzania’s Maasai Appeal to West to Stop Eviction for Conservation Plans: Thousands of Indigenous People sign letter to UK, US and EU Protesting at Appropriation of Land for Tourist Safaris and Hunting’ The Guardian (22 April 2022)https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/apr/22/tanzania-maasai-appeal-to-west-stop-evictions-due-to-conservation-plans.
[83] 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
[84] 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
[85] 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] Frankfurt Zoological Society, ‘Appraisal of the situation of Loliondo’ (6 November 2022) https://fzs.org/en/news/appraisal-of-the-situation-of-loliondo/
[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] Ngorongoro District Council, ‘Ngorongoro District Land Use Framework Plan (2023–2043)’ (2023).
[6] Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS), ‘What does FZS see in the future for Loliondo, Tanzania?’ https://fzs.org/en/programs/tanzania/serengeti-national-park/conservation-in-tanzania-partnering-with-communities-for-people-and-nature/
[7] 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/
[8] https://wildimpact.earth/africa/tanzania/northern-serengeti
[9] 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/
[10] 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)
[11] 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)
[12] Amnesty International, Tanzania: Business as usual in bloodied land? Role of businesses in forced evictions in Loliondo, Tanzania (7 August 2024); see also Erick Kabendera, ‘Tanzania Ends Deal with Dubai Royal Family’ The EastAfrican (11 November 2017) https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/tanzania-ends-hunting-deal-with-dubai-royal-family--1377400
[13] 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)
[14] 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/
[15] Community Report submitted to the government on 25th May 2022 (two weeks before eviction), available at https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf, p. 62
[16] 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
[17] Definitions section of the ‘Fauna Conservation Ordinance, 1951 (Cap 302)’ https://elibrary.osg.go.tz/items/61352521-0bf5-4f5d-9b29-4536b712ba39/full
[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
[19] 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/; see also 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/
[20] 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 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/
[21] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023); see also Erick Kabendera, ‘Tanzania Ends Deal with Dubai Royal Family’ The EastAfrican (11 November 2017) https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/tanzania-ends-hunting-deal-with-dubai-royal-family--1377400
[22] Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Corruption of 1996 (Warioba Report), relevant part on OBC quoted in 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/
[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] 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 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/
[25] 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 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/
[26] 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 Erick Kabendera, ‘Tanzania Ends Deal with Dubai Royal Family’ The EastAfrican (11 November 2017) https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/tanzania-ends-hunting-deal-with-dubai-royal-family--1377400
[27] 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 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/
[28] 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/
[29] The Community Report submitted to the government on 25.05.2022 (two weeks before eviction), available at PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[30] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[31] The Wildlife Conservation Act (Cap 283 RE 2022).
[32] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[33] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[34] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[35] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[36] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[37] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[38] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[39] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[40] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[41] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[42] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[43] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[44] 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
[45] 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/
[46] Denis Oleshangay, ‘Loliondo Land Grabbing: History of Pain and Bitterness in an Unaccountable State’ Mwanzo TV (17 October 2023); also Singo L, ‘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/
[47] 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/
[48] 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/
[49] 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/
[50] 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
[51] 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/
[52] 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-anaccountable-state/
[53] 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-anaccountable-state/
[54] 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-anaccountable-state/
[55] 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-accountable-state/
[56] 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-anaccountable-state/
[57] 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-anaccountable-state/
[58] 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-anaccountable-state/
[59] 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-anaccountable-state/
[60] 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
[61] 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-anaccountable-state/
[62] 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-anaccountable-state/
[63] 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-anaccountable-state/
[64] 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-anaccountable-state/
[65] Pindi Chana, ‘Budget Speech 2025/2026’ (June 2025) https://www.maliasili.go.tz/assets/pdfs/HOTUBAYABAJETIYAWIZARAKWAMWAKA2025-2026_updated.pdf
[66] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[67] 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/
[68] 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
[69] 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
[70] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[71] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf.
[72] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[73] PINGOs Forum, Loliondo Community Report (June 2022) https://pingosforum.or.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Loliondo-Community-Report.pdf
[74] Ololosokwan Village Council & 3 Others vs. The Attorney General of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, Case Number 10 of 2017 https://www.eacj.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Application-No.-15-of-2017-injunction-Ololosokwan-Village-Council-3-Others-vs-The-Attortney-Generl-of-URT.pdf
[75] 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
[76] 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
[77] 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@2023-10-24
[78] 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
[79] 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
[80] 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
[81] 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
[82] Katie McQue, ‘Tanzania’s Maasai Appeal to West to Stop Eviction for Conservation Plans: Thousands of Indigenous People sign letter to UK, US and EU Protesting at Appropriation of Land for Tourist Safaris and Hunting’ The Guardian (22 April 2022) https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/apr/22/tanzania-maasai-appeal-to-west-stop-evictions-due-to-conservation-plans
[83] 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
[84] 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
[85] 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