THIS coming month of April marks a year and a half since the ruling that culminated in the ruthless forced removal of Tanzania’s Maasai communities from their ancestral land.
The ruling, enacted by the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), was made in favour of the Tanzanian state. This was following a five-year legal battle, calling for the use of the Maasai ancestral land to be leased and developed into game lodges and trophy-hunting sites for the tourism industry.
The ruling has since had an extensive and devastating impact on over 80 000 residents (about 15 villages) who call the indigenous land under threat “home”.
The land, which forms part of the Loliondo division of Ngorongoro district, is crucial to Maasai pastoralists who have nurtured the land for countless generations.
This has particularly allowed Maasai communities to harmoniously co-exist with the domesticated livestock of the area, as well as
