Tourism and hunting are major sources of income in Tanzania. But it takes place at the expense of the indigenous Maasai people.
This is stated by several human rights organizations that have recently criticized the country.
Amnesty International came out last week with a new report in which they describe how private companies contributed to the forced displacement of the people.
“Rent their land to private companies”
Among other things, a trophy hunting company with links to the royal family of the United Arab Emirates allegedly participated in carrying out forced evictions of the people with the help of Tanzanian security forces, according to the report.
– Since 2009, the Tanzanian authorities have used beatings, excessive violence, arbitrary arrests and detentions to forcibly evict the Maasai and at the same time lease their land to private companies, says Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa in a comment.
Trophy hunting in the area
According to Amnesty, Tanzania must have defended itself by creating national parks to preserve nature – while allowing companies to conduct trophy hunting in the area.
– It is particularly worrying that they have carried out these evictions under the pretext of “conservation”, says Tigere Chagutah.
Amnesty is now demanding that Tanzania carry out an independent investigation into the forced displacements.
Ripås: “A weak political voice”
The Maasai live in the border areas between Kenya and Tanzania. SVT’s Africa correspondent Johan Ripås, himself a resident of Kenya, has seen up close how the Maasai struggle to maintain their lifestyle.
– The massage therapists have had a weak political voice for a long time and this has easily led to them being successively pushed aside. Not least because there is so much corruption in the region where the Maasai are located, he says.
He continues:
– At the same time, I feel that there is great respect for the Maasai. In Nairobi, where I live, sitting in rush hour traffic, I often come across cows herded by young boys from the Maasai community.