UN Watchdog Urges Tanzania to Halt Forced Evictions of Indigenous Maasai People
The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has called on Tanzania to immediately cease the forced evictions of Indigenous Maasai people from their ancestral lands. The committee expressed alarm over long-standing violations, including relocations and restrictions on access to traditional lands and natural resources. Reports indicate that Maasai individuals opposing these evictions have faced arbitrary arrests, detention, reprisals, intimidation, and harassment. The CERD also cited instances of racial profiling and excessive use of force by law enforcement officials against the Maasai. These actions have led to restrictions on access to grazing areas, water sources, and cultural sites, as well as a deterioration in essential services like healthcare and education in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, pressuring the Maasai to relocate. Tanzania has historically allowed Indigenous communities, including the Maasai, to reside within national parks like Ngorongoro, a UNESCO World Herit... 
