JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the Maasai Communities in Tanzania

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the Maasai Communities in Tanzania

(2023/3024(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Rules 144(5) and 132(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the Maasai communities are facing evictions from their land in the Ngorongoro District, which includes the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Loliondo Area;

B. whereas in June 2022, the Tanzanian authorities began converting 1 500 km2 of land in Loliondo into a game reserve, leading to widespread evictions and depriving over 70 000 people of access to grazing land critical for their livestock’s health and their livelihoods; whereas this was not the first attempt to block the Maasai in Loliondo from accessing grazing village land with little or no consultation;

C. whereas since June 2022 in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the government has restricted access to vital services such as food, education, water and healthcare, forcing the departure of many Maasai communities;

D. whereas respect of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) rights is a prerequisite for effective biodiversity conservation; whereas UN independent experts and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights have urged Tanzania to stop all forced evictions in Ngorongoro and have raised concerns about the government’s inadequate consultation with the affected Maasai communities and the lack of transparency;

1. Urges the Tanzanian Government to immediately halt the forcible evictions of Maasai communities, to avoid any measures that will negatively impact the lives, livelihoods and cultures of these communities, to guarantee their safe return and uphold their right of access to justice and effective remedies for victims;

2. Calls on the Tanzanian Government to recognise and protect the rights of IPLCs and to recognise the lands and resources that the Maasai communities have managed for generations and their role in maintaining wildlife and biodiversity;

3. Reaffirms that all measures relating to Maasai communities must respect the rule of law and human rights, with particular regard to the rights of IPLCs;

4. Calls on the authorities to work with affected communities to design a permanent and acceptable solution for the Maasai in the Ngorongoro District that respects their rights;

5. Calls on the European External Action Service and the Commission in their political dialogue with the Tanzanian Government to insist on the importance of upholding human rights;

6. Urges the Tanzanian Government to allow UN and EU institutions observation visits;

7. Calls on the Commission to increase its development cooperation and humanitarian aid allocations for Tanzania, given that no aid had initially been planned in support of the Maasai;

8. Calls on the Commission to report to Parliament on EU budget support programmes and other initiatives in Tanzania, with particular attention to projects dealing with biodiversity loss and climate change and to the built-in human rights safeguards;

9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the EU institutions, the Member States, the Government and Parliament of Tanzania, and the UN.