“On 10 June 2022, our villages in Loliondo were invaded and occupied by military … We have been shot, harassed, injured, and displaced – especially women. Thousands have been displaced including 1,576 children, who are now homeless and seeking refuge in Kenya. Most of them are lacking basic needs, including food supplies, medical care and accommodation.

Our homeland has been turned into a hunting park, with wealthy people coming in to hunt the wildlife … The guns are now turned to us – the very people who have taken care of the environment and shared harmony, food, and peace with wildlife for time immemorial.

If we lose this land, then it will mark the end of us; we won’t be able to practice our ways of life, which will affect our spiritual and sacred connections, and therefore lead to our extinction.

We seek support from the global community, through standing with us, to push our government to stop the violence, withdraw the army from our land, and instead initiate an equal-floor dialogue as a peaceful way of addressing diverse interests while protecting our human and land rights. With substantive and legal recognition of our traditional way of life, and its contribution in the sustainability of the Serengeti ecosystem, we believe this ancient autonomy can shine through as a fuller expression of Tanzania’s nationhood.

We seek to be recognized so that we take a rightful place in our own country – a place where we have power over our destiny, and our children, environment, and our future will flourish.”

Excerpt from statement by the Maasai community in Loliondo, Tanzania, at the United Nations CBD negotiations, June 2022.

The evictions of the Maasai from their ancestral lands by the Tanzanian government to make way for elite trophy hunting is in direct contravention of international human rights law. Four affected Maasai villages are currently filing an appeal with the East African Court of Justice, after their case against the Tanzanian government was dismissed in September 2022.

Tell your local elected representatives to demand the Tanzanian government respects the rights of the Maasai and ceases forced evictions and attacks against the community. If you live in the UK, you can use They Work for You to find the email address of your local MP. You can also email James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, or the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Africa.

If you would like to volunteer with Not1More to help the Maasai fight for their rights to be respected, please contact volunteer@not1more.org.