Maasai advocacy tour in Europe generates solidarity
The Maasai delegation from Tanzania concluded its 2-week tour in Europe, where they engaged with government and European Union (EU) representatives, faith-based and civil society groups in Germany, Austria, Italy and Belgium. The delegation aimed to secure international support against the ongoing evictions from their homeland in the Loliondo and Ngorongoro areas of Arusha Region. The advocacy tour generated an important wave of solidarity from European counterparts.
The eviction crisis is forcing tens of thousands of Maasai pastoralists from their ancestral land, disrupting their traditional lifestyle and posing a threat to their very existence. The delegation brought their plight to the international stage, as their freedom of speech is severely constrained in Tanzania.
The Maasai delegation engaged in an open dialogue with the Tanzanian Ambassador to the EU at a roundtable in the European Parliament. During the event, they refuted the claims presented by the Tanzanian Government representatives. In response, the Tanzanian Ambassador denied the accusations and asserted the government’s transparency, and extended an invitation to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to visit Tanzania in 2024. Furthermore, the Ambassador reassured the Maasai delegates that their safety would not be compromised upon their return.
See the full press release from 2 June 2023 in English, French and German.
The replay of the roundtable in the European Parliament can be found here: https://www.michele-rivasi.eu/au-parlement/evenement-maasai-shall-not-die-31-mai-2023?preview_id=12618&preview_nonce=8429fbf24e&preview=true&_thumbnail_id=12619
or directly on YouTube:
- English version: https://youtu.be/8mq_p9ugcDg
- French version: https://youtu.be/Zre0aXK5oOY
- Original version: https://youtu.be/lqrSvYEZYCA
More information on the Maasai concerns is available here: “Maasai delegation lobbying in Europe for their rights“.
Posted on 2 June 2023 in News