Maasai Squatters Given Ultimatum

The Tanzania government have given Maasai communities living inside Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) until the end of this year to vacate the premises, reports Apolinari Tairo of eTN.

Often called the "Last Garden of Eden," the NCA is located in Tanzania's tourist circuit and is a World Heritage Site. The nomads moved there, looking for greener pastures for their cattle.

Increasing human activities in the area have worried wildlife conservationists. Approximately 60,000 people, primarily Maasai, are currently living in NCA, disrupting both tourism and conservation efforts.

For more information about the NCA, the Maasai and this long-time cultural issue, visit these resources:

Ngorongoro Conservation Area
www.ngorongoro-crater-africa.org

Maasai Wildlife Conservation and Human Need
www.ogiek.org/faq/article-ndasoki-mas.htm

Legitimizing Dispossession: The Tanzanian High Court's Decision on the Eviction of Maasai Pastoralists from Mkomazi Game Reserve
www.cs.org/publications/csq/csq-article.cfm?id=503