—

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 without their free, prior and informed consent;

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;