In the Shadow of the Serengeti
Maasai squeezed out of homes to make way for wildlife tourism
“It’s us Maasai who nurtured the Serengeti… why do they separate what God has made together?” On the borders of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, Maasai communities are being evicted to make way for tourism and game reserves. Human rights lawyer Joseph Oleshangay leads the legal fight, risking his safety to collect evidence from emptied villages. “They gave us only 24 hours to move,” recalls one evictee. Joseph’s case argues that 1,500 hectares have been illegally seized to form the Pololeti Game Controlled Area, with victims facing harsh violence and brutality from authorities. Risking his life to gather evidence from recently depopulated villages, Joseph battles in court where he leads the fight to resist the evictions: “We have become refugees in our own lands. We are running every day”.
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