Maasai in Ngorongoro hold cultural festival, pledge voluntary resettlement to Msomera

 

By Our Correspondent

The Maasai community residing within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area held a traditional cultural festival, affirming their voluntary resettlement to Msomera village and other regions in Tanzania.

The festival, attended by high-ranking leaders of the Maasai tribe, dispelled false claims from certain human rights organizations that have alleged the Tanzanian government is forcibly evicting and oppressing the Maasai people.

During this cultural event, Maasai of various age groups, led by elders, conducted traditional rites within the Ngorongoro crater without disturbance, highlighting that such an event occurs every decade.

Speaking at the event held within the Ngorongoro crater, some community members expressed gratitude towards the government for continuing to educate them on resettling from the conservation area to Msomera and other designated regions, promising to move as the education continues.

"Today's event tells the world that the Tanzanian government is not using force to resettle us from the conservation area. That is why we are happy, although our minds are set on Msomera to join our fellow Maasai who have already moved," said one festival participant who wished to remain anonymous.

A traditional leader, also requesting anonymity to avoid ostracization, mentioned that such an event could occur anywhere in the country. He added that they are being educated by their peers to leave the conservation area for Msomera and other government-designated areas.

This cultural event, which the Maasai community states happen approximately every ten years, has undermined the credibility of some human rights organizations. These organizations have falsely claimed that the Maasai are being prevented from conducting any activities within the conservation area.

These organizations have alleged that the Maasai in Tanzania are being coerced to resettle from the Ngorongoro area to Msomera village and other government-designated areas.

However, the Tanzanian government has consistently dismissed these accusations, often made by organizations exploiting the Maasai community to secure funding rather than focusing on their daily development.

The Maasai community in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area has been living under harsh conditions due to the increasing number of wild animals, which has resulted in the deaths of people, particularly children and women, thereby endangering their lives.

The government decided to voluntarily resettle the people from the conservation area to protect them from frequent deaths caused by the rising number of dangerous animals, exacerbated by the growing human population. This decision has significantly reduced the number of fatalities.