Tanzania: 24 Maasai Accused Of Killing Policeman Freed By Court

A Tanzanian court on Tuesday ordered the release of 24 Maasai after prosecutors dropped murder charges against them for the death of a policeman during a protest against a government-protected area project, their lawyer said

The Loliondo Maasai are hostile to Tanzanian authorities, which they accuse of attempting to expel them from part of their historic habitat region in northern Tanzania in order to turn it into a private safari and hunting area, a charge denied by the government.

According to the government, 1,500 square kilometers of the 4,000 square kilometers adjacent the Serengeti Park will be protected from human activity, leaving 2,500 square kilometers for Maasai herders.

During an effort to plant "markers" between people and wildlife habitats in June, a police officer was killed in conflicts with the neighboring Maasai community.

One of the twenty-five protesters charged with murder has subsequently been released.

The 24 defendants "were released" on Tuesday, according to Yonas Masiaya, one of their lawyers, adding that "the prosecutor's office declared (it) had no intention of pursuing the case."

He stated, "There was no actual evidence to justify their prosecution."

"We are glad that they are now free," another defense lawyer, Jebra Kambole, told AFP.

"These folks were imprisoned even before the investigations began and kept detained (...) for no apparent cause," he claimed.

The Maasai group filed a complaint against the Tanzanian government in September, disputing the government's decision to "tag" land to protect animals.

Tanzania has always permitted Maasai communities to dwell in environmental reserves and parks. However, the population and herds have grown substantially in recent years.

The authorities have begun relocation initiatives, particularly in the well-known Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a Unesco World Heritage Site. According to the administration, these relocations are entirely voluntary.

UN experts expressed concern in June about Tanzania's plans to relocate nearly 150,000 Maasai from Ngorongoro and Loliondo without their free, prior, and informed consent.

Thousands of Maasai households were relocated from Loliondo in 2009 to allow Ortelo Business Corporation, an Emirati safari business, to conduct hunting expeditions there.

Following allegations of corruption, the government canceled this arrangement in 2017.