In a case involving a land dispute between them and the Tanzanian government, the Maasai community’s appeal was denied by the East African Court of Justice. The property is situated in the well-known Serengeti.
The Maasai petitioners wanted the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) to stop the Tanzanian government from removing them and their livestock by force from the border of the Serengeti Reserve and Loliondo Wilderness.
They argued that the government had violated the terms of the agreement for establishing the East African Community.
However, reading the court’s decisions, judge Charles Nyachae on behalf of judge Monica Mgenyi, said that the petitioners, livestock keepers of the Maasai community, failed to prove their claims that they were tortured and beaten.
Nyachae also said the petitioners could not provide evidence that their property was destroyed by people they described as soldiers of the police force.
“We are unable to receive sufficient evidence from the petitioners and we dismiss the reference,” the judge said while reading the verdict.
The East African Court of Justice judges said the Maasai petitioners failed to prove their claims
In their defense, the attorney general of the Tanzanian government pointed out that they did not use force or torture to remove the herders who invaded the Serengeti National Park which borders the Ngorongoro area in the north.
Long-standing case
In the case opened in 2017 at the East African Court of Justice, the Maasai people had hoped for a declaration stating that the Tanzanian government violated the set laws.
They also wanted an order from the court to stop the citizens’ evictions, arrest, detention, prosecution, and damage to their homesteads, livestock, and other property.
They were also seeking an order for restitution and reinstatement from the government, their members, and residents to their lawful property and full reparation and general damages of one billion Tanzanian shillings ( €446,000, $428,000).