The World Bank has halted funding for a tourism project in Tanzania following allegations of widespread human rights abuses impacting tens of thousands of villagers, as reported by a U.S.-based rights group advocating for action against the project.
The decision to suspend the $150 million project, aimed at enhancing natural resource management and tourism assets in a remote area of southern Tanzania, was described as “long overdue” by the Oakland Institute, a California-based rights watchdog focusing on marginalized communities. The institute stated that the World Bank’s delay in taking action resulted in significant harm to local communities.
Initiated in 2017, the project, known as REGROW, has already seen over $100 million disbursed. However, the suspension of World Bank financing came into effect on April 18, in response to mounting concerns over human rights violations.
The Oakland Institute has been at the forefront of efforts to urge the World Bank to withdraw funding for REGROW, documenting numerous rights abuses suffered by Indigenous communities in the project area. In a November report, the institute accused the World Bank of failing to hold Tanzanian authorities accountable for extrajudicial killings and sexual assaults linked to the expansion of Ruaha National Park, a key component of the REGROW project.
According to the report, the Tanzanian government’s tactics to displace communities and boost tourism in Ruaha National Park were closely tied to the project’s financing by the World Bank.
In response to these allegations, the World Bank stated its “zero tolerance for violence in the projects it finances” and initiated a review by a panel of inspectors to investigate the complaints related to REGROW.
Recent correspondence between the World Bank and the Oakland Institute revealed the lender’s confirmation of the suspension of further disbursements to REGROW until it ensures compliance with environmental and social standards.
Anuradha Mittal, executive director of the Oakland Institute, hailed the World Bank’s decision as a victory for marginalized communities in Tanzania, signaling an end to impunity for rights abuses perpetuated in the name of tourism development.
While Tanzanian authorities have not yet commented on the suspension, the Oakland Institute highlighted ongoing rights violations, including disappearances, extrajudicial killings, sexual assaults, and the seizure of livestock, which have inflicted severe hardships on local communities.
The institute’s statement underscored incidents in early 2024 where rangers reportedly confiscated and auctioned off thousands of cattle, disrupting livelihoods and preventing farmers from accessing their land.
Tanzania’s heavy reliance on tourism revenue has prompted aggressive efforts to develop national parks, often at the expense of local communities. Instances of forced evictions, such as the displacement of the Maasai from grazing lands in the Loliondo area, have drawn international condemnation for their adverse impact on civilians.
As scrutiny intensifies over civilian abuses linked to tourism development, the suspension of World Bank funding for the REGROW project reflects growing awareness and accountability concerning human rights in Tanzania’s tourism sector.