In a rare and significant move, the World Bank has terminated a $150 million conservation project in Tanzania following widespread allegations of human rights abuses, including forced evictions, rapes, and extrajudicial killings. The project, officially known as the “Resilient Natural Resource Management for Tourism and Growth” (REGROW), was initially intended to enhance wildlife-based tourism in Tanzania. However, critics argue that its implementation has come at an enormous cost to indigenous communities living near protected areas, particularly around Ruaha National Park.

Since its approval in 2017, the REGROW project aimed to develop “priority protected areas” to boost Tanzania’s tourism industry. The World Bank viewed it as a key initiative to stimulate economic growth through conservation. However, reports from advocacy groups, particularly the California-based think tank, the Oakland Institute, painted a different picture-one of violent displacement and systemic human rights violations against indigenous populations.

A 2023 report by the Oakland Institute revealed that Tanzanian authorities had been engaging in widespread threats, forced evictions, and acts of violence to remove local communities from the vicinity of Ruaha National Park. The report stated that more than 21,000 people faced eviction due to the project. Some of the most alarming accusations included extrajudicial killings and sexual violence committed by park rangers.

One particularly egregious claim involved the killing of a fisherman and two young herders, one of whom was only 14 years old, on April 23, 2021. While police attributed their deaths to wild animals, local sources and advocacy groups pointed fingers at Ruaha park rangers. These allegations were supported by a separate Tanzanian community organization that documented at least six........

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