Facing pressure from rights groups, the World Bank has suspended funding for a tourism project in Tanzania due to reported human rights violations. The project, aimed at improving natural resource management and tourism assets, has been criticized for causing suffering to local villagers.
The Oakland Institute, a California-based rights watchdog, has long advocated for the project’s suspension, citing serious abuses suffered by indigenous communities. The group accused the World Bank of failing to hold Tanzanian authorities accountable for extrajudicial killings and sexual assaults linked to the project.
The suspension of the $150 million project, known as REGROW, comes after at least $100 million has already been disbursed since its start in 2017. The decision took effect on April 18, with the World Bank citing a need to ensure compliance with environmental and social standards.
Anuradha Mittal, executive director of the Oakland Institute, hailed the decision as a victory for marginalized communities in Tanzania, signaling an end to impunity for rights abuses. The Tanzanian government, heavily reliant on tourism, has faced scrutiny over civilian abuses in its efforts to develop national parks.
The Oakland Institute documented numerous disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and sexual assaults allegedly perpetrated by rangers, along with government seizures of cattle and land displacement. The suspension of funding highlights broader concerns over human rights in Tanzania’s tourism development efforts.
