A Tanzanian court has released 24 people from the Maasai community facing murder charges following the prosecution’s decision not to pursue their case.
The suspects were accused of spearing to death a police officer in an alleged attack against security officers who were demarcating land in northern Tanzania months ago.
It came amid a land dispute between the government and the local people who were protesting against supposed eviction of their community from their ancestral land in Loliondo area in Ngorongoro district.
The 24 people and their leader were arrested in July in the ensuing clashes.
Tanzanians on social media have been reacting to the development, with some expressing their happiness over the release.
There has been pressure from locals and the international community over the government’s plan to demarcate the area, which is seen as a plan to relocate the local community.
However, the government has always defended the move saying the demarcation affects only part of the land and the community will still have access to 2,500 sq km (965 sq miles) of the total 4,000 sq km area.
