According to the Tanzanian government the proposed highway was meant to “boost" economic growth by improving transportation in the region. The proposal was met with international outrage, with scientists warning of severe degradation of the habitat and wild animal populations due to the resulting human intervention and traffic.
The African Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW) legally challenged the Tanzanian government and won a favorable judgment. June 20, 2014, was the fateful day when the judges of the court labelled the proposed road from Loliondo-Kleins Gate/Tabora B to Mugumu/Natta as “unlawful" and said that it “could cause irreversible damage to the property's outstanding universal value."
Josphat Ngonyo, Executive Director of ANAW, commented: "This was not a win for ANAW, not for our lawyer, Saitabao Ole Kanchory, not for Serengeti Watch, not for our expert witness John Kuloba - but for the millions of animals in the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. It is a win for nature and God's creations. Nature has won today. We send congratulatory messages to all our partners in Serengeti Watch and all who walked with us over the entire period that the case was in court."
Read more: East African Court of Justice rules out construction of Serengeti super highway.
Author: Purva Variyar.
