After Long Blog Paralysis the Crime in Loliondo is on its Third Year and in NCA One Year After Epic Protests the Movement Needs to be Rekindled

 

Intro and the sad state of “democracy”

Time passes too quickly, while I don’t get much done. I’ve got into the habit of complaining about delayed blog posts, but this is worse than ever, much worse. On 25th–27th January this already by then horrible year 2025, a German delegation headed by Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) visited Loliondo, as always conjoined with Frankfurt Zoological Society and Tanzania National Park Authority. Sadly, it seems like due to disorganization and soft-mindedness, the delegation may not have received the kind of pushback that’s needed. I stopped writing on the “How Not to Write about Loliondo”-blog post that should have been published long ago and instead started writing on a regular post about this German visit, but I’ve been frustrated and discouraged by a strange silence, reminiscing of the horrible 2020 that like this year 2025 was an election year, and the weeks, and months, almost a year, keep passing, and issues – important issues - to write about accumulate while information remain incomplete. In 2020, at least the 1,502 km had not been stolen, but how can local leaders, several of whom in 2022 spent over five months abducted, and now with the illegal beacons standing there screaming out the crime - while in NCA strangulation to force relocation intensified with President Samia - again play the CCM charade in this sham election?

 

Then, in early October I saw that Frankfurt Zoological Society had employed the human rights criminal and former director of wildlife, Maurus Msuha, as their country director, at the same time as intensifying their denials of involvement in the crime that they have at times openly and shamelessly participated in.  

 

In NCA rangers keep demolishing houses and there’s hardly any reporting! They have blocked watering of livestock in Ndutu and seized livestock in other places, claiming some kind of unknown protected area. There’s a fear that the government is moving forward with zoning, but such horror will be stopped!

 

Surprisingly, the sitting MP, Emmanuel Oleshangai was axed from the CCM list of candidates, even when he’s still popular. Shangai has several times spoken up boldly in parliament, before he in late 2023 became quite useless, constantly praising the president (still it didn’t help him …) Both Shangai’s critics and fans seem convinced that speaking up is what got him axed. Strangely, the candidate chosen by the CCM delegates – and approved by the party centrally – Yannick Ndoinyo, is a known land rights activist, even an NGO person (the Tanzanian government has always been paranoid about such people), and as councillor for Ololosokwan 2010-2020 was among the most outspoken and serious (but not so much since 2018 …) This seems (or seemed …) too good to be true, and I had some worries since the candidate has been silent for some time, even actively avoiding me. Now with this “election” his social media is not a pretty sight (I’m too sad to go into details about this). And on 3^rd October in a speech in Karatu in front of the blood-soaked president he didn’t touch the land issues with one word. Terrible memories linger of how the two MPs before Oleshangai turned into traitors in shocking ways, and the same happened to a couple of local leaders that I had to some extent trusted. Two of them have passed away at a far too young age. Let’s hope (and work) for the best …

Yannick with the blood-dripping, anti-pastoralist dictator.

In mid-February the government attempted to issue village certificates by force, based on the German-funded and facilitated draft Ngorongoro District Land Use Framework Plan 2023-2043 to legitimize the brutal and massive land theft of 1,502 km² for a “Pololeti Game Reserve” of 2022 – a plan that has twice been rejected by the councillors at Ngorongoro District Council.

 

On 4^th March the most full-blown traitor in Loliondo, who has kept a low profile for some years, made a re-appearance. There were then several other blasts from the past, some very painful.

 

While Tanzanians since the massive land theft and human rights violations of 2022 have a somewhat better understanding and certainly more concern about the crimes committed against the Maasai of the old Loliondo Game Controlled Area (and Ngorongoro District as a whole, albeit constantly mixing up the issues) it’s not easy to make them understand that the Germans are as vile and even more dangerous than the hunters from Dubai, organized by OBC. People in Loliondo, however, know this very well indeed, even if some leaders are currently choosing to pretend that they don’t.  

 

The “commissions” resulting (a disappointing result) from the almost unreal mass protests in NCA in August 2024 toured irrelevant people and Loliondo that was to be included, then not included, was finally indeed included. Details have not been shared. As the general bogus “elections” near, no resulting reports of the commissions have been made public. On 2^nd  September, the new Arusha RC Makalla on a visit to Ngorongoro said that the results of the president's commissions will be presented after the general elections. Though the president has made statements as if her same old evil plans for Ngorongoro are on (see below). It’s been a year since the Maasai of Ngorongoro Division, in tens of thousands, covered entire hills in red and blue, blocked tourist vehicles, and indeed managed to rattle the government. In Ndutu rangers are blocking livestock from accessing water, trying to establish a no-go zone, and in several places they have demolished people’s houses! How could so little come out of this?

 

Violence and abductions of Tanzanian opposition politicians and activists continue and accelerating – many are still forcedly disappeared, at unknown location, dead or alive. The opposition leader, the steadfast friend of the Maasai, Tundu Lissu, is detained, charged with demented “treason” accusations that carry capital punishment, and even solidarity trial observers from Kenya and Uganda have been sexually tortured before dumped at their respective borders. The hearings, in the well-known malicious way, kept getting postponed for months, and the judiciary is anything but independent. Tanzania's main opposition party CHADEMA has been disqualified from competing in the election and the presidential candidate of the second biggest party has been disqualified as well. 

 

Besides sadness and discouragement, my uselessness may have medical reasons. Hypothyroidism could be causing it but is under treatment. I hope to soon be back to more frequent blogging. The discouragement is never caused by nasty comments from anti-Maasai elements (instead those motivate me), but by the silence by those who should be speaking up and those who should be telling me what’s going on. Then it’s hard to concentrate when the world watches on – and many countries, even mine, are aiding and abetting – when Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians.

 

Now it’s almost five years since Salula Ngorisiolo was killed when NCAA rangers and police opened fire at unarmed voters who protested election fraud at Oloirobi polling station, election day 2020.

 

In this blog post:

Intro and the sad state of “democracy”

Shomo sere, Raila – remembering 2017

The now very old German visit

Attempt at forced German-funded village land use plans

Loliondo removed from the presidential commissions, and then again included

Necessary grazing on land that’s been stolen

Most unpleasant blasts from the past

In court

Briefly about the horrible Germans and the land

FZS recruits human rights criminal as country director

In the Shadow of the Serengeti film

A year after epic protests in Ngorongoro division and what’s the result?

-President’s continued threats

-NCAA attempts at establishing a no-go zone in Ndutu

-UNESCO and IUCN

-Leading to the protests

-Almost no fulfilment of promises

Carbon credits NOT in Ngorongoro

-Game reserve threat

-Best of “community-based”

-Blue Carbon from Dubai disappeared?

 

Brief and Incomplete Report about Loliondo, NCA, and the President’s Commissions, with Uncertainties About Latest Developments

 

2024, another horrible year in Loliondo and Ngorongoro nears its end and for a change I’ll write a – relatively - brief blog post. Blog posts have this year been far too few and so lengthy that I fear nobody will read them. This is the result of that I’m no longer hearing from some important voices and  sometimes I must struggle to obtain basic information that should be shared speedily all-over. This leads to uncertainty and the need to hold off publishing, while there are new developments and the unpublished blog posts become longer and longer. Tough the fault lies also with my own strange sleepiness and lack of focus. I’m currently (at last) writing a “How Not to Write about Loliondo”-post, which is quite straight-forward about well-established events in the past that reporters, researchers and organizations still seem to insist on getting wrong. The problems with that post is finding the right tone and deciding how recent and significant the misinformation must be to get included.

 

This brief post will cover the uncertainty of recent news of two commissions set up by the president concerning Ngorongoro. These commissions are the result of the best news of the year 2024 – blocking of tourism traffic in Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Ngorongoro Division of Ngorongoro District) on 18^th August 2024, followed by several days of mass protest gathering. The blocking and protests rattled the government to the extent of issuing promises (still hardly implemented at all) of backtracking on the strangulation of social services to make the Maasai relocate, and the reversal (implemented) of very recent and apparently deranged delisting of the villages of NCA and disenfranchisement of all voters. Fears are that the momentum from the protests has been lost when the government has yet again been allowed to set up “commissions”, which is habitual behaviour that’s never lead anywhere at all, if not to a worsening of the situation. In Loliondo (Loliondo Division and part of Sale Division that form the old Loliondo GCA) where in 2022, 1,502 km² of grazing land was brutally and illegally turned into a game reserve, there hasn’t been any such good news. However, before and after a meeting with the president on 1^st December, reports were that this illegal “Pololeti Game Reserve” would be included in the evaluation by the commissions, but the latest government statement with details has totally left out Loliondo.

Now, on New Years Eve, there are reports of police harassment against residents from Loliondo and Sale Divisions that have spoken up about the exclusion of "Pololeti Game Reserve" from the commissions. Apparently there are letters summoning NGO people, some councillors, and individuals like former CCM district chairman Ndirango Laizer to the Ngorongoro Security Committee on 4th January. 

 

In this blog post:

Loliondo

Loliondo and the president’s commissions

Remember what a GCA is and how such areas are threatened with game reserves

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

NCA and the president’s commission

Msomera and elections

Updates at the end

 

Worst Possible Loliondo Ruling in the High Court – Based on Deeply Malicious Terra Nullius Lies and Forged Documents

 

A month ago, the kangaroo High Court and Judge Nyigulila Mwaseba on every point by the Maasai dismissed the case against the president’s Government Notice (GN) declaring a “Pololeti Game Reserve” on 1,502 km² of legally registered village land that’s dry season grazing land for more than 14 Loliondo and Sale villages. This was done using the most malicious and deranged terra nullius lies about game controlled areas (GCAs) and obviously forged documents.

 

OBC, that organize hunting for Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai, has for decades lobbied to have this land taken from the Maasai. OBC has had the 4,000 km² Loliondo GCA hunting block (right to hunt) since 1992-1993. This covers the whole of Loliondo Division of Ngorongoro District and part of Sale Division, including two towns and agricultural areas, which is why OBC have wanted it reduced to their 1,500 km² core hunting area that’s important Maasai grazing land. The Maasai have through years with a local police state that’s harassed anyone criticising OBC and the American operator Thomson Safaris (that claim a private nature refuge outside the 1,500 km²), and illegal mass arson operations in 2009 and 2017, managed to keep the land until the advent of Tanzania’s most brutal and anti-pastoralist president ever – Samia Suluhu Hassan.

 

In the illegal demarcation operation by security forces that commenced on 10^th June 2022, more than 150 people were arrested and over 40 seriously injured, over 2,000 fled across the border to Kenya. People were tortured and raped. The security forces stole motorbikes and phones and destroyed houses and other buildings. Orias Oleng’iyo, 84-year old, was injured by gunshot, taken by security personnel and has not been seen ever since. The habeas corpus case filed by his son was dismissed. All councillors from affected wards were abducted on the eve of the attack and held for over 5 months, charged with murder for a killing of a police officer that took place the day after they were abducted. Random people initially accused of having shared pictures of the violence were added to the murder charges that the government didn’t show any interest in investigating and then just dropped after many postponements. All cases against 132 people accused of being "Kenyans" were also dropped. The government has boasted of tens of thousands of cattle seizures with extortionate “fines” (ransom payments) of 100,000 TShs per head of cattle. The loss of land, cattle, and the payment of “fines” has radically deepened poverty.

 

On 17^th June 2022 Minister Pindi Chana declared the illegally demarcated land a new kind of GCA (introduced in 2009-2010 to create confusion in which to steal land) that’s the same as a game reserve. With an ongoing court case against the minister’s new GCA, the president on 14^th October 2022, declared the same land a game reserve. The minister’s order was by the court declared null and void for lack of the mandatory consultation. Temporary orders to stop the operation of the game reserve until that case was determined were shamelessly violated by the government and the contempt of court case was dismissed.

 

The kangaroo court ruling signifies increased danger to areas all over Tanzania that are under threat of being alienated as game reserves.

 

A notice of appeal was swiftly filed.

 

The written ruling was almost immediately available and shared, so I have no excuse for being this slow, other than that new issues keep popping up with incomplete details and information is sometimes very hard, or impossible, to get hold of. I fear I can have missed a lot. Being sleepy and unfocused does not help but is not an excuse.

 

This blog post also has some updates about the implementation of government promises after mass protests in Ngorongoro Conservation Area/Ngorongoro Division (not to be confused with Loliondo), about other court cases, the distraction of a supposed squabble between TAWA and NCAA, and a reminder of the game reserve threat all over Tanzania.  

 

In this blog post:

The kangaroo court ruling

The Tanzanian government’s changing stories about Loliondo GCA while attempting to steal all dry season grazing land within it

Other court cases

Currently

OBC’s “friends” working to have the stolen village land managed by TAWA

The monstrous game reserve threats

New protests needed in Ngorongoro Conservation Area

 

In the court room.

The Maasai of Ngorongoro Conservation Area Finally Made the Government Backtrack - How Much of the Promises Has Been Implemented? Can Local Leaders Refrain from Losing the Momentum via Mindless Praise of the President? And How Can this Movement Be Kept Up and Spread to Other Areas Under Attack by the Tourism Cult?

 

After an escalated attack (it escalated sharply but started decades ago) since Samia Suluhu Hassan came into office in 2021 - with blocking of all permits for repairs, building materials and motorbikes, strangulation of social services, transfer of funds to Handeni district, harassment by rangers and a campaign of ethnic hatred against Maasai in media and in parliament, all to make the Maasai “relocate” to other people’s land - the Tanzanian government had to backtrack to some extent when the Maasai of Ngorongoro Conservation Area blocked the Serengeti-Ngorongoro road on 18^th August, making tourism vehicles come to a standstill, and then camped out in their thousands for five days waiting for a promised response by the panicked government.

 

As reported in the previous blog post (that mainly dealt with the lies surrounding GCAs in the brutal land theft in Loliondo and how there’s a threat of repeating the same in several areas of Tanzania) it had been found that all voters registration update/polling stations had been removed from Ngorongoro division (the same as Ngorongoro Conservation Area, NCA). Then, while waiting to hear from the government it was found that a government notice (GN) signed by the president’s son in law had delisted all villages in the division. The government, after panicking when the passage of tourism vehicles was blocked, made some bizarre and deeply worrying moves to backtrack from this. The villages are no longer delisted and there have been promises to stop the strangulation of social services (some limited implementation has been seen), and to stop the habitual harassment committed by rangers.

 

Sadly, local political leaders, instead of more strongly condemning the torture of the past years and pushing for a speedier and more radical change in government policy, seem to have lost the momentum by engaging in mindless praise of the president.

 

We now know what can make the government backtrack: to directly target tourism. How can this be used to regain the brutally and illegally stolen land that in 2022 was alienated from Loliondo/Sale (do not confuse this with Ngorongoro Division/NCA)?

 

In this blog post:

The disenfranchisement

The protests

The government’s response – backtracking at last, but in a bizarre and dangerous way

Limited implementation and local leaders losing the momentum

Remember the 2020 elections

The horrible UNESCO and IUCN

Brief NCA background

Loliondo

This blog post is very long, but still I forgot to add some important aspect that I was going to write about, and some I did not yet know about. 

At the end I have added updates.

 

The Attack Against Loliondo Never Ends, the Government is Looking to Repeat it All Over Tanzania, Using Lies About GCAs, While Trying to Erase the Maasai from NCA by Taking Everything Away from Them, Now Including Voting Rights and Then Even Delisting the Villages - There are Ongoing Massive Protests

 

As so many times before, much of the focus (now obscured by needing to write about multiple other issues) of this horribly delayed blog post is to explain what a game controlled area is. This is important, since the government’s lies are so much centred on creating confusion around what such an area is. Now a government notice deregistering all wards, villages, and sub-villages in Ngorongoro division (not Loliondo/Sale) has been found, the government keeps spiralling into total insanity and I must publish this blog post and write a new one about Ngorongoro Conservation Area and massive manifestations since 18th August (to some extent also covered in this post). Updates at the end.

 

The crime by the Tanzanian government against the Maasai continues in Loliondo with almost all dry season grazing land in 2022 brutally stolen to create a game reserve lobbied for by OBC that organizes hunting for Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai. While operation of the illegal game reserve is suspended by the High Court until determination of the case, the government continues in contempt of court. The most dangerous enemies of the Loliondo Maasai (after the Tanzanian government), namely UAE and Germany, keep using charity as a weapon of war.

 

In Ngorongoro Conservation Area – not to be confused with Loliondo/Sale - the restrictions, denial of permits, withholding of funds for social services, and harassment, including not allowing opposition party meetings – all with the aim of making the Maasai relocate far away to other people’s land, while applying terra nullius/GCA lies to the people supposed to accommodate the Ngorongoro Maasai. Some of the Msomera villagers suffering this invasion have again spoken up.

It's been revealed that all voters register update/polling stations have been removed from Ngorongoro division (Ngorongoro Conservation Area, not to be confused with Loliondo/Sale), and Ngorongoro residents find themselves registered in Msomera village in Handeni. 

 

Now former Minister Kairuki did not want anyone to talk about the leaked presentation proposing four new game reserves, just in the northern zone, so I must remind about that horror. Meanwhile, there’s more imminent land alienation all over Tanzania.

 

At least the European Commission has started to understand what’s going on and removed Tanzania as eligible for an 18-million-euro project.

 

The almost purposefully hidden new case against the horrible land grabber Thomson Safaris is finally coming along.

 

A statement by the Tanzania Tour Operators’ Association combines support for and denial of the government’s crimes and makes the case for a total tourism boycott clearer than ever.

 

On 14^th August, President Samia returned the human rights criminal Pindi Chana to head the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.

 

18th August dawned with massive manifestations and blocking of the Ngorongoro-Serengeti road. These protests continue. I hope to very shortly publish a blog post about the disenfranchisement and protests in NCA (not to be confused with Loliondo/Sale), but it’s covered in this very lengthy one too.

 

A new age-set was introduced on the Ngorongoro Crater floor. Welcome Irmegoliki!

 

In this blog post:

-In court, while the government continues its lawlessness

-The Tanzanian government’s changing stories about Loliondo GCA while attempting to steal all dry season grazing land within it

-The crime of 2022 that does not end

-The leaked report to repeat the Loliondo crime in four areas of the northern zone

-European Commission removes Tanzania for eligibility for conservation funds for northern zone and tour operators openly defend the government regarding Ruaha

-The stinking UNESCO and IUCN engaging in GCA lies about the Loliondo land theft

-OBC becoming more visible

-Amnesty report about investors in the illegal game reserve in Loliondo

-Article in the Atlantic months ago

-Disenfranchisement and massive protest in NCA

-The president telling the origin story about her hatred for pastoralists

 

Thomson Safaris acquired by Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, New Report by the Oakland Institute, and a New Court Case Against Thomson’s Land Grab is on the Way

 

I have for too long, with too many distractions, been writing a new blog post with some updates about the brutally and illegally in 2022 demarcated “Pololeti Game Reserve” that’s taken away almost all dry season grazing land in Loliondo, again about how the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism wants to replicate this crime all over northern Tanzania, and about how the Maasai of Ngorongoro Conservation Area suffer all kinds of restrictions, withholding of permits and funds, and harassment to make them relocate “voluntarily” far away to other people’s land. To avoid another far too long blog post, I’ll break it up and first post some news about the ruthlessly hypocrite and pompously lying land grabbers that made me start this blog many years ago – Thomson Safaris.

 

On 16^th April, with mixed feelings I received the news that the Oakland Institute had published a new report, Capitalizing on Chaos: Thomson SafarisTightens its Stranglehold Over Indigenous Lands in Tanzania, about the American company, owned by land grabbers and ruthless hypocrites Rick Thomson and Judi Wineland for 40 years. Then on 30^th April 2024 a press release all over the internet announced that Wineland-Thomson, Inc had been acquired by Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc., a travel company that focuses on ship-based voyages, through its subsidiary Natural Habitat Adventures. I have no idea what the implications of this will be, but sadly it seems like Thomson’s “team” remains intact. The constant reference to Thomson’s excellent “brand name” is a resounding failure for the strategy of silence, lying low, and throwing allies under the bus, while setting all hope on uncertain court cases, and now even delaying a new case. Unless Lindblad Expeditions are as criminal and ready to work with a police state as Thomson and Wineland have been for so many years, they must stop business and immediately vacate the Maasai grazing land in Sukenya and Mondorosi villages, Loliondo division, Ngorongoro District, by Thomson named "Enashiva Nature Refuge", also called "Eastern Serengeti Nature Refuge". I have of course written to Lindblad Expeditions (without any reply other than some promotional emails for tourists).

 

Not Ngorongoro district, but must be mentioned, yet another atrocity in the Tanzanian government’s war against the Maasai, on 7^th May, the Kilimanjaro RC, Nurdin Babu, invaded 8 registered villages and demolished houses on land claimed by Kilimanjaro International Airport. A preliminary injunction for a notice of a coming court case had been denied and the violence that had been a threat since 1985 exploded, like so much is exploding under this worse than ever lawless, anti-Maasai, and pro-tourism government. Over a thousand people have been left homeless, children, mothers and the elderly in terribly wet and mosquito infested conditions. Livestock are being driven away to prevent capture and auctioning.

 

This brief blog post is delayed due to the delay of the court case, the preparation of which apparently is complete, but held up by an unresponsive CSO that’s supposed to do “vetting”. I have also had problems getting anyone to read the draft of this post to see if it’s suitable, fair and clear, but then at least someone did so.

 

When Tanzania is free and all stolen land has been handed back, I may write the truth about NGOs, or maybe not.

 

Some issues may in this blog post be insufficiently described to keep brevity. Read my summary, other blog posts, or ask me for a better understanding. Other issues must for the foreseeable future be kept vague.

 

In this blog post:

Thomson Safaris and my comments on the new Oakland report

Campaign victory for Oakland when World Bank suspends REGROW funding

Lastly,

 

UNESCO out of Ngorongoro, Remove the World Heritage Status NOW! Stop President’s Samia’s War Against the Maasai Everywhere! And Stop Harassing Joseph Oleshangay!

 

A joint UNESCO, IUCN and ICOMOS mission made a totally government commandeered visit to Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Msomera 3^rd – 9^th February 2024. The Tanzanian government has in a similar manner tried to hide what’s going on from a mission from the European parliament, the members of which refused and were no longer welcome. The African Commission of Human and People’s Rights went along with the government’s ridiculous ways in January 2023 and in Loliondo they were prevented from visiting a single victim of the brutal and illegal evictions of 2022. The UNESCO case is different though since this organization not only does not care about being misled but are the actual main instigators of the government crimes in Ngorongoro. This is how UNESCO always conduct their visits, avoiding the people of NCA, even when they this time for the first time, in the “State of conservation of properties inscribed on the of World Heritage List (Extended forty-fifth session Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 10-25 September 2023)” addressed “alleged” violations – that it claims to have received numerous letters about in 2021 and 2022 - urging the State Party to demonstrate, ensure and rebut.

 

I had hoped to be speedier this year, but as seen, this blog post is terribly delayed, and this is partly because I still haven’t seen any reports at all from the government side. Others who’d been expected to speak up have also been silent. Complete and confirmed information about other developments has also been too hard to obtain, while too much has been happening, and keep happening. I fear that I've left out several important issues. 

 

The government propaganda continues all over Tanzanian media, boasting about the “voluntary” relocation of the Maasai. The main argument is the totally government-created situation in Ngorongoro. It’s just perverse, but it seems like most Tanzanians who aren’t bad members of the worst praise team, or blinded by hatred against the Maasai, see through it.

 

Meanwhile, in early March a presentation to the minister of an assessment by the Ministry of Natural Resources of no less than four new game reserves in the northern zone of Tanzania was revealed. This is a proposal for spreading the massive, brutal and illegal land dispossession as committed in Loliondo to all over Maasai land. 

I must again add a reminder not to mix up Ngorongoro Conservation Area with Loliondo  where there in 2022 was a brutal and illegal military operation to alienate 1,500 km2 of important dry season grazing land as a protected area, which had been lobbied for by OBC that organizes hunting for Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai, and its rejected legitimization land use plan, funded and facilitated by Germany. This blog post is mostly about Ngorongoro Division/Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) where the Tanzanian government uses cruel restrictions, blocking of repair permits, illegal defunding of social services, and severe harassment to make the Maasai relocate to other people’s land far away.

In the early hours today, 31^st March, President Samia replaced John Mongella as Arusha RC. Good riddance! Mongella has been the official overseer of the war against the Maasai and must be dealt with in every human rights court for his leadership role in the Loliondo crime. The problem is that the replacement is Paul Makonda, who in his time as Dar es Salaam RC 2016-2020 became known, even internationally, as a hardcore criminal. After three years in the cold, five months ago, Samia rehabilitated Makonda as CCM Ideology and Publicity Secretary. What is the blood-soaked ogress with an illogical international image as a “reformist” really thinking?

In this blog post:

Unstoppable installation of Joseph Oleshangay as laigwanani

Joint UNESCO, IUCN and ICOMOS visit

UNESCO and Ngorongoro

2nd phase of the Msomera madness

Very brief NCA background

Loliondo

MNRT presentation of massive land alienation plans for the northern zone

Brief Background of the Loliondo Hunting Block and Long-Lobbied for Crime

 

This is a summary to refer to in an attempt to avoid far too long blog posts and it’s help for anyone writing about Loliondo. By necessity this means that important aspects may have been left out. I’ve tried to include what’s most important to understand the current situation. Please contact me for further details, or if you think I’ve left out anything essential.

 

Notice that this summary is about the illegal and brutal land alienation for a “game reserve” in Loliondo and Sale divisions of Ngorongoro District. Ngorongoro Division/Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) where the Tanzanian government use cruel restrictions and illegal defunding of social services to make the Maasai relocate to other people’s land far away is ANOTHER ISSUE, even if closely related in many ways. The cruel and stupid Msomera publicity stunt is NOT about the Maasai of Loliondo. I must soon write another blog post about NCA.

 

The criminal is the Tanzanian government that´s aided and abetted by investors, donors, and conservation organisations. Notably, OBC from Dubai have lobbied for the brutal and lawless creation of an illegal “game reserve”in Loliondo. The Germans and Frankfurt Zoological Society have a long history of working against Maasai land rights and recently very openly and shamelessly funded and facilitated a now rejected draft district land use plan to legitimize and extend the crime. Though the brutal land alienation drive is not restricted to Loliondo, or Ngorongoro District, or to the Maasai, but all rural Tanzanians with land that’s of interest to tourism are under serious threat, while the Germans boast about being the biggest bilateral donors to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. The land alienation drive has been going on for decades, but with the current government of Samia Suluhu Hassan, that’s running amok with a greedy and violent tourism cult, it’s worse than ever. Everyone considering spending tourism money in Tanzania seriously needs to consider what they are encouraging.

 

I’ve got almost all information about the early days from Navaya ole Ndaskoi and that from later years from hundreds of different people, most of whom would sadly not like to be mentioned at all.

 

“The minister” refers to the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism.

Contents:

Mwinyi

Mkapa

Kikwete

Magufuli

Samia

 

Good and Bad Court News, Terrible Silences, Helpful Support and Continuing Injustice and Crime in Loliondo and Ngorongoro

 

Who can stop the cruel and lawless Tanzanian government, each day more determined to finish off the Maasai of Loliondo and Ngorongoro, and apparently all Tanzanians whose home, livelihood and culture depend on land that’s of interest to the greedy and destructive tourism industry?

 

The nightmare continues. Decades of land rights struggle in Loliondo could not protect the 1,500 km² - essential for lives and livelihoods - from a government high on tourist cult and the blood of pastoralists, lobbied by OBC that organize hunting for Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai and that for many years have wanted their favourite hunting area taken from the Maasai and turned into a protected area, which has led to extrajudicial mass arson in 2009 and 2017, and a local police state full of fear, before the worst nightmare became real in 2022.

 

In June 2022, all councillors from affected wards were abducted right before the brutal and lawless demarcation started and locked up for over five months, charged with “murder” – without any attempt at prosecution, only postponements, until the case was dropped - together with people arrested for sharing pictures of the violence, but charged with “murder”, they too detained without fair trial until the charges were dropped over five months later. Beacons were planted in a rain of teargas and bullets, security forces were beating, slashing with bayonets, cutting, raping, and arresting people. Thousands fled to Kenya, hundreds were arrested and 62 were charged with bogus immigration cases that were dismissed – without any prosecution - months later. The security forces destroyed houses, stole motorcycles and smartphones, seized and even shot livestock. Oriais Oleng'iyo who was last seen on 10^th June 2022, with bullet wounds and held by security forces, has still not been brought back to his family, and the enforced disappearance case filed by his son was on 17^th May 2023 dismissed by the judge, on ground that the police were likely not responsible for the operation but the Minister of Natural Resource and Tourism who was not sued in this enforced disappearance case.

 

To further finish off the Maasai, driving them into abject poverty, rangers have kept lawlessly seizing, fining, and even auctioning livestock. Some of the seized livestock are being slaughtered by the rangers. Though apparently these crimes have stopped in December. Partly because of fewer livestock in the area due to good rains, and hopefully because of legal action.

 

As reported in the previous blog post, the government keeps on disrespecting court orders after the High Court ruled that the “Pololeti Game Controlled Area” is null and void for two reasons: mandatory consultation was lacking, and the president's decision to on 14^th October 2022 (when court cases against the minister’s GCA had already been filed) declare a “Pololeti Game Reserve” on the same land automatically repealed its status. And the operation of “Pololeti Game Reserve” is stopped by the court until determination of the case regarding the president’s GN, which means the Game Controlled Area is non-existent and operation of the Game Reserve has been stayed (suspended) by the Court pending determination of Misc Civil Cause No 18 of 2023.

 

Women in Ololosokwan have held a big protest that wasn’t reported about by anyone from this village!

 

Meanwhile, in the East African Court of Justice, the most demented ruling dismissed the contempt of court case (the one arising from Application No. 15 of 2017), but the appellate division allowed the retrial of the almost equally demented ruling that in September 2022 dismissed the case about the illegal mass arson operation of 2017.

 

Then OBC’s “journalist”, after achieving the long-lobbied for, brutal and illegal land alienation, is back with complaints on behalf of the “investor”.

 

In Ngorongoro division (Ngorongoro Conservation Area) – that should NOT be confused with Loliondo/Sale – insane restrictions, blocking of permits and harassment continue with the aim of making the Maasai relocate “voluntarily”, while propaganda about Msomera goes on.

 

On 14^th December it was announced that the blood-soaked criminal Raymond Mwangwala has been transferred to Rombo district in Kilimanjaro region and new Ngorongoro DC is colonel Wilson Christian Sakullo, previously Missenyi DC. Good riddance! Only that every time I say this, the new DC is even worse …

 

Also on 14^th December, the EU parliament passed a resolution in strong support of the Maasai of Loliondo and Ngorongoro. As expected, the government responded with more lies.

 

I will very soon publish a summary of the history of the Loliondo hunting block, for reference, since these terribly delayed blog posts are getting too long.

 

In this blog post:

Cattle rustling and auctioning scandal in court in Musoma

Other crime against livestock since the latest blog post

Women’s protest and men’s silence in Ololosokwan

OBC are still complaining, and their own private “journalist” is back

NCAA responds to the Jamhuri and proudly admits its cruellest crimes

Hooligan judges dismiss contempt of court application in the East African Court

A significant win in the appellate division of the East African Court of Justice

Other court cases

Sportswashing in the Serengeti

Denis Moses speaking at TEC meeting

The notorious Germans

Better German behaviour awarding Joseph Oleshangay

Ngorongoro division

COP28

The big green snake

Case against Sifa Bujune dismissed

EU parliament passes resolution in support of the Maasai

The usual government statement with shameless lies

RIP Michèle Rivasi

 Brief updates added at the end.

Rest in peace Lemayian ole Taiko

Most of these issues should have their separate blog post. There’s a lot more to say about all of them, and some are here mentioned  far too briefly. Some information is so vague or difficult to obtain that it is paralysing the blog.

I may/must add some more links and pictures after publishing the blog post.

A sight that upsets OBC and its "journalist".

Partial Victory for the Maasai of Loliondo in the High Court and the Tanzanian Government Responds with the Most Destructive Contempt of Court, but Now at Least Some Criminals are Sued

 

On 19^th September the High Court in Arusha declared that the 1,502 km² brutal land theft called “Pololeti Game Controlled Area” in Loliondo was null and void for lack of consultation and for having been replaced by a “Pololeti Game Reserve” declared by the president. Besides that the same lack of consultation (including the abduction of all councillors of affected wards on the eve of the brutal and unlawful military demarcation attack) applies to the game reserve, it has its own court case with a court order to stop all operation until determination of the case. The relative independence shown by the court was a pleasant surprise, but it should not have come as a surprise that the Tanzanian government is lawless, issued a statement with its own “interpretation” of the ruling, increased harassment and threats, and after a brief reprieve, returned to seizing cattle and the situation is dire. Now those most directly involved, with concrete evidence of contempt of court, have been sued in their personal capacity, including DC Raymond Mwangwala.

 

The Tanzanian government, funded and facilitated by Germany (the Germans should not be allowed to get away with this …) continues its efforts to legitimize the massive, brutal and unlawful land theft.

 

The 77th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights is currently being held in Arusha and the journalist and activist Odero Charles Odero has there been harassed about his citizenship for speaking up about Loliondo and Ngorongoro. Then the ACHPR has been questioned for its government commandeered visit early this year and for not finishing its report. 

 

In Ngorongoro Conservation Area - not to be mixed up with Loliondo - restrictions and illegal suffocation of every aspect of life continue at the same time as incessant government propaganda to make the Maasai relocate. The people that following protests in Endulen were mass arrested are now harassed by having to report at Karatu Police Station every four days. The NCAA has again denied adulterated replacement salt, for which there were laboratory result already almost two years ago. At least it seems like the horrible chief conservator Freddy Manongi is finally retiring.

 

Almost every issue mentioned in this blog post needs to be written about in its own long blog post …

 

Where is Oriais Oleng’iyo?

The criminals just keep escalating their crime. When I had finally posted this blog post I got reports that TANAPA rangers had seized hundreds of cattle in the 1,500km2 area and driven them to Serengeti by force!

Updates at the end of the blog post. 

In this blog post:

The ruling - Miscellaneous Civil Cause No. 21 of 2022

The government’s malicious interpretation of the ruling

Grazing and violence after the High Court ruling

At last sued for contempt of court!

Odero harassed about citizenship at ACPHR session – with good events and traitors

Continued pressure for German-funded crime legitimization

The Germans MUST be sued for their relentless facilitation of violent dispossession

We also have the cases in the East African Court of Justice

Brief Loliondo hunting block background

Briefly about the 2022 threats leading up to the brutal and illegal demarcation

Briefly about the brutal and illegal demarcation of an illegal "game reserve"

NCA, bye bye Manongi, and the government again denies well-documented adulterated salt, UNESCO again

Apologies and reflexions on very long and horribly delayed blog posts

Manhunt in Endulen, Abducted MP, Tundu Lissu Blocked from Visiting Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Maasai Protesting the Tanzanian Government’s War Against Them

 

Tundu Lissu made a glorious visit, against police orders, to Ololosokwan and Wasso, and was then illegally stopped from visiting Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Before that I had spent too long writing about other issues, mostly about how the Tanzanian government/Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) responded to over a weeklong peaceful protests demanding a permit to renovate Ndian Primary School in Nasipooriong’, Endulen ward in Ngorongoro division/NCA some of which was also covered in the previous blog post. The response is increased disinformation propaganda in media (from an already high level), sending to Endulen market government provocateurs that since early 2022 have engaged in an ethnic hatred campaign against the Maasai, and then mass abduction of any man found in Endulen ward, the elderly, the sick, the very young, with the “excuse” that they would have participated when Maasai warriors chased away the government provocateurs. 31 of those first abducted were for over a week held incommunicado and not taken to court. Even Emmanuel Oleshangai, MP for Ngorongoro, was arrested/abducted for almost three days. Then followed several other arrests/abductions, including that of village leaders. Violence, destruction, and theft by the rangers and police is an integral part of the operation. The denial of renovation permits is a tool in the government’s concerted efforts to by suffocation via restrictions and blocking of social services make life unbearable so that the Maasai “voluntarily” move out of Ngorongoro. Another round of threats and arrests followed massive protests, mostly by women, against the government’s blocking of Tundu Lissu from visiting NCA.

 

This is not to be confused with Loliondo/Sale divisions where the government is using other strategies in its war against the Maasai, with a brutal military attack to demarcate a 1,500 km² “game reserve” in 2022, after many years of lobbying by OBC that organize hunting for Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai, a local police state, several mass arson operations, “arrests” for the sake of intimidation, and on the eve of the illegal demarcation, abduction for over five months of councillors from the affected wards. Now the government and its German donors and facilitators are working hard to make local leaders accept fake and forced legitimation of this crime, which the councillors rejected, for the second time, on 9th September. 

Though it seems like the government is moving towards Loliondo-style tactics also in the NCA case.

There are several ongoing court cases against the brutal and lawless Loliondo land theft. The ruling in the judicial review challenging former Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism Pindi Chana's cruel and unlawful GN No.421 is scheduled for tomorrow 19^th September. Unless it’s again postponed, I must very soon write a new blog post about Loliondo. This one is mostly about NCA (Ngorongoro division). Update: Good news! The "Pololeti GCA" does not exist, which must meant that the "Pololeti GR" also does not exist!

EU parliamentarians who were to visit Ngorongoro and Loliondo were 24 hours before their departure, stopped by the Tanzanian government.

 

I fear there are important aspects that I’ve missed, but this blog post is already too delayed.

 

In this blog post:

Reminder of the protests at Nian Primary School

NCAA’s journalists kept “reporting”

Genocidal inciter chased form Endulen market

Manhunt in Endulen

Abduction of the MP

More government disinformation and propaganda

Visit by EU parliamentarians blocked by the government

Magic visit by Tundu Lissu cut short by the police

Manongi lying about ranger violence against Joshua Olepatorro

Flying Medical Service are back, at least temporarily

Cabinet reshuffle

Very brief background

Loliondo in next blog post

 Updates at the end.