Reply to the Ministry for Natural Resources and Tourism's press release about Loliondo

“The government of United Republic of Tanzania has never had any plan to evict the Maasai people from their ancestral land” https://appablog.wordpress.com/2014/11/28/tanzania-refute-claims-to-evict-40000-maasai-from-their-land-in-ngorongoro/

This is a patently false and untrue statement. The 1,500 square kilometres dry season grazing land in question, bordering Serengeti National Park, has already been under threat several times. This land is also the core hunting area of Otterlo Business Corporation Ltd that for two decades has held the hunting block (permit to hunt) that covers more than the whole area of Loliondo Division. The Dubai-owned OBC organizes hunting trips for the highest levels of United Arab Emirates society.

The Nyalandu-Style Loliondo Land Grab Attempt Almost Becomes World News

The renewed 1,500km2 grab attempt finally was reported about by the press, but in a distorted way.

One Tanzanian newspaper is inciting the public against the people of Loliondo.

The same paper published a letter by the councillor for Oloipiri supporting Thomson Safaris and OBC.

Minister Nyalandu denies everything and talks about other things.

A delegation from Loliondo failed to meet the Prime Minister.

More About the New Corridor Grab Attempt and About Thomson Safaris’ too Old Land Grab in Loliondo

Thomson Safaris have sent some of their “friends” for witness training.

The police are intimidating victims of Thomson’s violence.

There have been some meetings and a lot of silence about the Nyalandu-style land grab threat.

A document will be presented.

Content:

Thomson Safaris Land Grab

Nyalandu-styleThreat against the 1,500 km2

A Background to the Threat against 1,500 km2 of Dry Season Grazing Land

Extremely Worrying New Attempt by the Government to Grab 1,500 km2 of Maasai Land – and Other Updates about Land Threats in Loliondo

-Thomson Safaris are back to harassing people and cattle that enter onto the land that they have grabbed.

-Good and bad news from Kakesio in NCA.

-The Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism has met several times with the council chairman and also held a meeting with all councillors from affected wards. The information/threat is that the government is set on taking the land.

My Reply to Lies About Loliondo in UNWTO Handbook

I’ve come across an “International Handbook onTourism and Peace” that’s published by the Centre for Peace Research and Peace Education of the Klagenfurt University in Austria in cooperation with the United Nations World Tourism Organization. There’s a chapter in this handbook that deals with the conflict between the people of Loliondo and the government working in the interest of the “investor” OBC, but unfortunately this chapter gets some basic facts totally wrong presenting last year’s land grabbing attempt by the Ministry for Natural Resources and Tourism led by the then Minister Khamis Kagasheki as “entirely based on wisdom”! I sent an email - copied and pasted below – to the writer of the chapter and to the two editors of the handbook. This handbook was launched already in January this year with the support of the Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth and the Ministry of European and International Affairs of Austria. I’d kindly ask everyone reading this blog post to if possible share it with anyone who has read the disinformation of the handbook. I have so far only read the chapter about Loliondo and hope that the rest is not in the same vein. (Though I wouldn’t know since I only have detailed information about Loliondo…)

Email sent on Thursday 28^th August 2014 22:47 “Misleading information in Handbook on Tourism and Peace‏”.

Dear Emmanuel, Cordula and Werner (writer and editors),

A Model for Community-Based tourism Through Violence and Dispossession – More About Thomson Safaris’ “Enashiva” in Loliondo

In memory of Moringe ole Parkipuny, sadly missed for one year now.

-There have been some meetings.

-In a meeting with the District Commissioner an agreement was made that cows and herders will no longer be harassed on the occupied land, but will graze freely.

-What happened when Olunjai Timan was shot because of Thomson Safaris’ occupation of Maasai land.

-And a reminder of what the “philanthropic” land grabber has been doing during these years.

Olunjai Timan (I’ve earlier been spelling his name “Olonjai”) left hospital returning home to Mondorosi on 16^th July, one week after being shot by a policeman working for Thomson Safaris. His wound still needs regular cleaning and dressing.

Herder Shot Because of the “Philanthropic” Thomson Safaris – and Other Loliondo Land Threat News

Olonjai Timan was shot by a policeman working for Thomson Safaris.

I’m having problems getting updates about the cases against herders accused by Thomson, but am waiting to hear a sentence today (11^th July).

I’m also having problems getting updates about OBC.

Another Delayed Update About the Land Grabbers of Loliondo – or who is a Kenyan?

There’s talk about a security and intelligence camp in Loliondo.

An NGO staff member was “accused” of being “Kenyan”.

In April the Boston Globe published a biased article about Thomson Safaris’ land grab.

It’s being looked into how the District Council could get out of the court case.

And Thomson Safaris again physically and judicially attack the people whose land they have taken.

This blog post is unnecessarily delayed for the usual reasons, but I’ve got some information that I can share.

Tanapa Rangers Commit Arson in Arash – and Other News about Loliondo Land Threats*

*http://termitemoundview.blogspot.se/2014/06/another-delayed-update-about-land.html
The case against Ngodidio Roitiken was dismissed.

The Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism issued threats against pastoralists.

Tanapa rangers burned down bomas in Arash – and no action was taken against this.

There’s a dangerous lack of unity.

Seasonal OBC worker travel to Loliondo in the middle of the rainy season.

FZS are hard at work making top recruitments to carry out their plans for Loliondo.

Thomson Safaris continue occupying Maasai land and the court case against them is ongoing.

The American organisation EarthRights lends a hand to the struggle.
Update 22nd April: on 18th April the 1782 application in Massachusetts to get access to documents about Thomson was granted and on the 22nd there was a press release. http://www.earthrights.org/media/tanzanian-maasai-villagers-win-fight-information-about-land-grabs-and-forced-eviction-against

I’ve managed to get some information after much chasing of people in possession of it. Part of it is very serious news, but almost without debate and apparently totally without action taken.

More About the Land Grabbing “Investors” of Loliondo (and NCA)

The rains came.

Kagaheki, Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, resigned for Christmas and this was celebrated in Loliondo.

OBC isn’t doing anything at all (?)

In NCA Kakesio´s problem with the Friedkin group of companies continues and the NCAA isn’t doing much about it.

Thomson Safaris continue occupying Maasai land and presenting it as a model for community-based tourism, and again physically assault people who resist the occupation by grazing.

NGOs like Frankfurt Zoological Society and the Honeyguide Foundation excel in negative influence.

The dry season was on the way towards a catastrophe, but in early December it started raining seriously and the grass sprouted.

I’ve got some information about the latest land grabbing developments in Loliondo – and Kakesio (in NCA) – but as usual this blog post is delayed since it unfortunately takes some effort to get exact information, and some issues still have to wait to be written about.

Thomson Safaris Sue the Website Stop Thomson Safaris

Another example of the spirit of the safari company that occupies 12,617 acres of Maasai grazing land in Loliondo, violently harass the legitimate landowners and finds it appropriate to aggressively present this as a model of community-based conservation.

I’m having some annoying problems getting exact information about issues that I need to include in next blog post. Instead I’ll first write about another issue that I’ve wanted to mention for a long time and it’ll get its own post.