OBC - Hunters from Dubai and the Threat against 1,500 km2 of Maasai Land in Loliondo

It’s been some time since I wrote a summary about OBC and the 1,500 km2, a lot has happened, and there has been much misinformation, mostly from government and “investors”, but unfortunately also from well-meaning quarters.

Very short version:

OBC have been hunting in Loliondo since 1993.

There were extrajudicial evictions in 2009 from the sought-after 1,500 km2 next to Serengeti National Park. People eventually moved back.

In 2011 a draft district land use plan – funded by OBC – proposed turning the 1,500 km2 into a protected area. This was strongly rejected by the district council.

In 2013 Minister Kagasheki made statements threatening to take the 1,500 km2. The threat was revoked by the PM, who said the land belonged to the Maasai that should continue their lives as before. This promise has not been put in writing.

After 2013 there haven’t been any open official statements from the Tanzanian government announcing any interest in grabbing land in Loliondo.

There have however been alleged threats in closed meetings, and a media campaign against the Maasai of Loliondo. A written declaration from the government is needed, and so is continued vigilance. 

The sections of this blog post are:

Loliondogate in the 90s

New Millennium

The Extrajudicial Evictions in 2009

The District Land Use Plan Revealed in 2011

Kagasheki’s Horrible and Twisted Threat in 2013

The Confusion in 2014

My article about Thomson Safaris in Third World Resurgence magazine

The new issue, with a focus on tourism, of Third World Resurgence magazine has an article that I’ve written about Thomson Safaris. It serves as the summary I should have written some time ago.

http://www.twn.my/title2/resurgence/2015/301-302/cover05.htm

Other articles in the magazine are:

Tourism – a driver of inequality and displacement - Anita Pleumarom

Tourism and the biosphere crisis: Provisions for inter-generational care - Alison M Johnston

Rise of the aerotropolis – Rose Bridger

Tourism for women’s rights? – Albertina Almeida

The puputan struggle against the Benoa Bay reclamation project – Anton Muhajir

Tourism, the extractive industry and social conflict in Peru – Rodrigo Ruiz Rubio

Tourism and the consumption of Goa – Claude Alvares

The occidentalisation of the Everest – Vaishna Roy

The getthoisation of Palestine – tourism as a tool of oppression and resistance – Freya Higgins-Desbiolles

The bitter irony of ‘1 billion tourists – 1 billion opportunities’

http://www.twn.my/title2/resurgence/2015/301-302.htm

Maasai fight eviction from Tanzanian community land by US-based ecotourism company

Pastoralist land in Tanzania is under threat because of commercial agriculture and conservation. In some places 'philanthropic' ecotourism companies also add to the problem. This article focuses on a case in Loliondo.

Susanna Nordlund

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Politics and Injustice in Loliondo

There are election results.

An unbelievable unjust – but not unexpected -court ruling was delivered, and there will be an appeal.

There’s some good, some bad and some downright ugly news, and this blog post has been somewhat delayed due to confusion.

Grabbers of Pastoralist Land Join Forces and Loliondo is Misused in the Election Campaign

A partnership between AWF and Thomson Safaris has been loudly announced.

Sheikh Mohammed visited and this was used in a dishonest way in the election campaign.

Since everyone who has some information is busy with politics it's even harder than usual to obtain information from Loliondo.

Some Kind of Loliondo Update and Delayed News About Abuse in NCA

I was contacted by the worst anti-Loliondo journalist.

There was a very bad article in the Raia Tanzania

Everyone is busy with the elections.

There isn’t many news about the “investors”.

The dry season has brought serious problems with rangers, especially in areas of NCA.

I have not been able to get many updates, reportedly because everyone is busy with the coming elections and the "investors" are keeping a low profile. When I was about to publish a blog post about nothing I was informed about abuse committed by NCAA rangers in Ndutu.

I’m happy to say that my arrest report has been translated to Swahili by Evarist Chahali. http://www.chahali.com/2015/08/mkasa-wa-kusikitisha-kuhusu-susanna.html

Brief Report about How I Was Arrested in Loliondo

I was locked up two nights at Loliondo police station and one night at Arusha police station.

Not allowed to contact anyone.

My computer was destroyed.

Instead of a court case I was deported to Kenya.

Then the usual journalist wrote an article full of lies about me.

Updated below.

Last week my latest trip to Loliondo – a part of the world that’s always on my mind - was cut short in a quite abrupt way when someone reported me to authorities. I wanted to meet some of the people who are not online, but who have information about the land threats caused by “investors”.

Some Good News and a Lot More Abuse and Insanity from Loliondo

More articles inciting against the Maasai of Loliondo

Fear about the anti-Kenyan operation           .

Mass arrests after extremely corrupt police were beaten by warriors at Ololosokwan market.

Youths arrested for “environmental destruction” in area where OBC are active

Demonstrations at Thomson Safaris’ PR spectacle inaugurating the Sukenya dispensary.

Excellent article about Thomson Safaris in Vice Magazine.

Attack on Kirtalo by police incited by William Alais’ investor-friendly gang.

Not too clever journalists.

Not too clever DC.

UAE Water Project. 

There have been very worrying developments, but also some promising news, and an excellent international article. As usual it’s been unreasonably difficult to get exact information.

Excellent Article about Thomson Safaris in Vice Magazine

This post was to be part of next blog update, but since that post is getting too long and too delayed due to too much happening and problems getting exact information, the article gets its own blog post. I hope to soon write about developments in Kirtalo and add that to the delayed update that also has some other important news.

On 12th May Vice Magazine uploaded an article from their May issue called, The EcotourismIndustry Is Saving Tanzania’s Animals and Threatening Its Indigenous People, and despite the title the article is entirely about Thomson Safaris’ “Enashiva Nature Refuge”. Some short videos are embedded in the article.

Betrayal and Abuse Continue in Loliondo

Nothing was done about the human rights abuse of February.

The RC came.

Kidupo kept getting worse.

A surveying team came and left.

Channel 10 attacked again.

Then Kenyans and those “helping Kenyans” were attacked.

Updates on the human rights abuse in February

The people whose houses were burned 10^th-14^th February did, according to reports I've got, not get any help.

The Aggressively Litigious Thomson Safaris with their Dollars Manage to Silence a Very Important Website

An alarm against injustice has been silenced. Armed with multiple lawyers, multiple law firms Thomson Safaris set out to stop the truth from being told, and the Stop Thomson Safaris website is no more.

To keep their anonymity – for explicable reasons being based in Tanzania - the creators of the website Stop Thomson Safaris have been forced to make a settlement with the land grabbing tour operator that sued them for “defamation and tortious interference with prospective economic advantage” and used a subpoena to try to make the web host Weebly disclose their identity.

Bomas Razed by Serengeti National Park Rangers and Loliondo Administrative Police

A large number of bomas in areas of Arash and Loosoito/Maaloni have been burned by TANAPA and thousands of people left without food or shelter.

Exact details have been very difficult to come by.

The “investor-friendly”* group is worse than ever.

I should have published a blog post a week ago, but have had serious problems getting exact information. Now it has to be posted. (Updated below in purple.  It's been found that the bomas were inside the established park boundary, and some also inside another, unidentified, boundary. It has to be investigated if the unidentified boundary could have become the legal boundary.)

Very Delayed Updates about Dangerous Divisions and Insane Incitement and in the Fight against Loliondo Land Threats

The Jamhuri continues inciting against the people of Loliondo – and is joined by other media outlets.

There have been “investor-friendly” meetings and meetings denouncing this.

Minister Nyalandu made pointless visits.

Some hearings and then postponement in the case against Thomson Safaris.

Activists are being threatened.

The MP continues showing off his uselessness.

Maybe a change for the better is on the way?

This blog post has been seriously delayed due to unreasonable difficulties in getting detailed information.