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 10th-14th
February did, according to reports I've got, not get any help.
On 18th February the RC visited Njoroi
village to examine the boundary between Kenya and Tanzania, but did not find
anything of urgency, and later he flew over the national park boundary to
examine the recent evictions. Then at a meeting in Ololosokwan citizenship and
Kenyans were on the agenda, and so was the border with the national park. The
RC declared that Ololosokwan’s boundaries were safe as village land, and urged
people to disregard ideas that they would be Kenyans.
Also on 18th February many new DC’s were
announced around the country. Elias Wawa
Lali – who was one of those “inspiring” the creation of this blog - retired and
the new DC for Ngorongoro is Hashim S. Mgandilwa about whom nobody knew
anything at all, except that he’s young and from Mbeya. At least he does not
seem to have a “military background” as was the somewhat demented wish expressed
by MP Telele to media.
On the 19th the RC held a meeting in
Irmolelian (Arash) with the people whose houses had been burned by Serengeti
National Park Rangers and police. His message was:
1. People are living inside the park and must leave
within 14 days.
2. The government will provide tents.
3. NGOs that are believed to have brought journalists
and incitement will be dealt with.
Some reports said that people moved out into nearby
areas for some time.
On the 22nd a meeting was held between
Arash, and the three wards under “investor-friendly”* leadership: Maaloni (that
also was affected by burnings) Olorien and Oloipiri. It was agreed that a
delegation should be sent to the RC to tell him that there was a need for the
parties to verify the boundaries.
The following days researchers found that the bomas
had been inside the park according to the boundaries marked by hills, as described
in a schedule in the National Parks Ordinance 1959 (and also in Government
Notice 1968). Though most of them would be outside the park according to an
unidentified boundary marked by stone piles, and it has to be found out what
that boundary is.
Some strange articles circulated saying that bomas
would have been burned in Ololosokwan, that there was an eviction notice for
the 1,500 km2 and other information that wasn't true at all.
There was no free prior informed consent in 1958/1959
when 12 illiterate leaders are supposed to have “agreed” to leave the Serengeti.
And burning people’s houses is human rights abuse.
The Sorry Story of the Bought NGO Kidupo Continued
Since over a decade the Norwegian Sami organization
Mama Sara – initially as a private initiative by Gunhild Berit Sara Buljo (known as Mama Sara in Loliondo) friends and family - has been working with the
Laitayok-based NGO Kidupo in supporting school children and building the
Lopolun Primary School. Mama Sara had already had serious problems with the
investor-friendly councillor for Oloipiri, William Alais, because of misappropriation
of funds and efforts to link-up the organization with the unethical “investor”
Thomson Safaris, which would be unthinkable for an organization working for
solidarity between indigenous peoples. Mama Sara got assurances from Kidupo
that Alais was no longer involved in its projects, but it’s unclear if he
really was removed.
Then in October 2014 it was reported that Kidupo’s
director Gabriel Killel was included in a delegation to Dodoma in support of
Thomson. This delegation was a response by Thomson’s extremely aggressive
propaganda machinery to a protest delegation that went to Dodoma after Olunjai
Timan in July 2014 was shot by a policeman working for the land grabber. Killel
has been widely known to in meeting always be speaking up against the likes of Thomson
and OBC, so this was something of a shock. At first he aggressively denied
having gone to Dodoma and started threatening those that he suspected of having
informed this blogger.
There were more and more reports of OBC and Thomson
vehicles outside the Kidupo office. In January 2015 Gabriel Killel participated
in a TV programme on Channel 10 that could only have been produced by OBC
themselves. He figured as the “good” NGO that unlike others does not incite
against the “good” investor OBC.
The Mama Sara organisation had no choice but to break
all contact with this deeply corrupted and very harmful Kidupo leadership. This
lead to Killel, together with Kidupo’s new senior technical adviser, William
Telele, son of the increasingly “investor-friendly”* MP, to proclaim that Mama Sara had abandoned the
school children.
Kidupo has got an interim board of trustees allegedly
put together with the support of Thomson’s Happiness Mwamasika.
Killel kept showing up at different meetings screaming
against those that are trying to prevent him and his gang from benefitting from
the “investors”. He also made many phone calls and sent out crazed letters -
and it’s widely believed that he’s insane. There are recordings.
A Kidupo source is reported to have said that the NGO will
have a hefty sum of money from Thomson Safaris. This source has also claimed
that the Honeyguide Foundation, an organisation close to Thomson and always
ready to support tourism players endangering Maasai land rights, will also contribute
to the NGO. The contribution by OBC is not clear, but the Kidupo director
totally discrediting himself on national television expressing support for the
UAE hunters can hardly come cheap.
In February the director of the Mama Sara organisation
and some other people visited Loliondo and met with many Maasai who were
waiting gathered outside the guesthouse since they'd heard Mama Sara was coming.
Before the arrival of the group the guesthouse owner had to go to the police
station to – perhaps naively since it’s well known who authorities work for - report
Killel who was engaging in trespass and abusive language. The same night
policemen came to enquire about Mama Sara, but left since nothing illegal was
going on.
The Mama Sara delegation wanted to, as usual – the
organisation has always had excellent relations with local authorities - meet
the outgoing DC for a courtesy call, but he was away and directed them to other
district officials. There was a visit to the DED and DEO, but through a phone
call it was found that the District Administrative Secretary who was
functioning as acting DC had been ordered by the RC to send away the Mama Sara
delegation before they could meet with any Maasai. There was a meeting with the
Ngorongoro Security Committee and the Mama Sara delegation was not allowed to return to
the guest house before crowds waiting to meet Mama Sara had been dispersed by
the police, and then the delegation got house arrest until leaving in the
morning.
The Mara Sara organisation helps because it’s been
asked to help, and not to take anything, while the “investors” take much more
than they give, and use their “help” as a weapon in the war to control Maasai
land.
Visits
On 10th -11th March the RC made
a “silent” visit to Loliondo meeting with councillors and members of the
Ngorongoro Security Committee. The RC is said to have thanked leaders and those
affected for having agreed to leave the area inside the park as he had ordered in
February. The RC also used the occasion to inform that surveying of the
boundaries between Serengeti National Park and the regions of Arusha and Mara
was soon to begin.
On 14th -15th March the
secretary general of CCM, Abdulraham Kinana, visited Ngorongoro District. He’s
reported as not having said anything of substance at a meeting in Wasso. He
thanked people for the continuing support for the governing party.
Surveying Team
A team from the Ministry for Lands arrived in Loliondo
on 18th March to survey the boundary with the national park. This
surveying led to big problems since the surveyors were using the wrong
documents and methods. It’s not known when they will return.
Channel 10 Again Worked for OBC
On 28th March Channel 10 aired another
documentary inciting against the people of Loliondo featuring the RC on his
visit to Loliondo, the director of TANAPA, the “investor-friendly” councillor
for Maaloni and OBC’s managing director. Unlike the first documentary I’ve not
been able to get detailed information about this one, but a teaser showed a
rolling text saying that the government wanted people to stop taking livestock
and agriculture into the national park – and into the area “set aside for
investment” (whatever that is, there’s only village land), so there’s no doubt
that the tone was the same as in the first documentary.
Nyalandu Landed and Left
On 1st April it was reported that Minister
Nyalandu landed in Loliondo and left. He dropped off the permanent secretary of
the Ministry for Natural Resources and Tourism, Adelhelm James Meru, and apparently or unfortunately it does not
seem to have been an April Fools’ joke. (Others sources said that Nyalandu
attended meetings before leaving). According to his Twitter account, Nyalandu
was on 31st March touring the boundary between Ngorongoro and Makao WMA in anti-poaching
helicopter, together with the permanent secretary.
Serious Abuse against Kirtalo Villagers and Kenyan Traders
On 1st April one man from Kirtalo and three
Kenyan cattle traders were brutally beaten and arrested accused of being “Kenyan”.
The Kenyan traders were quickly taken to court and sentenced to six months. On
the 2nd six more people from Kirtalo were arrested while the man
from the previous day was still detained, and on the 3rd, Good
Friday, seven people from Kirtalo together with five more Kenyan traders were beaten
and taken to the police station. On the 4th, Easter Eve, 12 people
were still in detention. These people were attacked in Iloopilukuny in Oloipiri
village and Olengusa in Kirtalo, by Immigration officers together with some
Field Force Unit and KDU anti-poaching unit from Arusha, OBC rangers,
administrative police and ten Laitayok from Oloipiri councillor William Alais’
“investor-friendly”* gang. Several of the victims were seriously injured, -
especially Nemonji Soit with a severe head wound and a broken hand - but not
taken to hospital, and Lemomo Sepere whose feet were in a very bad state after
being beaten with sticks. 18 people in total presented injuries. On the 6th
the detained Tanzanians were released while the Kenyans remained locked up.
Later two of the Kenyans were released while three are still detained.
It should be remembered that very many people in
Loliondo depend on Kenya for cattle business. Many also get affordable quality
education in Kenya.
On Monday 6th April the anti-Kenyan
operation started in Ololosokwan as well. Four Kenyans were jailed for illegal
entry and stay in Tanzania. On the 9th one Kenyan – who is a child,
approximately 15 years old - was taken to court together with three Tanzanians accused
of “helping Kenyans”. The Tanzanians were released on bail while the Kenyan
minor is still in police custody. OBC rangers or Oloipiri “investor-friendly”* gang were not involved in the operation in Ololosokwan. They seem only to have
been active in Kirtalo. In the team were Police, KDU, Immigration, Usalama wa
Taifa (intelligence and security service), Wildlife Department from Dar es
Salaam, Field Force Unit and Magereza (prisons).
On 6th April some Maasai across the border
in Kenya, “chiefs and land committee”, at Olpusimoru market made an
announcement that they would close the border on the 14th, they
would “stop the Tanzanians from accessing the livestock markets and water in Kenya
– and also have many of them who live in our land and will evict them soon.”
Some Tanzanians do not believe that this will happen since the Kenyans depend
on cheap Tanzanian cattle and customary sharing of grazing resources in times
of crises.
On 6th April OBC’s Isaack Mollel was
reported to be ordering people near the OBC camp to move away. All refused to
do this, and then there’s not been more heard from OBC.
At midnight 10th April the anti-Kenyan team
was expected in Arash. The team arrived and left on the 11th taking
one Kenyan, and two Tanzanians suspected of holding Kenyans, with them to
Loliondo “town”.
The Kenyans held another meeting on the 12th,
closed the border on the 13th but later allowed the Olpusimoru
market to continue “since people begged, but it’s the last one”, and are preparing
to go to Loliondo to see the DC.
Karkamoru
Another issue for councillor Alais’
“investor-friendly”* group is the market at Karkamoru that they want emptied
claiming that it is in Oloipiri. Karkamoru used to be in Soitsambu village
before this village was split up into Kirtalo, Soitsambu and Mondorosi – and
now it is in the middle of Kirtalo, so the “investor-friendly” claim does not
make sense. The problem for the destructive gang is that the fact that OBC’s
camp and air strip are in Kirtalo, Soitsambu ward complicates their “agreement”
with the hunters from the UAE.
A terrible drought seemed on the way, but it has now
been raining for some time, and there’s enough grass in the osero.
Land grabbers and land threats have to go as well. They should be chased away.
Susanna Nordlund
*This is a euphemism.
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