A Reminder that the Case about Loliondo in the East African Court of Justice is Continuing, and Late and Limited Updates about the Horrible Proposal About Ngorongoro

In this blog post: 

The news that’s getting old

Court hearing

More about the insane proposal

The threat against the Osero

When the EACJ case was filed

OBC and the draft district land use plan

Kagasheki’s ugly threats and lies

Worsened repression

Majaliwa ”solving the conflict”

Germans

The horror of 2018

2019

Mollel’s prolonged arrest

The shocking proposal

How the defendants have reacted to being sued – committing outrageous perjury

The perjurers’ own documents

Reports about the strangest study tour to OBC’s camp

After 60 Years of the NCAA The Ngorongoro Chief Conservator Announces a Plan to Evict the Maasai Again

While fear and silence continued in Loliondo where government officials will break any law to intimidate anyone who could speak up against so-called “investors” that threaten land rights, things were calming down since there hadn’t been any illegal arrests since January, there weren’t any rangers harassing herders, OBC’s director had for unknown reasons been charged with economic crimes, the president had made a statement on not being happy about evictions of pastoralists and cultivators all over the country, and nothing more was being heard about a threat of Loliondo being placed under the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA). Then, towards the later part of September, news broke that the Ngorongoro chief conservator, Freddy Manongi, and the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Hamisi Kigwangalla, had presented a plan to not only alienate from the villages the 1,500 km2 Osero (bushland) of important dry season land, but to at the same time evict people and cattle from almost the whole of Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), from the Lake Natron basin and escarpment, and elsewhere, and to restrict land use in other areas. If implemented, such a plan would mean the end of pastoralism in Ngorongoro district, and the end of Maasai culture and lives. The news was met with sadness, confusion, and despair over useless leaders that didn’t immediately act against such an announced atrocity.

As usual, this blog post has many unanswered questions.

In this blog post:

A terrible announcement, an article, and Manongi’s report

Core Conservation Zone –

Core Conservation Sub-Zone –

Transition Zone –

Community Development Zone-

Confusion about game controlled areas

Kigwangalla at the NCAA HQ

Who’s responsible? UNESCO and others?

Slow reactions and a not that strong statement by the Pastoral Council

Mzee telling it as it is

Questions about the Court Cases against OBC’s Director and a Reminder of his More Serious Crimes in Loliondo - Then the Ngorongoro Conservator made the Most Terrifying Announcement

In this blog post:

What has happened

The period that the foreign workers were employed by OBC without permits

Reporting in regular and gutter (Jamhuri/Tanzanite) press

Magufuli issues a directive about those charged with economic sabotage

Statement about implementation of the president’s January statement

Some of the unanswered questions

Then the Ngorongoro Chief Conservator made a marrow chilling announcement

Summary of Osero developments of the past decades

I still don’t know why after all these years while OBC have had almost all government officials in Loliondo serving them with terror and slander against innocent people, the Prevention and Combatting of Corruption Bureau didn’t until February this year act against OBC’s director Isaack Mollel. I don’t know why this happened, what will happen now, or who is doing what, but I know that the charges relevant to the years of suffering in Loliondo were, in some way, dropped early on, and those remaining are of the kind that any arrogant and unscrupulous company could have been charged with, if unlucky.     

I’d still like more people to read the List of people in one way or other involved in the long-time slander,terror, and corruption syndicate in Loliondo, and I’m looking for further information. Also this blog post has too many questions.

On 26^th September the RAI newspaper reported about a terrible announcement by the Ngorongoro Chief Conservator Freddy Manongi (see below, at the end, before the summary). This reached me today on the 27^th and made this all but ready to publish blog post seem quite irrelevant. I will follow up on this - will write more extensively - and am asking all defenders of the land to please come out of your places of hiding as soon as possible.

List of people in one way or other involved in the long-time slander, terror, and corruption syndicate in Loliondo

In this blog post:

Introduction

The List

Summary of Osero developments of the past decades

Since long before it became the condition of the whole of Tanzania, Loliondo division of Ngorongoro district has been a virtual police state. Everyone who has ever dared to speak up against plans to alienate 1,500 km2 of important grazing land from the local Maasai have at some point had their citizenship questioned, been threatened, slandered, illegally arrested, and even maliciously prosecuted. The same has happened to those who have just been suspected of being able to speak up … This is done by government officials, and others, that seem overly eager to please Otterlo Business Corporation, OBC, that since the early 1990s organize trophy hunting for Sheikh Mohammed, the current billionaire ruler of Dubai.

Hearing in the East African Court of Justice, but Perjurers not yet Cross Examined

On 10^th – 11^th June there was a hearing of Reference No. 10 of 2017, Ololosokwan, Kirtalo, Oloirien, and Arash versus the Attorney General of the United Republic of Tanzania. As mentioned in the previous blog post, my plan was to write extensively about this, but the defendants had only set aside two days, and their witnesses will be cross examined at a later date, and that was the matter of most interest to me. Now besides being delayed, I may repeat mostly old news here, but it wouldn’t be the first time, and I need to keep repeating the basic facts until they stick (it doesn’t work that way, but I can try...)

All information from readers is, as always, more than welcome.

In this blog post:

East African hearing 10^th–11^th June, without as much happening as I’d expected

The questions

Summary of Osero developments

Too Much and Too Little to Write About Loliondo

In this blog post:

2019-2020 MNRT budget: what Kigwangalla said, and not, about Loliondo (the little I’ve heard)

PCCB are silent (and so are everyone else)

Upcoming East African Court of Justice hearing

Summary of Osero developments

It’s been over two months since I published a blog post, and that’s not acceptable. I’ve spent some time on a post putting together what everyone ought to know about the threat against the 1,500 km2 Osero, but it’s almost 70 pages and needs some trimming, even if important aspects could still be missing, and must be included ... I should also make a list of everyone I know is, or has been, involved in the “investor-friendly” corruption and terror complex in Loliondo. Those are very many people, and I fear there are just as many that I don’t know about, so suggestions are welcome.

I’m waiting for information about PM Majaliwa’s threatening decision, but it’s just as well if nothing is heard, and it keeps getting delayed.

I’m trying to get hold of the report by the team of ministers that were tasked with making amendments according to President Magufuli’s surprising statement from 15^th January, which could be the best or the worst news ever. The ministers are supposed to have handed in their report, but “nobody” has got it.

There will tomorrow and on Tuesday be a court hearing in the East African case, in which I expect the DC and four others to get nailed for their obvious perjury. I hope and expect to as soon as possible after the hearing be able to write a good blog post about it, so please share what you can find out.

PCCB have for some time been silent about the investigation of OBC’s director Isaack Mollel, and I need to know what’s happening ...

Science Magazine Article with Huge Media Coverage, Anti-Loliondo Co-Author, and a not so Hidden Wish to Influence the Tanzanian Government

In this blog post:

Article in Science Magazine

Summary of Osero developments of the past decades (important for newcomers)

Like all blog posts this one is delayed, since among other problems, at the same time I had to write about the District Security Officer who’s been charged with corruption, and about the JWTZ soldier brutality that recently led to the death of 26-year old footballer Yohana “Babuche” Saidea. Probably over thirty articles have now been published about the Science Magazine article “Cross-boundary human impacts compromise the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem”, and none of them include any criticism at all, so my delay is unacceptable. I wish more people could have a critical look at it. My post is from a perspective of land rights and human rights in Loliondo.

Why now?

On 29^th March, Science Magazine published an article titled Cross-boundary human impacts compromise the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem (behind a paywall, but there are easy ways of opening it), about which the Director of the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), Simon Mduma, says (apparently in a press release, since it shows up in several newspaper articles from around the world, and at a press conference in Arusha), 

"These results come at the right time, as the Tanzanian government is now taking important steps to address these issues on a national level,". 

The Case Against OBC’s Director has Got Closer to Serious Crimes in Loliondo – and then Tragedy Caused by Soldier Brutality has Struck Wasso Town

The bad news of an article in Science Magazine (no news in the actual article, but its massive media coverage at this particular time is bad news,) and the good news of former District Security Officer Issa Ng’itu being charged with receiving money from Isaack Mollel have come at the same time, and I’ve got stuck with a delayed blog post that’s too long and confusing, and that I couldn’t get anyone to read and comment on, but then I was advised to separate the two issues into two blog posts. The post about the Science article will follow very shortly.

Then there was tragic news as well… On 2^nd April Yohana Saidea, also known as Babuche, passed away in Wasso town from injuries inflicted by the Tanzania People’s Defence Force (JWTZ) soldiers stationed at Lopolun, who on 7^th March had tortured him. The information I’ve got so far is found at the end of this blog post.

Poleni sana familia na marafiki. Pamzika kwa amani Yohana.

In this blog post:

District security officer charged in the Mollel case

The questions

Death caused by the bullying and torturing soldiers in Wasso

Summary of osero developments of the past decades

Outrageous Perjury about Loliondo in the East African Court of Justice

In this blog post:

Outrageous perjury in the EACJ

The cases against OBC’s director

The question

Summary of osero developments of the past decades

People who know what’s going on in Loliondo continue completely mute, and even some who are on the ground ask me if I know anything... Far too late I’ve got hold of some affidavits with the most deplorable perjury in the East African Court of Justice case. A court hearing has been held in the case – or one of the cases – against OBC’s director. The important questions remain unanswered.

Fear, Confusion, and Cautious Hope in Loliondo - and OBC’s Director Charged with Economic Crimes

In this blog post:

Reactions to the president’s statement

The very unexpected arrest of OBC’s director Isaack Mollel

Remaining questions about the attacks by soldiers in 2018

“Reasons” for the illegal arrests in January

Extreme police brutality

Now

Summary of osero developments of the past decades

This is another unacceptably delayed blog post that’s become too long. Much is happening, some very unexpected and somewhat promising, but exact information is harder than ever to come by. Those who know are silent, and even people on the ground in Loliondo ask me for information… Too many dots remain unconnected, and I’d need some assistance with this. For the first time since the 1990’s it looks like OBC are no longer untouchable. I hope to soon be able to write a blog post with answers to all the questions here, but for that I need some help.

Innocent People Have Again been Illegally Arrested in Loliondo

When the situation in Loliondo seemed to have calmed down after soldiers stationed at the camp in Lopolun had the week before Christmas again gone on violent rampage, beating up innocent people, and burning down 13 bomas in the Leken area of Kirtalo, somehow authorities decided that silenced and terrified people still needed more intimidation, and again engaged in illegal arrests. Innocent people were arrested for six days, which is very illegal indeed.

This blog post is unacceptably delayed for the usual reasons. One of them is that people keep telling me that I will get important information “tomorrow” and then such information isn’t delivered… 

Many questions remain unanswered.

In this blog post:

Illegal arrests

Sensationally good, and the same time absurd, statement by RC Gambo

Aborted visit by the King of Morocco

Conservation Watch interviewing Germans that say that Mwakilema lied in March 2017

Summary of osero developments of the past decades
Update 15^th January: the president suspends exercise to remove villages in protected areas