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