Who can stop
the cruel and lawless Tanzanian government, each day more determined to finish
off the Maasai of Loliondo and Ngorongoro, and apparently all Tanzanians whose
home, livelihood and culture depend on land that’s of interest to the greedy
and destructive tourism industry?
The nightmare
continues. Decades of land rights struggle in Loliondo could not protect the
1,500 km2 - essential for lives and livelihoods - from a government
high on tourist cult and the blood of pastoralists, lobbied by OBC that
organize hunting for Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai and that for many years have
wanted their favourite hunting area taken from the Maasai and turned into a
protected area, which has led to extrajudicial mass arson in 2009 and 2017, and
a local police state full of fear, before the worst nightmare became real in
2022.
In June 2022,
all councillors from affected wards were abducted right before the brutal and
lawless demarcation started and locked up for over five months, charged with
“murder” – without any attempt at prosecution, only postponements, until the
case was dropped - together with people arrested for sharing pictures of the
violence, but charged with “murder”, they too detained without fair trial
until the charges were dropped over five months later. Beacons were planted in
a rain of teargas and bullets, security forces were beating, slashing with
bayonets, cutting, raping, and arresting people. Thousands fled to Kenya,
hundreds were arrested and 62 were charged with bogus immigration cases that
were dismissed – without any prosecution - months later. The security forces
destroyed houses, stole motorcycles and smartphones, seized and even shot
livestock. Oriais Oleng'iyo who was last seen on 10th June 2022,
with bullet wounds and held by security forces, has still not been brought back
to his family, and the enforced disappearance case filed by his son was on 17th
May 2023 dismissed by the judge, on ground that the police were likely not
responsible for the operation but the Minister of Natural Resource and Tourism
who was not sued in this enforced disappearance case.
To further
finish off the Maasai, driving them into abject poverty, rangers have kept
lawlessly seizing, fining, and even auctioning livestock. Some of the seized
livestock are being slaughtered by the rangers. Though apparently these crimes
have stopped in December. Partly because of fewer livestock in the area due to
good rains, and hopefully because of legal action.
As reported
in the previous blog post, the government keeps on disrespecting court orders
after the High Court ruled that the “Pololeti Game Controlled Area” is null and
void for two reasons: mandatory consultation was lacking, and the president's
decision to on 14th October 2022 (when court cases against the minister’s
GCA had already been filed) declare a “Pololeti Game Reserve” on the same land
automatically repealed its status. And the operation of “Pololeti Game Reserve”
is stopped by the court until determination of the case regarding the president’s
GN, which means the Game Controlled Area is non-existent and operation of the Game
Reserve has been stayed (suspended) by the Court pending determination of Misc
Civil Cause No 18 of 2023.
Women in
Ololosokwan have held a big protest that wasn’t reported about by anyone from this
village!
Meanwhile, in
the East African Court of Justice, the most demented ruling dismissed the
contempt of court case (the one arising from Application No. 15 of 2017), but
the appellate division allowed the retrial of the almost equally demented ruling
that in September 2022 dismissed the case about the illegal mass arson
operation of 2017.
Then OBC’s
“journalist”, after achieving the long-lobbied for, brutal and illegal land
alienation, is back with complaints on behalf of the “investor”.
In Ngorongoro
division (Ngorongoro Conservation Area) – that should NOT be confused
with Loliondo/Sale – insane restrictions, blocking of permits and harassment
continue with the aim of making the Maasai relocate “voluntarily”, while
propaganda about Msomera goes on.
On 14th
December it was announced that the blood-soaked criminal Raymond Mwangwala has
been transferred to Rombo district in Kilimanjaro region and new Ngorongoro DC
is colonel Wilson Christian Sakullo, previously Missenyi DC. Good riddance!
Only that every time I say this, the new DC is even worse …
Also on 14th
December, the EU parliament passed a resolution in strong support of the Maasai
of Loliondo and Ngorongoro. As expected, the government responded with more
lies.
I will very
soon publish a summary of the history of the Loliondo hunting block, for
reference, since these terribly delayed blog posts are getting too long.
In this blog
post:
Cattle
rustling and auctioning scandal in court in Musoma
Other crime
against livestock since the latest blog post
Women’s
protest and men’s silence in Ololosokwan
OBC are still
complaining, and their own private “journalist” is back
NCAA responds
to the Jamhuri and proudly admits its cruellest crimes
Hooligan
judges dismiss contempt of court application in the East African Court
A significant
win in the appellate division of the East African Court of Justice
Other court
cases
Sportswashing
in the Serengeti
Denis Moses
speaking at TEC meeting
The notorious
Germans
Better German
behaviour awarding Joseph Oleshangay
Ngorongoro
division
COP28
The big green
snake
Case against
Sifa Bujune dismissed
EU parliament
passes resolution in support of the Maasai
The usual
government statement with shameless lies
RIP Michèle
Rivasi
Most of these
issues should have their separate blog post. There’s a lot more to say about
all of them, and some are here mentioned far too briefly. Some information is so vague
or difficult to obtain that it is paralysing the blog.
I may/must add some more links and pictures after publishing the blog post.
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| A sight that upsets OBC and its "journalist". |
