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,". 

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

Disconcerting News from Loliondo

In this blog post:

Rape and silence

Refugees in their own country

Ngorongoro chief conservator for “upgraded” LGCA

Council Chairman and German Pieces of Silver re-appear

What action has been taken against those responsible for the operation? (No signs of OBC packing)

Background summary

After the stopping of the long, illegal “operation” on village land in Loliondo, in which at least

250 bomas were burned to the ground, men, women and children were brutally beaten, and cattle illegally seized, and after the almost too good to be true news from the new Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism that OBC - that organise hunting for Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai and that for many years have been lobbying for turning the 1,500 km2 of important grazing land that’s their core hunting area into a “protected area”, inciting conflict and violence – will have to leave before January 2018, there is some disconcerting news from Loliondo.

This blog post has many questions and few answers, but is already getting too old and must be published. I hope there will eventually be answers.

How Could Massive Human Rights Crime Happen Again in Loliondo and Why is There Such Silence?

Statement from the Ministry for Natural Resources and Tourism and the Minister’s own totally conflicting statements

OBC

OBC’s ministers

2015…

The Germans

The operation to silence everyone

The leaders

Who is responsible for this human rights crime?

Oloosek 13th August

The text has updates in purple. Find updates in the introduction, under "OBC's ministers", and under "the leaders".
From 13^th to 26^th August 2017 hundreds of Maasai bomas (homesteads) were illegally burned to ashes in Loliondo and Sale divisions of Ngorongoro District, Tanzania, from Ololosokwan village in the north to Piyaya 90 km further south. Hundreds of families suffered loss of property and were left without food or shelter, and an unknown number of cattle was dispersed during this severe drought, it’s not yet known how many people have been illegally arrested and taken to Mugumu, at the other side of Serengeti National Park, during the operation, and the arrests of people and cattle continue up to date. Hundreds of cows are have been illegally detained at Oloosek, and kept at Klein's gate without food or water, and many have died. Many people have been severely beaten, including a 9-year old girl and a 12-year old boy who were beaten unconcious (no confirmed shooting after the operation started).The extent of the fear and panic can’t be imagined. This human rights crime is being committed on the ground by rangers from Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, assisted by local Loliondo police. All the bomas were situated on village land per Village Land Act No.5 of 1999, which means the land is owned and managed by the residents of local villages and isn’t any kind of protected area. The attack is a quite unexpected repeat of the extrajudicial evictions of 2009. On 3 September rangers keep seizing cattle at Oloosek, destroying temporary shelters that the victims have put up, and preventing access to water. Oloosek in Ololosokwan village is a very attractive corridor of land between OBC’s camp and the Klein’s area.

Data is being compiled. 

On 4th September the government organ CHRAGG issued an interim order to stop the evictions, and demanded that the government explain the operation. It was communicated on the 5th. This is a result of the work of Onesmo Olengurumwa of Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition.

On 7^th September the victims of the illegal evictions were still being beaten and arrested as before CHRAGG’s interim stop order. In Oloosek in Ololosokwan, Engare Oodare river and nearby places like Empirbir, in Endashata, Ololosokwan, and also areas of Kirtalo like Mambarashani (where OBC have their airfield), and Kitumidet and Ileken near Mambarashani people are beaten when returning, which is in complete violation of  the interim stop order. The same day, the 7^th, the rangers tried to humiliate some men who were washing in Engare Oodare river, and they seized 90 calves. On the 8^th they were beating up some young herders. I haven’t heard any reports about beatings on the 9^th. Those arrested in Mugumu were released on bail on the 7^th.  Two young warriors were arrested in Arash and taken to Mugumu, and on the 13^th 20 more people were arrested, and more cows seized...

On 16^th September, I got reports about beating and arrests in Piyaya, but haven’t been able to obtain confirmed details. On the 17^th more cows were seized in Ending'ting near Ang'at Endek in Ololosokwan.

On Monday 18^th September, the rangers sold off illegally seized cattle at Klein’s gate! The beatings continued and Parketuyan Toroge was sent to hospital in Mugumu in critical condition.I should have written a new blog post long ago, but am waiting for some delayed information.

On 21st September KDU rangers (anti-poaching, close to OBC) were beating up people in  areas around Oserosopia and Olangawuas, near the Kenyan border.

New blog post 24/9.

The Land Threat in Loliondo is at a Critical Point

Parliamentary Standing Committee co-opted by Minister Maghembe

German money used to press for land grab

Women’s manifestation

He RC’s committee was marking “critical areas” and meeting protests

Crying everywhere

Then the RC’s committee proposed a WMA

Summary for newcomers at the end.

In Loliondo the committee tasked by PM Majaliwa and led by Arusha RC Gambo has continued its work to “solve the land conflict”, and it’s come up with a proposal.  This so-called conflict is over 1,500 km2 of grazing land next to Serengeti National Park, that belongs to the villages per Village Land Act 1999 and is wanted for a “protected area” (not protected from hunting) by the hunters from Dubai known as OBC (Otterlo Business Corporation) that through the years have come up with different schemes to achieve this with the at times, or most of the time, devoted support from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. If achieved, such a land alienation would lead to destruction of lives and livelihoods, and to increased conflict, since the Maasai of Loliondo very obviously must go somewhere. As mentioned in previous blog posts, while the RC’s committee was at work, Maghembe, the Minister for National Resources and Tourism, made statements that the 1,500 km2 Osero (bushland) had to be taken, and he parroted all OBC’s arguments. Meanwhile, the dry season has been catastrophic, but is ending, OBC’s most admiring journalist kept up his hate speech until the past weeks when he’s been unusually quiet and then returned with more of the same, the Serengeti National Park Authority has been placing beacons on village land, a threatening letter was sent by the PM’s secretary and then revoked by another letter, there have been many meetings, and then a strangely behaving Parliamentary Standing Committee has visited, and the RC’s committee has been marking “critical areas”. Fear and confusion increased very sharply. Then a WMA was proposed.