The War Against the Maasai of Loliondo and NCAA Continues, there was a German-Facilitated Meeting to Legitimize it, Commission on Human Rights and Good Governance Visited, the Case of the Enforced Disappearance of Oriais Oleng'iyo has Begun, UNESCO, and More

 

It is not a nightmare that you can wake up from. The horror is real. The threat, lobbied for by OBC, that organize hunting for Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai, of taking 1,500 km² of grazing land from the Maasai of Loliondo - squeezing them into land with towns, agricultural areas, forest reserves, and a nasty American land grab – was last year implemented with brutality and lawlessness by the Tanzanian government. The ugly boundary beacons still stand there and the Maasai can only access their own land as thieves, risking terrible extortion by rangers, which is a risk that must be taken, since cows need grass. Oriais Oleng'iyo who was last seen on 10^th June 2022, with bullet wounds and held by security forces, has still not been brought back to his family. After the over five-month abduction on bogus charges of all councillors, except one who fled, together with people suspected of sharing information, there aren’t any local leaders who are speaking up against the crimes. Only the court cases resemble anything like hope. There is now further evidence (in case anyone had doubted it) that the Germans support the horror.

 

Ngorongoro Conservation Area with its NCAA rule and restrictions was something to avoid at all costs and a reason for resistance in Loliondo, but now most of Loliondo’s grazing land has been stolen from the villages and placed under the NCAA, with much worse restrictions, total restrictions. In NCA itself, with the specific and outspokenly hostile president, and the relocation drive to other people’s land 600 km away, everything has worsened, but "recently" there have been some visits by allies, which could maybe lead to something worthwhile.

NCAA rangers and leaders of so-called cultural bomas in Olbalbal and Endulen are involved in violent assault, including rape, against women who sell cultural ornaments independently, and I only got details about this last evening. 

 

The war against pastoralists, and other rural people, continues almost all over Tanzania. In Mbarali, Chunya, and maybe Iringa and Chamwino districts, some 48 villages (could be more) are threatened by the old extension decision (GN No.28) for Ruaha National Park. In Kilombero a massive game reserve was declared on 17^th February. In Tarime there’s been lethal ranger violence for decades and on 28^th March a demarcation operation on village land begun. In Nyatwali ward in Bunda there are eviction threats for extending Serengeti National Park all the way to Lake Victoria. Last year the government in the most lawless and irrational way planted beacons in several villages to expand to Kilimanjaro International Airport (there’s an ongoing court case). There’s extreme police brutality in Isela sub-village in Ndolezi village, Mbozi district from where people are being evicted for investment around a meteorite museum managed by the NCAA! This is far from Ngorongoro, in Songwe region, at the other end of the country. In Kalilani village in Uvinza district Mahale Mountains National Park is being extended into the village, and last year, at almost the exact time as Ololosokwan was attacked, rangers attacked this village with live bullets, which I didn’t get to know until 24^th March this year. And so many other underreported, and unreported, horrors.

 

Still, the crimes in Loliondo should suffice for a total tourism boycott of Tanzania.

 

In this blog post:

President’s son in law as new Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism

Extortion of herders continues

Where is Oriais Oleng'iyo?

Demoralizing tour by the MP

Land grab legitimation meeting facilitated by Germans

Crime legitimation meeting number two

Reminder about the Germans and why they must be chased out of the Serengeti ecosystem

Court cases

Reminder of the government commandeered visit by the African Commission of Human and People’s Rights

Visit by the Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance

Support and harassment in Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Beatings, rape, threats and silence in Olbalbal and Endulen, women terrorized by rangers and cultural boma leaders

UNESCO and the terrible Dr Malebo

Updates added at the end of the blog post.

Sorry for the delay in publishing this post. There's too much happening and it's too difficult to confirm much of the information. I may also be too slow and unfocused. 

The Tanzanian Government Commandeers the African Commission for Human and People’s Rights, Letting Maasai in Loliondo Wait in Vain - and Other Sad and Delayed News and Unanswered Questions

 

The brutal and lawless occupation of 1,500 km² of legally registered village land in Loliondo and Sale Divisions of Ngorongoro District for an illegal “Pololeti Game Reserve” just goes on. The massive loss of grazing land and illegal seizure of livestock with extortionate “fines” keep deepening poverty. Oriais Oleng'iyo who was last seen on 10^th June, wounded by bullets and held by security forces, has not been brought back to his family. Leaders keep hiding in fear after the over five-month abduction on bogus charges of all councillors, except one who fled, together with people suspected of sharing information. Nobody has been allowed to rebuild their houses in the 1,500 km². Stolen motorbikes and smartphones have not been returned. The illegally planted beacons have not been uprooted. President Samia’s lawless Government Notice No.604 has not been shredded to pieces. The demented tourism cult and anti-pastoralism still holds the government in thrall. Stop this crime! Punish everyone involved and all those silently supporting it!

 

To rub salt into the wounds, the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights has made a visit to Ngorongoro, Loliondo and Msomera, totally co-opted by the government. The Tanzanian government controlled every move, only by accident did some victims of land theft and human rights violations get a space to tell their woes. In Loliondo the Commission was prevented from meeting any victims at all, and those were victims who thought that their prayers had been heard and that finally someone would come to their rescue. We are waiting for the Commission’s final report.

 

Then the NCAA board of directors descended salivating over the stolen “goldmine”.

 

A tourist boycott is necessary.

 

In this blog post:

January news (plus early February due to delays)

The war against livestock continues

More harmfully mixed-up articles

Support by Human Rights Watch

NCAA board descending like vultures

Remember the difference between Loliondo and NCA

Taasa, The Royal Tour and the DC/human rights criminal

Carbon offsets MoU with Dubai

Cargo plane from Dubai again

Added: mobile OBC camps

Government commandeered visit by the African Commission for Human and People’s Rights

The giraffes on planes that I don’t want to write about (only for Tanzanians)

Fake giraffes

My guess

Zero investigation after the 1990s

Actual giraffes on planes in 2010, but NOT involving OBC, Dubai or Loliondo

The ban on wildlife exports

Green Mile Safari

The weird trophy hunting debate

Zoom seminar with the worst of the worst, OBC’s Mollel included

Brief Loliondo hunting block background

Briefly about 2022 threats leading up to the brutal illegal demarcation

Briefly about the brutal and illegal demarcation of a fake game reserve

 

Updates added at the end of the blog post.

Guest Blogger: The Words of Salangat ole Mako on the Run for In Vain Trying to Tell the Truth to the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights that Never Came

 

Salangat ole Mako has in his own words become a – nightly - grass thief in his own land. He is a Maasai pastoralist and a small-scale commercial cultivator of vegetables and fruits in Ololosokwan village in Loliondo. As lobbied for by OBC, that organizes hunting for Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai, 75% of his, and everyone’s, grazing land has brutally and lawlessly been taken by the Tanzanian government for a “protected area”, and then there have been threats of taking his farm. On 25^th January, Salangat was waiting in vain for a much shambolic and government co-opted visit by the African Commission of Human and People’s Rights (I hope to very soon post a blog post about this). A brief clip of what he would have wanted to tell the Commission was shared online. The following day the Officer Commanding Ngorongoro District came to Ololosokwan to say that the gathering waiting for the international organization had not had a permit and that Salangat had been talking thrash. Then Salangat received more threats and fled to Kenya.

These are his spoken and written words:

The Worst Year Ever in Loliondo is Ending Without any Hope on the Horizon

 

This year has been the worst year ever. With extreme brutality, breaking every law, the Tanzanian government has turned 1,500 km² of important grazing land, legally registered village land in Loliondo and Sale divisions of Ngorongoro district, into a fake and illegal “Pololeti Game Reserve”.

 

This is not just a violent operation that took place in June – when mzee Oriais Oleng'iyo was last seen wounded by bullets and held by security forces. It is an ongoing brutal crime that continues, in a most deadly way, until the illegal boundary beacons are uprooted and the lawless Government Notice No.604, issued by the president, thrown into the waste bin.

 

The land has been stolen, the grass has been stolen, livestock keep being stolen and ransom fees demanded, everybody’s mental health is stolen, all leaders – they had some moments of usefulness early this year - have become useless cowards through terror. This terror has been caused by the locking up of all councillors from affected wards on bogus murder charges for over five months, reporting has almost stopped through confiscation of smartphones, arrests, and additions to the murder charges.

 

This crime is significantly worse than the illegal evictions with mass arson in 2009 and 2017. Those attacks had a start and an end when the Maasai could rebuild, while the current brutality goes on and on.

 

In Ngorongoro Conservation Area, not to be confused with Loliondo, restrictions have worsened and hate propaganda in the press and in parliament have gone mouth-frothingly insane in this year. It looked like it was there that the government’s violence would explode, but instead, it did in Loliondo.

 

However, it is not only Ngorongoro district. Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government is waging a war against pastoralists all over Tanzania. The repression and lawlessness of the Magufuli era have been kept while a crazy tourist cult has become state religion. A cheesy travel show is the gospel and there is a promise of 5 million tourists by 2025. Tanzania is a perfect candidate for a total tourism boycott. 

Let's hope that we will meet 2024 without these two, at least not in their capacity as head of state/emirate.

In this blog post:

The government’s continued war against land and livestock

The dropped bogus murder case

Fake and forced land use plans

The war against livestock

The chief criminal Samia and her German donors

Thomson Safaris

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Court cases

Brief Loliondo hunting block background

Briefly about 2022 threats leading up to the brutal illegal demarcation

Briefly about the brutal and illegal demarcation of a fake game reserve

Loliondo Bogus Murder Case Dropped after Over Five Months, While the Horror Worsens with Fake and Forced Land Use Plans

 

I needed to write a briefer, clearer blog post about the brutal and lawless land demarcation – robbing the Maasai of Loliondo of vitally important grazing land - committed by the entire blood-soaked and illegitimate Tanzanian government, and about the terrible (but not as terrible as reported in parts of the press) and partly inexplicable ruling by the EACJ on the 2017 mass arson. But the horrors just keep accumulating and I’m overwhelmed. State security and surveyors have been to Loliondo to redraw village boundaries and impose land use plans with heavy intimidation, and reportedly corrupted some people. On 1^st November it was announced that President Samia Suluhu Hassan on 14^th October had declared the 1,500 km² a fake and illegal “Pololeti Game Reserve”. Then the DC and an individual calling himself conservator of the illegal protected area have been threatening with further land theft, outside the 1,500 km², via WMAs.

 

Meanwhile, in Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCAA, NOT to be mixed up with Loliondo), the restrictions to squeeze out the Maasai keep tightening.

 

I miss the days when I was told that they Maasai of today aren’t the Maasai of 1958, meaning that they are educated, organized, and there’s no need to worry since they will stop evil government plans. It’s such a long time ago. Help is needed. People who can target President Samia in ways that will be very acutely felt, must help stopping the cruel crimes against the Maasai. Open letters are much appreciated (see below for new ones) but words are just not enough. “Words are not enough” applies to me as a blogger as well, but I don’t know what to do.

 

When I was about to publish this blog post there was good news that the Director of Public Prosecution has dropped the obviously bogus “murder case” against 24 people – including all councillors from affected wards, except one who fled - who have been locked up in remand prison for over five months. I hope there isn’t a price for the release, but that hope is getting fainter by the hour.

 

Meanwhile, pastoralists all over Tanzania are under attack. Seven villages around Kilimanjaro International Airport have suffered illegal planting of beacons, in Mbarali there are evictions and terrible seizure of cattle, evictions and killed pastoralists in Kilombero, and violence ordered by an anti-pastoralist councillor in Morogoro has led to one death and several injuries.

 

I’ll soon write a briefer blog, hopefully with answers to some of the questions that remain.  

 

Where is mzee Oriais Oleng'iyo?

 

The horror

Fake and forced land use plans

Dismissed immigration cases

Bogus murder case dropped

The old lie

Court cases and the government’s brutal and wildly shifting lies

Ruthless hypocrites Thomson Safaris

The not at all less threatened Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Updates at the end of the blog post.

Amidst Government Terror and Lawlessness, the East African Court Fails to Deliver Justice to the Maasai of Loliondo

 

Update: On 1st November, Miscellaneous Cause No.09 of 2022 – a parallel case to the one filed in the EACJ to stop the fake and illegal Pololeti GCA - was mentioned in the high court and met with the information that the evil Samia Suluhu Hassan had on 14^th October declared the land as a “Pololeti Game Reserve”.

On 22nd November the DPP dropped the bogus murder case, and the new blog post is basically finished, except for some terrible uncertainties. 

More updates at the end of this blog post, and a new post will be ready as soon as possible. 

NEW BLOG POST

On 30^th September 2022 in Arusha, the East African Court of Justice delivered its ruling in Reference No. 10 of 2017 Ololosokwan Village Council & 3 Others versus the Attorney General of the United Republic of Tanzania. The case was so very clear that it seemed impossible that the Maasai would not win, and the judges seemed to have understood. Still, the ruling was “dismissed for lack of merits”. The court argued that the applicant villages failed to prove that the mass arson operation in 2017 was carried out on village land and not in Serengeti National Park, as was the lie by the government (respondent) witnesses in 2018, after the attorney general in the initial response from November 2017 had lied that the 1,500 km² would have been declared a protected area, which is what Minister Pindi Chana – illegally – did on 17^th June this year. The court seems not to have noticed this glaring discrepancy between the attorney general (respondent) and the respondent’s witnesses.

 

TANAPA's map from the 2017 operation clearly shows that an overwhelming majority of bomas were illegally burned on village land.

The lawyer Joseph Moses Oleshangay tweeted, “The case has been dismissed. I believe the three months’ time delay was meant to rewrite the decision. No other means can explain more than 90 days delay.”

 

In this blog post:

The ruling

Reference No. 10 of 2017

Illegal annexation to Ngorongoro Conservation Area and recent violence there

 

The Horror Continues in Loliondo and the Tanzanian Government Must be Stopped

Update 30^th September: I will as soon as possible finish a blog post about today’s terrible ruling in the East African Court of Justice. The court ruled that the applicants had failed to prove that the mass arson operation in 2017 was carried out on village land and not in Serengeti National Park as claimed by the government witnesses. This ruling, besides a terrible blow, is stupid in many ways.

NEW BLOG POST on 2nd October

The Tanzanian government’s dirty war against the Maasai in Loliondo, despite of significant support from international organisations for the Maasai, goes on and on, and sanctions, instead of just words, are needed. The brutal and lawless government – while violating all laws and human rights, and hardly even pretending to follow any procedure – is robbing the Maasai of 1,500 km² of mostly less densely populated grazing land - all of it legally registered village land - expecting them to squeeze into the remaining 2,500 km² of the 4,000 km² Loliondo hunting block where there are towns, agricultural areas, forests, a grabbed “private nature refuge”, and other land occupation, while shamelessly lying that this means that out of love they are “giving” the Maasai the 2,500 km². Government representatives even lie that this operation would be “participatory” - when ALL councillors (except one who fled) from affected wards were arrested the day before the illegal demarcation started and continue locked up on trumped up charges.

Local leaders that for the past years have shown weakness, and worse than weakness, have with the new version of the threat against the 1,500km² this year made it very publicly clear that giving away this land for a protected area in any form is not an option.

 

For years, this land alienation has been lobbied for by Otterlo Business Corporation (OBC) that organizes hunting for Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai. Now, after dissenting views inside the government were killed, and the always present repression of activism worsened during the Magufuli regime, the government of Samia Suluhu Hassan has made tourism into state religion, while anti-Maasai hate speech in the one-party parliament flouting on blood has reached insane levels. Unlike in the past, the Maasai don’t have any allies at all in the government and less than a handful in parliament, and there isn’t anyone around to stop a cultural genocide, other than independent or opposition voices, when voices are not enough. Flagrantly violating the injunction in the ongoing case in the East African Court of Justice apparently doesn’t carry any consequences for the Tanzanian government.

 

The Maasai have been shot at, teargassed and beaten. Thousands have become refugees across the border in Kenya and illegal arrests and malicious prosecution are used for further intimidation. Houses have been demolished or razed. Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TAWA) rangers keep seizing livestock on village land illegally demarcated as a protected area and demanding extortionate fines for their release. The threat is much worse than during the major illegal mass arson operations in 2009 and 2017. And there are illegal beacons that must be uprooted.

 

Where is Oriais Oleng'iyo? Last seen injured and “accompanied” by security forces on 10^th June.

 

My delay in publishing this blog post is unacceptable. So many crimes are being committed, but due to a worse than ever coordination and lack of leadership getting confirmed information is very hard. I fear there are many, many horrors that aren’t being reported in any way. Like to blog post since the illegal demarcation started, updates will be added at the end. 

 

In this blog post:

The illegal, brutal and lawless land demarcation, and the government’s lies about it

Crimes committed to uphold and benefit from the illegal protected area

The bogus murder case

When will the Germans be driven out of the Serengeti ecosystem?

Thomson Safaris – as always, OBC’s copycats in using the Loliondo police state

Summary of previous efforts to rob the Maasai of 1,500 km2 in Loliondo

The Tanzanian Government Keeps Escalating its War Against the Maasai in Loliondo

 

-After decades of land rights struggle in Loliondo in defence of 1,500 km² of vitally important grazing land that’s legally registered village land, the Tanzanian government has with demented brutality and lawlessness, in violation of court orders, less than two weeks before expected ruling (which was postponed), illegally planted beacons to demarcate the land.

 

-Minister Pindi Chana has, against every law and procedure, a week after the illegal and very violent operation started, “gazetted” a fake and illegal “Pololeti Game Controlled Area”.

 

-Government officials have kept landing in helicopter to, as from the warfront, say that the exercise is going just fine and is participatory, at the same time as issuing threats and clapping to war songs performed by massive security forces.

 

-The Maasai landowners and their livestock are suffering mostly untold abuse. Independent press is blocked from the area and does not exist in Tanzania anyway.

 

-Nine councillors and the CCM District Chairman were arrested the day before the illegal demarcation started and have together with 15 (or now 17) other people been charged with the murder of a FFU officer who was killed after the local leaders were locked up.

 

-Hundreds of Maasai have been injured, at least 31 seriously, and  thousands have fled to Kenya.

 

-In areas of Malambo, and elsewhere, the Maasai are being chased away from their homes.

 

-The this time without any exception anti-Maasai expressions among government supporters make this the most dangerous attack so far, but also more Tanzanians than ever before are aware of what’s happening and expressing their support for the Maasai.

 

-Then started mass arrests of Maasai accused of being so-called “Kenyans”, arson of seasonal bomas, and illegal mass seizing of livestock.  

 

-The government, that already has the huge Serengeti National Park, is lawless, boundaryless and brutal in satisfying the thirst for Maasai land by the conservation-tourism industrial complex, in this case OBC that organises hunting for Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai.

 

- Where is over 70-years old Oriais Oleng'iyo who was last seen injured and detained by security forces on 10^th June?

Illegal beacon in Arash.

 

The Brutal and Illegal Land Demarcation Operation in Contempt of Court Continues in Loliondo. It Must be Stopped and the Beacons Uprooted!

 

With total lawlessness, massive deployment of security forces, senseless violence and shameless lies, the Tanzanian government continues planting beacons* in contempt of court to demarcate and alienate from the Maasai the 1,500 km² of vitally important grazing land that it – lobbied by OBC that organizes hunting for Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai - has attempted to steal so many times. This operation started less than two weeks before the East African Court of Justice is expected to deliver its ruling on 22^nd June. Many people have been injured, are missing or arrested, including local leaders who were lured by the DC and arrested the first day, kept incommunicado, and now charged with "murder" (for self defence exercised while they were locked up) together with ten others. This crime must be stopped, and the illegal beacons must be uprooted!

The ruling was the day before the scheduled date postponed to September!

In the evening of Friday, 24th June people are being told to leave the illegally demarcated area or livestock will be seized tomorrow! Please help!

 Updates at the end of the blog post. 

NEW BLOG POST on 7th July.

*Not sure if the word “beacon” is used this way everywhere, but they are concrete boundary posts.

 

Following the blog post that I’ve kept updating,

in this blog post:

The crime

Very brief and simplified background

NEVER, through decades of land rights struggle and an increasingly threatening government side, has any village council or village assembly agreed to a Game Reserve under any kind of name. Not even the most corrupt and “investor friendly” groupings (not that they’d have any such authority) have ever signed away the land for a Game Reserve. Losing 1,500 km² of vitally important grazing land would lead to such destruction that it just isn’t anything anyone can contemplate. The community reports handed over to PM Majaliwa on 25^th May, though over-ambitious considering the time frame, did certainly not agree to any Game Reserve. The PM was going to “work on the recommendations”, but instead the government went to war against the Maasai. A pattern can be seen in the PM’s behaviour.

 

Urgent alert: Massive Police Invasion and Imminent Threat of Illegal Beacons for a Protected Area in Contempt of Court in Loliondo

 

Never ever again dance to Majaliwa’s tune! It ends in tears however much he smiles and however clearly you explain everything to him!

 

Updates at the end, until I write a new blog post. The violence is horrifying.

New blog post 19th June.

Today, 8^th June 2022 (now it's so late that it was yesterday), high numbers of police vehicles from the anti-riot Field Force Unit, were in the morning sighted in Wasso town in Loliondo division of Ngorongoro district. The FFU, and others, have now set up camp in the Oloosek area of Ololosokwan and in Sanjan sub-village of Malambo. Unconfirmed reports also mention camps in Oloipiri and Arash*. Fears were (now confirmed) that the plan is to erect beacons to demarcate 1,500 km² of vitally important, legally registered, village land that the “investor” OBC, and others, want turned into a “protected area”. FFU were saying that they are sent to erect beacons for a TAWA area (Game Reserve), which confirmed the fears, later further confirmed in a nauseating clip by RC John Mongella. Such an exercise is a heinous crime and contempt of court. Reports say that in Oloosek there are 18 vehicles from the FFU, two from the Tanzania People’s Defence Force (that has a camp in Olopolun near Wasso), some from the Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TAWA)/Jeshi Uhifadhi, and others. In Sanjan there are 11 FFU vehicles, 3 from TAWA and 2 unknown. Numbers may not be exact and others may arrive. Reportedly, the FFU are also saying that they will extend OBC’s hunting area, also known as the Osero, into Serengeti National Park, which seems unlikely, and they may not have been properly briefed.

*Soit Orgoss in Oloipiri confirmed and Olchoroibor in Loosoito.

Pindi Chana in Her Budget Speech Announces Planned Contempt of Court in the Loliondo Case and Threatens Maasai Land All Over Tanzania

 

On 3^rd June, in her budget speech for 2022-2023, Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism Pindi Chana said that her Ministry expects to upgrade Loliondo Game Controlled Area to a Game Reserve. This is not only a criminal threat of violence and destruction of thousands of lives and livelihoods, but if in any way implemented, contempt of court in the case, in its final stages, in the East African Court of Justice. This comes only days after local leaders, on 25^th May, in their futile dance to PM Majaliwa’s tune - at the same time as those from NCA – handed in explanations that the land is theirs, that they need it, that they care for it, and that they aren’t going anywhere. As if Majaliwa, or anyone in the government would listen … There must be loud protests, more court cases, perhaps even a reclaim of Serengeti if the government continues like this.

 

This blog post is about Loliondo and Sale Divisions, not to be mixed up with Ngorongoro Division (NCA), even if the issues are closely related.

 

In this blog post:

Chana’s land grab attempt via budget speech

Earlier criminal attempts

Escalation in 2022

How?

President Samia Keeps Threatening the Maasai of Ngorongoro, PM Majaliwa has Received Community Recommendations, and OBC’s Director is Back to Sharing His Views in Media

 

Another delayed blog post that’s too long, since too much is happening when I am about to publish, some information is impossible to obtain, I can’t keep up, and it must be put in context to avoid the confusion that will happen anyway. The president continues as a most significant threat to the Ngorongoro Maasai, OBC’s director has broken his media silence, harassment goes on, and then the Oakland Institute published a report about the anomalous relocation plans. “Community recommendations” on NCA and Loliondo/Sale have been handed over to PM Majaliwa to whose tune it’s not advisable to dance, which everyone has understood long ago, I hope. The NCA report is available and impressive. I must write more about it in another post.

 

In this blog post:

NCA:

The president insulting the Maasai and her hosts

The president’s Ngorongoro fixation

A reminder of the efforts for “voluntary” evictions

Dangerous dance with Majaliwa

Oakland report on resettlement plans

Some of NCAA’s “preparations” the past year

Transfer of local NCAA workers

Ngorongoro youths arrested by SENAPA rangers

Ngorongoro Conservation Area brief background

Loliondo:

OBC’s director Mollel breaks his long media silence

The confusion

OBC’s “journalist” again

This year’s Loliondo arrests

Brief reminder about the efforts to rob the Maasai of 1,500 km2 in Loliondo

The Ngorongoro MP Spoke Up in Parliament About the Shocking Transfer to Handeni of Funds for Public Services, in Loliondo the Intimidation of Local Leaders Continues, and The Royal Tour is Used as Expected

 

Rest in peace Anny Daniel Laizer. My condolences to family and friends.

 

In the latest blog post, among several other issues, I mentioned that in addition to decades of other restrictions and harassment, obviously meant to drive the Maasai out of Ngorongoro Conservation Area, since 2021 the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) has been blocking all new, already funded, public service projects. While writing (now long ago), I was asking for more details about what projects were being blocked, and since then such a list has been shared, and later letters were made public in which schools in Ngorongoro Conservation Area were being ordered to send Covid-19 funds already in their accounts to the account of Handeni District Council. On 13^th April, the Ngorongoro MP Emmanuel Oleshangai, spoke up in the national assembly, and in a confident way fought off several intervening ministers.

Update: on 6th May, Lendukai Kimaay, who was one of those writing the report on community views to be handed to PM Majaliwa, was arrested in Karatu and then taken to Arusha for interrogation. He was released on the 7th.

Update: On 6^th May. the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues called on the government of Tanzania to immediately cease efforts to evict the Maasai people from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

 

Meanwhile, I’m worried that not enough attention is given to protect the 1,500 km² in Loliondo that this year has been seriously threatened by both the Arusha RC, the PM and the former Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, and as reported in the latest blog post, in a new turn of the Loliondo police state the councillor of Arash was arrested, or abducted, by his own CCM party for speaking up. On Easter Eve the illegal arrests of councillors continued with those from Malambo, Piyaya, and Maaloni. The councillors of Arash and Malambo must keep reporting to the police. The latest I heard is that the Malambo village chairman and a traditional leader are summoned to the Loliondo police tomorrow, 6th May.

 

In President Samia’s own “documentary” The Royal Tour, the words about the Maasai were as if preparing for evictions from Ngorongoro, and in a related interview she now also mentioned Loliondo, trying to engage in the usual anti-Loliondo rhetoric by the MNRT and investors, without getting even that right.  

 

In this blog post:

Blocked public services in Ngorongoro Division

Ngorongoro Conservation Area brief background

NCA developments since 2021

Public services as weapon of war

Intimidation continues, but Loliondo is not back to silence, I hope

Brief reminder about the efforts to rob the Maasai of 1,500 km² in Loliondo

The Royal Tour

Illegal Arrests Again in Loliondo, German Ambassador Supports the Government’s Efforts, UNESCO Denies Responsibility, Ndumbaro is Removed from the MNRT and His Successor Makes Sure to Look as Bad as Possible in the Shortest Time

 

After years of – like many others - painting a disappointing figure, Methew Siloma, councillor of Arash (Loliondo division) spoke up, with unexpected bravery, calling a spade a spade in a way I thought could no longer happen in Loliondo, and subsequently he was arrested by his own CCM party. Several other local leaders and NGO people suffer from increased police harassment.

 

There’s no end to the ethnic hate campaign (allegedly funded by the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority) against the Maasai in parts of media (and most of parliament). PM Majaliwa and – now former - Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism Ndumbaro have kept appearing in fake spectacles and telling outrageous lies about NCA and Loliondo in a tempo that’s hard to keep up with. Before being moved to the Ministry of Legal and Constitutional Affairs - Ndumbaro announced that he would hold regular meetings with diplomatic missions to “inform” them about NCA and Loliondo. It looks like the government has full support from the German ambassador. Meanwhile, UNESCO say that they have never asked for the displacement of the Maasai of Ngorongoro. And it seems like the NCAA has finally found some real traitors instead of only using actors.

 

The new minister, Pindi Chana, was installed on 2^nd April, met with the German ambassador on the 5^th, and made a militaristic visit to Ngorongoro on the 6^th.

 

Again, this blog post is too long and delayed, since too much is happening, while some important information is hard to obtain. It should be even longer, with more detail to avoid misunderstandings, but then nobody would read it.

 

In this blog post:

The meeting in Arash and the CCM arrest/abduction

Brief reminder about the efforts to rob the Maasai of 1,500 km² in Loliondo

New “article” by OBC’s “journalist”

The old trick of public services as a weapon of war in Loliondo and NCA

Brief summary of NCA, including latest news

UNESCO denying responsibility for the genocidal Multiple Land Use Model review proposal and everything else

Ndumbaro meeting ambassadors and Germany is discreetly anti-Maasai as usual

Support by Kenyan senator

Bye, bye Ndumbaro

 

Pindi Chana in Ngorongoro on 6th April

Ndumbaro Tells Dangerous Lies about Loliondo, Majaliwa Holds Fraudulent Spectacle about NCA with the Imposter Lekisongo, and Maasai Land is Attacked in Every Other Way

 

After PM Kassim Majaliwa’s agenda-driven, tricky (his kind of word), and non-listening visits to Loliondo and Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) in mid-February (see previous blog posts) there have been protest and prayer meetings in both Loliondo and NCA, statements, further contributions to the anti-Maasai ethnic hate campaign, very confused media coverage, international solidarity, and the president selling Tanzania in Dubai. Another issue that urgently should (but won't) be brought to light, is that the government has used an ill-intentioned law to kill the case against Thomson Safaris that’s older than this law. 

I may have written this before, but at calmer times, these developments could all have got their own blog post. Now, I’m not even keeping up. Then Ndumbaro started telling full-blown Kagasheki-style lies about Loliondo to Deutsche Welle, and the following day Majaliwa held a misleading spectacle with traditional leaders not from Ngorongoro to receive a list of households willing to “voluntarily” relocate from NCA. I hope I haven't missed anything important and that this blog post will be read depite its length.

 

Reportedly, Majaliwa will very soon visit Ngorongoro.

Update 15th March: Majaliwa's visit has been postponed. 

 

While the anti-Maasai hate campaign is speeding and spinning with its more malicious disinformation, not enough of an effort is made to at least make serious people and allies keep to facts. Those who don’t know anything make up their own “facts”, and those who know are too polite to correct them, or worse ... I’ve almost myself stopped telling writers about their mistakes after publication, since corrections are never made, and too often misconceptions are kept even when information is received before publication.

 

These are three different, but closely related problems:

In Loliondo OBC, that organises hunting for Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai, have for years lobbied to have 1,500 km² of important grazing land, village land belonging to the local Maasai, turned into a protected area. A local police state had, until recently, silenced all local leaders and activists, and still people from Loliondo are much more silent in the debate than those from NCA.

 

In NCA, an 8,292 km² multiple land use area, the Maasai live under the purposeful poverty-inducing rule and restrictions of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority, and since 2019 there’s a genocidal eviction plan, that extends to annexing some surrounding areas, the area under threat in Loliondo included. Current government efforts focus on “voluntary” relocation and disinformation, while an ethnic hate campaign rages in media and in the parliament.

In Loliondo, but outside the 1,500 km2 area, the American Thomson Safaris claim ownership of a 12,617 acres private nature refuge and have copied OBC’s use of the local police state. Sadly, for years it’s been basically impossible to get information about this land grab. 

 

In this blog post:

Loliondo after Majaliwa’s trick

Ndumbaro lying about the 1,500 km²

The government’s many tricks to grab the 1,500 km²

Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Majaliwa keeps tricking

The anti-Maasai hate campaign does not stop

The president selling Tanzania in Dubai

Government kills the Thomson Safaris case in the court of appeal

 

Deputy Minister Masanja's caravan of women on 5th March. The MNRT's ideal land use.