Wednesday 31 January 2024

Brief Background of the Loliondo Hunting Block and Long-Lobbied for Crime

 

This is a summary to refer to in an attempt to avoid far too long blog posts and it’s help for anyone writing about Loliondo. By necessity this means that important aspects may have been left out. I’ve tried to include what’s most important to understand the current situation. Please contact me for further details, or if you think I’ve left out anything essential.

 

Notice that this summary is about the illegal and brutal land alienation for a “game reserve” in Loliondo and Sale divisions of Ngorongoro District. Ngorongoro Division/Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) where the Tanzanian government use cruel restrictions and illegal defunding of social services to make the Maasai relocate to other people’s land far away is ANOTHER ISSUE, even if closely related in many ways. The cruel and stupid Msomera publicity stunt is NOT about the Maasai of Loliondo. I must soon write another blog post about NCA.

 

The criminal is the Tanzanian government that´s aided and abetted by investors, donors, and conservation organisations. Notably, OBC from Dubai have lobbied for the brutal and lawless creation of an illegal “game reserve”in Loliondo. The Germans and Frankfurt Zoological Society have a long history of working against Maasai land rights and recently very openly and shamelessly funded and facilitated a now rejected draft district land use plan to legitimize and extend the crime. Though the brutal land alienation drive is not restricted to Loliondo, or Ngorongoro District, or to the Maasai, but all rural Tanzanians with land that’s of interest to tourism are under serious threat, while the Germans boast about being the biggest bilateral donors to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. The land alienation drive has been going on for decades, but with the current government of Samia Suluhu Hassan, that’s running amok with a greedy and violent tourism cult, it’s worse than ever. Everyone considering spending tourism money in Tanzania seriously needs to consider what they are encouraging.

 

I’ve got almost all information about the early days from Navaya ole Ndaskoi and that from later years from hundreds of different people, most of whom would sadly not like to be mentioned at all.

 

“The minister” refers to the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism.


Contents:

Mwinyi

Mkapa

Kikwete

Magufuli

Samia

 


Wednesday 20 December 2023

Good and Bad Court News, Terrible Silences, Helpful Support and Continuing Injustice and Crime in Loliondo and Ngorongoro


 

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

 Brief updates added at the end.

Rest in peace Lemayian ole Taiko


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.

A sight that upsets OBC and its "journalist".


Thursday 26 October 2023

Partial Victory for the Maasai of Loliondo in the High Court and the Tanzanian Government Responds with the Most Destructive Contempt of Court, but Now at Least Some Criminals are Sued

 

On 19th September the High Court in Arusha declared that the 1,502 km2 brutal land theft called “Pololeti Game Controlled Area” in Loliondo was null and void for lack of consultation and for having been replaced by a “Pololeti Game Reserve” declared by the president. Besides that the same lack of consultation (including the abduction of all councillors of affected wards on the eve of the brutal and unlawful military demarcation attack) applies to the game reserve, it has its own court case with a court order to stop all operation until determination of the case. The relative independence shown by the court was a pleasant surprise, but it should not have come as a surprise that the Tanzanian government is lawless, issued a statement with its own “interpretation” of the ruling, increased harassment and threats, and after a brief reprieve, returned to seizing cattle and the situation is dire. Now those most directly involved, with concrete evidence of contempt of court, have been sued in their personal capacity, including DC Raymond Mwangwala.

 

The Tanzanian government, funded and facilitated by Germany (the Germans should not be allowed to get away with this …) continues its efforts to legitimize the massive, brutal and unlawful land theft.

 

The 77th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights is currently being held in Arusha and the journalist and activist Odero Charles Odero has there been harassed about his citizenship for speaking up about Loliondo and Ngorongoro. Then the ACHPR has been questioned for its government commandeered visit early this year and for not finishing its report. 

 

In Ngorongoro Conservation Area - not to be mixed up with Loliondo - restrictions and illegal suffocation of every aspect of life continue at the same time as incessant government propaganda to make the Maasai relocate. The people that following protests in Endulen were mass arrested are now harassed by having to report at Karatu Police Station every four days. The NCAA has again denied adulterated replacement salt, for which there were laboratory result already almost two years ago. At least it seems like the horrible chief conservator Freddy Manongi is finally retiring.

 

Almost every issue mentioned in this blog post needs to be written about in its own long blog post …

 

Where is Oriais Oleng’iyo?


The criminals just keep escalating their crime. When I had finally posted this blog post I got reports that TANAPA rangers had seized hundreds of cattle in the 1,500km2 area and driven them to Serengeti by force!


Updates at the end of the blog post. 


In this blog post:

The ruling - Miscellaneous Civil Cause No. 21 of 2022

The government’s malicious interpretation of the ruling

Grazing and violence after the High Court ruling

At last sued for contempt of court!

Odero harassed about citizenship at ACPHR session – with good events and traitors

Continued pressure for German-funded crime legitimization

The Germans MUST be sued for their relentless facilitation of violent dispossession

We also have the cases in the East African Court of Justice

Brief Loliondo hunting block background

Briefly about the 2022 threats leading up to the brutal and illegal demarcation

Briefly about the brutal and illegal demarcation of an illegal "game reserve"

NCA, bye bye Manongi, and the government again denies well-documented adulterated salt, UNESCO again

Apologies and reflexions on very long and horribly delayed blog posts

Monday 18 September 2023

Manhunt in Endulen, Abducted MP, Tundu Lissu Blocked from Visiting Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Maasai Protesting the Tanzanian Government’s War Against Them

 

Tundu Lissu made a glorious visit, against police orders, to Ololosokwan and Wasso, and was then illegally stopped from visiting Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Before that I had spent too long writing about other issues, mostly about how the Tanzanian government/Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) responded to over a weeklong peaceful protests demanding a permit to renovate Ndian Primary School in Nasipooriong’, Endulen ward in Ngorongoro division/NCA some of which was also covered in the previous blog post. The response is increased disinformation propaganda in media (from an already high level), sending to Endulen market government provocateurs that since early 2022 have engaged in an ethnic hatred campaign against the Maasai, and then mass abduction of any man found in Endulen ward, the elderly, the sick, the very young, with the “excuse” that they would have participated when Maasai warriors chased away the government provocateurs. 31 of those first abducted were for over a week held incommunicado and not taken to court. Even Emmanuel Oleshangai, MP for Ngorongoro, was arrested/abducted for almost three days. Then followed several other arrests/abductions, including that of village leaders. Violence, destruction, and theft by the rangers and police is an integral part of the operation. The denial of renovation permits is a tool in the government’s concerted efforts to by suffocation via restrictions and blocking of social services make life unbearable so that the Maasai “voluntarily” move out of Ngorongoro. Another round of threats and arrests followed massive protests, mostly by women, against the government’s blocking of Tundu Lissu from visiting NCA.

 

This is not to be confused with Loliondo/Sale divisions where the government is using other strategies in its war against the Maasai, with a brutal military attack to demarcate a 1,500 km2 “game reserve” in 2022, after many years of lobbying by OBC that organize hunting for Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai, a local police state, several mass arson operations, “arrests” for the sake of intimidation, and on the eve of the illegal demarcation, abduction for over five months of councillors from the affected wards. Now the government and its German donors and facilitators are working hard to make local leaders accept fake and forced legitimation of this crime, which the councillors rejected, for the second time, on 9th September. 

Though it seems like the government is moving towards Loliondo-style tactics also in the NCA case.


There are several ongoing court cases against the brutal and lawless Loliondo land theft. The ruling in the judicial review challenging former Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism Pindi Chana's cruel and unlawful GN No.421 is scheduled for tomorrow 19th September. Unless it’s again postponed, I must very soon write a new blog post about Loliondo. This one is mostly about NCA (Ngorongoro division). Update: Good news! The "Pololeti GCA" does not exist, which must meant that the "Pololeti GR" also does not exist!


EU parliamentarians who were to visit Ngorongoro and Loliondo were 24 hours before their departure, stopped by the Tanzanian government.

 

I fear there are important aspects that I’ve missed, but this blog post is already too delayed.

 

In this blog post:

Reminder of the protests at Nian Primary School

NCAA’s journalists kept “reporting”

Genocidal inciter chased form Endulen market

Manhunt in Endulen

Abduction of the MP

More government disinformation and propaganda

Visit by EU parliamentarians blocked by the government

Magic visit by Tundu Lissu cut short by the police

Manongi lying about ranger violence against Joshua Olepatorro

Flying Medical Service are back, at least temporarily

Cabinet reshuffle

Very brief background

Loliondo in next blog post

 Updates at the end.

Wednesday 16 August 2023

Peaceful Protests at Ndian Primary School in Nasipooriong’ Demanding a Renovation Permit that’s Blocked in the Tanzanian Government’s War Against the Maasai of Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Government Responds with Extreme Provocation

 

Peaceful protests erupted and continued for over a week in Nasipooriong’ village in Endulen ward to demand a permit to repair Ndian Primary School. This is not about seeking funds but just to obtain a permit. No such permits have been granted since 2021 and this is a very calculated strategy in the Tanzanian government’s war against the Maasai. I’ve tried to provide a brief background to what’s going in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which is not to be confused with Loliondo where the government uses other war strategies. As this blog post kept getting delayed, Maasai warriors in Endulen provided some justice to “journalists” who have been employed in a campaign of ethnic hatred since early 2022.

 

On 22nd July it was ten years since Moringe Parkipuny passed away to soon, and I forgot … I’m glad that he did not have to see this decade of escalating horror, but maybe he could now be proud of some people in Endulen.


See the end of the blog post for updates. NCA rangers are arresting/abducting any man they can find in Endulen. Even the MP has been abducted!

The MP was released on bail after almost three days, and the others after over a week. 


In this blog post:

Protests at Ndian Primary School

The government press

Action taken at Endulen market

Joshua Olepatorro whose teeth were smashed out by NCAA rangers

The Germans again boasting of their support for human rights criminals

Background to the government’s cruel relocation drive

UNESCO and the horrible Dr Malebo

Don’t mix up Loliondo and NCA!

The Royal Tour

Monday 31 July 2023

Continued Violence and Mostly Silence in Loliondo and NCA, with Some Voices Raised on the Anniversary of the Brutal and Lawless Land Grabbing Attack on Loliondo


Good news has not been as plentiful as I hoped when Maasai representatives (the wonderful Noorkishili Nakero Naing’isa from Ololosokwan, Nengai Kilusu Laizer from Oloirobi, and advocate Joseph Oleshangai from Endulen) spoke truth to power in the EU parliament on 31st May and the councillors rejected the draft district land use plan for crime legitimation. Though on the anniversary of the military attack on Loliondo, several people spoke to media and the seizing of livestock seems to have stopped for a while (and then resumed …), at least in Ololosokwan, even if the stolen land, which is the biggest part of grazing land in Loliondo can only be accessed by its legitimate owners as thieves at night. The Germans are digging in their heels in their defence of their funding and facilitating of crime legitimation and in Joseph Parsambei the Loliondo land rights struggle has got its worst traitor ever.

 

For several weeks now Tanzanian online discussions have been totally consumed with a Tanzania-Dubai Inter-Governmental Agreement that has recently been ratified by parliament. The bone of contention in the heated discussions is a deal with the Dubai state-owned company DP World to control Dar es Salaam port, other mainland ports, inland container depots ports, and related logistical corridor. The contract is indefinite, or unspecified, and Tanzania shall not, without prior consent of DP World, undertake any development project upon any of the said ports. Critics of this deal are being threatened, harassed and arrested, and everyone is talking about it. There is a connection to Loliondo, but sadly it seems like it has been reduced to saying that Loliondo was sold to Dubai, as if we were again in 1992.


Remember that in February a person who by Ikulu, State House, was referred to as "member of the Dubai royal family" Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum got a VIP treatment and a MoU from President Samia, VP Mpango and Minister Chana. Chris Lang of REDD-Monitor has written about the sheikh’s dubious company that aims to greenwash the UAE’s massive carbon footprint. 

 

It still feels like a nightmare that the brutally and illegally demarcated “game reserve”, which the “investor” OBC for years was lobbying for, does not go away and nobody is punished for abducting all councillors from affected wards the night before the brutal and lawless demarcation started and keeping them locked up for over five months, planting beacons in a rain of teargas and bullets, with beatings, slashings, cuttings, rapes and arrests. Thousands having to flee to Kenya, hundreds arrested and over sixty charged with bogus immigration cases that were dismissed – without any attempt at prosecution - months later, and nobody is held answerable. Destroyed houses, stolen motorcycles and smartphones, seized and even shot livestock and nobody is dealt with. Instead, it is celebrated in parliament. Many people are terrifyingly deep in debt after being illegally fined when their cattle have been seized on the stolen land for over a year now. Oriais Oleng'iyo – 84-years old at the time - 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, as mentioned in last blog post, dismissed by the judge. There are several ongoing court cases, so many that it’s hard for me to keep up, but I’m not getting much detail about them.

 

In Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Ngorongoro division of Ngorongoro district), that is still mixed up with Loliondo by too many people, suffocating restrictions and denial of social services is still the government’s strategy to “convince” the Maasai to relocate to other people’s land 600 kilometres away in Msomera, Handeni. Though both the Msomera villagers and the Ngorongoro migrants are increasingly speaking up about the unsuitability of this relocation. Dehumanizing ranger violence continues and is sometimes reported. In July, the rangers smashed the teeth of the child Joshua Olepatorro. Today, 31st July, protestors at Nasipooriong primary school in Endulen demanded permits to renovate the school even at their own cost.

 

Also areas next to Lake Natron are under threat, as many times before, and sometimes I’ve written about it, but now I feel a terrible unease about not keeping up.

 

This blog post is unacceptably delayed because of too much and too little information, my lack of focus, and sadness over the silence. 

 

In this blog post:

Stolen grazing land and criminal rangers

Violence in Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NOT to be mixed up with Loliondo)

 

The rejected, German facilitated, fake, and forced land use planning

For a brief reminder of what the Germans do,

The maliciously misleading and rejected NDLUFP document, including another Lake Natron threat

 

Anniversary of the biggest crime and various people speaking up on the record

A most disgusting budget speech by Mchengerwa

Amnesty report

Court cases

 

As always, updates will be added at the end.

 

This rubbish has been rejected.

Wednesday 31 May 2023

The Tanzanian Government’s Brutal Land Theft and Cattle Theft Continue in Loliondo, Supported by German Funds, Suffocating Restrictions and Blocked Social Services in NCA, but the Maasai are Fighting Back, at Home and in Europe

 

On 19th May 2023 the councillors at Ngorongoro District Council voted in unison to reject in total the utter madness of the government’s German-facilitated draft 2023-2043 Ngorongoro District Land Use Framework Plan that’s fabricated to legitimize the brutal land grab in Loliondo, and a private motion on suffocation of social services in NCA was supported by all councillors.

 

Currently a Maasai delegation is in Europe and will hopefully severely deal with those who are facilitating and encouraging the crimes by the Tanzanian government against the Maasai. This evening, 31st May, they attended a public event at the EU Parliament: Forced Evictions in the Name of Conservation: the Role of the EU. I've never written as quickly as a wrote about this event ... (see below, under Maasai delegation to Europe) The evil, lying Tanzanian government representatives fuelled me. Otherwise, this blog post is terribly delayed.





More worrying is that the CCM Political Committee Arusha Region, with the implementor of the war against the Maasai, RC John Mongella, are currently touring the district, inspecting projects in Loliondo and Sale, and have already been seen in company of councillors. 


The land has not been returned and the Tanzanian government keep taking the livestock. 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. Almost a year ago, all councillors from affected wards were abducted right before the brutal and lawless demarcation started. Beacons were planted in a rain of teargas and bullets, security forces were beating, slashing, cutting, raping and arresting people. Thousands fled to Kenya, hundreds were arrested and over sixty were charged with bogus immigration cases that were dismissed – without any attempt at 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 dismissed by the judge.

 

The war against the Maasai continue with the government’s different shades of rangers going after livestock lawlessly seizing, fining, and even auctioning. Livestock will always have to enter the land, until the Maasai are no more, but that’s exactly what the evil Tanzanian government is working on. The other front is to make all local leaders useless by terrorizing, threatening, and compromising them. The fake and forced land grab legitimization goes on, facilitated by the Germans. This must have consequences for the amoral Bundesrepublik. At least local leaders seem to still be resisting.

 

In this blog post:

The cattle rustling Serengeti rangers getting away with disobeying court orders

Other cattle rustling by rangers

The anti-pastoralist president ranting again

German-facilitated fake and forced land use planning terror rejected by all councillors

Maasai delegation to Europe

Human Rights Watch investigating and speaking up, and some press

UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues where the Tanzanian government kept lying

Letter from the UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination

The very many court cases

Msomera villagers speaking up and a reminder of the NCAA threats that keep intensifying

NCA protest banners at visit by the VP

Don’t mix up Loliondo and NCA!

Briefest mention of colonial conservation elsewhere in Tanzania


Updates at the end of this blog post. 

Saturday 1 April 2023

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 10th 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 17th February. In Tarime there’s been lethal ranger violence for decades and on 28th 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 24th 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. 

Monday 13 February 2023

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 10th 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.

Saturday 28 January 2023

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 25th 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:

Saturday 31 December 2022

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

Thursday 24 November 2022

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 1st November it was announced that President Samia Suluhu Hassan on 14th 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.