Press Release: “We will not leave. Not now. Not ever”: Tanzanian state violently seizes Maasai land in Loliondo

This press release is issued on behalf of local Maasai organisations/community representatives, and has been anonymised for security purposes on their request. To be connected with local contacts, see info below.  

The Tanzanian state is violently seizing 1,500 km2 of Maasai ancestral land in Loliondo. This is despite:

1. The East African Court of Justice having issued a court injunction against the state harassing or evicting the community in 2018, ahead of the EACJ’s expected ruling on 22nd June 2022, despite
2. The community having submitted a report to the PM on 25th May 2022, as requested by the PM, and the PM assuring the Maasai that their recommendations will be considered, and despite
3. The impacted village of Ololosokwan having land tenure ownership under Village Act number 5.

Meanwhile the Government denies anything is happening despite also saying that one policeman has been killed. The Government cites as evidence the fact that there are no wounded people in hospital. However, this is because for a wounded person to be treated in hospital requires a PF3 form issued by the police, the same police who are causing the injuries. For this reason, wounded Maasai have to be taken to Kenya. One man bled to death on the way. The fact they have to go to Kenya is used by the Tanzanian Government to make the false claim that they are Kenyans. 

 

“Imagine your home is burned in front of you to clear your land for foreigners to hunt. Imagine not being able to graze our cows as we have done for millennia- because of the restrictions imposed by the government to protect a foreign company that is only hunting the wildlife, with whom we have been together for time immemorial!” Local traditional Maasai leader 

So far over 700 children, women and men have fled the violence being inflicted on them by crossing the border. Meanwhile the President of Tanzania’s response is to issue a tweet from Oman reassuring the Omani investors that everything possible will be done to ensure their ‘investment’ is secure. It is significant that she does not respond to the plight of her people but to those who care nothing for people or wildlife. 

As one Maasai elder said yesterday: “The Government is establishing a hunting park where the Royal families from Dubai can hunt freely. The Maasai community is protecting both their rights and rights of wildlife. This pristine land that is protected and taken care by the Maasai has been given to a royal family from Dubai for sport hunting”. 

The elder went on to say: “Loliondo is burning brother. The police are using force to place beacons in the middle of village lands. This morning community members were injured as they try to stop the process. Stand with us.”

Today another Maasai community representative says “There are thousands of police and soldiers. They are going into homes and beating people at night. People are hiding. Women are being shot. My female relatives have been shot. Journalists are intimidated into not reporting.” 

One Maasai woman added her plea that tourists stop coming until such injustices are ended. Another Maasai woman said: “Why don’t Government allow us to continue protecting our land rather than give it to investors? Our plea is that Government should leave us to be custodians of our land. We want our cry to be heard and our constitutional rights to be respected. All funders should stop funding these criminal injustices being perpetrated on our lands.” 

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Timeline

On 7th June, about 700 police, park rangers, military and other ‘security’ forces arrived at Loliondo. This military force arrived without informing the public or local authorities about their purpose, and instigated panic because of rumors that the government will deploy a military unit to demarcate the 1,500 km2.  As a response, on 8th June the Maasai organized community meetings in Ololosokwan, Kirtalo, Piyaya and Malambo villages to deliberate.

On 9th June, the police crashed un-invited into one of the community meetings in Ololosokwan, communicating plans to use beacons to demarcate the game reserve area where human activities will be forbidden. They asked the Maasai leaders to follow them to the military camp for discussion, which the leaders refused.

On 3rd June the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism had said in Parliament that 1,500 km2 of village land in Loliondo and additional land in Lake Natron would be ‘upgraded’ to Game Reserves. She avoided talking about eviction, but such a change means socio-economic activities (habitation) are prohibited.

On 6th June, the Arusha Regional Commissioner said the demarcation of the Game Reserve will be implemented. On the same day, Parmwaari Merika, chairperson of one of the villages in Loliondo, and very vocal in the public resistance, was arrested in his home. He is still in police custody. So far at least 9 councilors and district chairmen have been detained in unknown locations since June 9th.

Late on 9th June the community in large numbers went to uproot all the beacons that were installed by the police. They slept to guard the land. As the day broke, the soldiers returned only to find huge gatherings of men and women and the police started shooting teargas, followed by live bullets. A total of at least 31 people (18 men and 13 women) have sustained injuries resulting from live bullets, and at least one Maasai man has died. 

Further quotes

A local Maasai activist and community representative said: “The government has broken all the promises, pretending to have received the consent and agreement of the local community , that were made when the Serengeti National Park was established. This is a direct violation of our living rights. For 30 years, since the conflict in Loliondo began we have suffered three major evictions –  in 2009, 2013 and 2017, legitimized by the government’s conservation agenda, which have led to great violence, abuses, harassment towards the communities and long-term economic and cultural loss. If this land is grabbed, over 50,000 people will be left without a home.”

He continued: “We Maasai Indigenous community are appealing for international support so that our land and our rights are respected. The myth of ‘Protected areas’ takes away not only our rights as people, but our ability to exercise our responsibilities related to land. Our symbiosis that connects us with spirits, animals, plants, water and land will be disrupted if this land is taken away from us. Tanzania is a signatory to the United Nations Declaration for the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) that underpins the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent. We want the Tanzanian government to immediately stop the plan of evicting us from our ancestral land and wait for the court case to be determined.”

A local traditional Maasai leader said: “We have nowhere else to go. Losing this land will mean the extinction of our community. We have taken care of our environment and lived in harmony with other living and nonliving things. And we are not ready to lose our traditional lifestyle we have lived for times immemorial. Tourists flood our homelands in every area to see and wonder how we have been able to maintain a balance between our lives and nature. Pastoralism is compatible with conservation. Many studies have confirmed. 

Over 70% of our homelands has been taken for conservation and investment reasons. We are appealing to human rights organizations, media and other citizens who value Indigenous human rights to share our plight and put pressure on the government of Tanzania to respect the rights of its citizens, and particularly Indigenous people. We are capable of conserving and taking care of our environment more than any one, and we have demonstrated that for so long."

Media Contacts (in Tanzania/Kenya)

To be connected with local spokespeople, please contact:

• tdixon@forestpeoples.org
• +44 1608 690760

Images are available upon request.

Editors notes:

This is a fourth attempt to evict the Maasai in Loliondo. In 2009, 2013, and in 2017 the Government attacked the Maasai in Loliondo through illegal military operations. Arson, mass beatings, raping, torture, and other heinous crimes were widely reported in those years. 

Court processes:

• Following the operation of 2017, and its resulting effects, a court case was filed by four Village Councils namely Ololosokwan, Oloirien, Kirtalo and Arash (the Applicants) before the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) against the Tanzania Government (the Respondent). The Applicants are villages located in the Ngorongoro District, on land bordering the Serengeti National Park. The Pan-African Lawyers Union (PALU) is acting on behalf of the Applicants who alleged that the Government’s (Respondent) actions are a direct contravention of Article 6(d) and 7(2) of the EAC Treaty, Article 15(1) of the Protocol on the Establishment of the EAC Common Market, Article 14 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Constitution of Tanzania, and Village Land Act, No 5 of 1999.
• Separately, the Village Councils (Applicants) also filed the Application No 15 of 2017 seeking interim orders pending hearing and determination of the Reference No 10 of 2017. The Applicants sought orders to restrain and prohibit the Respondent from evicting them, confiscating their livestock, burning homesteads and beatings. In its Ruling of 25 September 2018, the EACJ issued Orders which included explicit directions: a) That the Respondent and any persons or officers acting on his behalf, cease and desist from evicting the Plaintiffs; destroying their homesteads or confiscating their livestock on that land, until the determination of Reference No. 10 of 2017 and b) That the Office of the Inspector General of Police restrains from harassing or intimidating the Applicants in relation to Reference No. 10 of 2017 pending the determination thereof.
• The current move by the Government, is a typical contempt of the court to advance its interests by attempting to evict the Maasai from Loliondo, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and in Lake Natron Basin.

Community report for the PM

• During the submission of the Community reports the Prime Minister assured the Maasai village and traditional leaders that, their opinions and recommendations outlined in their reports will be considered, and he was to plan and interact with audiences with the Maasai in Loliondo and NCA after he has read the reports.
• The official statement by the premier was a relief from the uncertainty of the imminent threats of evictions. The village and traditional leaders issued a press statement in Arusha after they are back from Dodoma commending the Prime Minister for meeting them and the promise to open a space for engagements and dialogue based on their recommendations.

Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism statement in Parliament 

• While a formal response from the PM on community proposals was pending, the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism tabled Ministry budget for 2022/2023 fiscal year in Parliament on 3rd June. From unexpected angle, the Ministry framed Loliondo and NCA evictions as one of the areas that the budget would focus and fund. The Minister plainly said, 1,500 km2 of village land in Loliondo and additional land in Lake Natron would be upgraded to Game Reserves. This includes other village lands in Simanjiro, Loliondo and Monduli Districts.
• She avoided talking about eviction, but the change of village lands to a Game Reserves speaks loudly about the change in land tenure and use. The socio-economic activities (habitation) are prohibited in a Game Reserve. The Minister also reiterated her commitments to continue investing resources for social services in Msomera, as site where the Maasai of NCA would be relocated to after their evictions, as well as mobilizing the Maasai for voluntary relocation. There were no plans outlined for social services provision for the Maasai who will not leave NCA or those in Loliondo. 

Arusha Regional and Ngorongoro District Security Committees 

• On the 2nd and 6th of June, Arusha Regional and Ngorongoro district Security Committees met in Arusha and Karatu respectively. These were high level and closed door meetings. After the meeting, Arusha Regional Commissioner, John Mongella, issued a public statement about the resolutions of the committees. He said, “the Loliondo Game Controlled Area was established in 1951 with 4,000 km2. Recently, because of population growth and social development, the government out of love to the citizens decided to retain 1,500 km2 for conservation and 2,500 km2 will be given to the villages.”
• The decision to demarcate the two areas has been approved, and now, the government is set to start the process, he said. He warned those who are enflaming the public about the demarcation process. The government will use security forces to ensure that, the process will be implemented without interference and that it will be peaceful, and the community should render their cooperation.  

Community Resistance

• Parmwaari Merika, chairperson of Olorien Village, one of the villages in Loliondo was arrested in his home by a group who introduced themselves as a disarmament team. His arrest is believed to be connected to the planned demarcation process. He has been very focal in the public resistance. He is still in the police custody, and his relatives were denied seeing him.
• Late on 9th June the community in large numbers mostly men went to uproot all the beacons that were installed same evening/night by the police. It is said that they slept to guard the land throughout daybreak. As the day broke, the soldiers returned only to find huge gatherings of men and women and they started shooting, teargas followed by live bullets injuring a total of 10 and one who sustained internal injuries. One policeman has been killed by an arrow.
• A total of at least 31 people (18 men, 13 women) have sustained serious to minor injuries resulting from live bullets, and one Maasai man has died. Most of the injured need medical aid and food supplies urgently.
• 9 councilors and CCM Party district chairman have been detained in unknown locations since 9th June 2022.