In defiance of international protests, the Tanzanian government is promoting the crackdown on Masai cattle that have resisted attempts to oust them from a planned wildlife sanctuary that is said to be a private hunting ground near the world-famous Serengeti National Park. Tanzanian authorities are targeting Masai leaders with charges of murder and illegal immigration as the government intensifies its campaign to demarcate the shelter and relocate thousands of traditional breeders. Security forces have arrested dozens of Masai people in recent weeks. International groups, from Amnesty International to United Nations experts, have criticized the Tanzanian government’s handling of the issue, with Amnesty denouncing the eviction campaign as an illegal act of shocking barbarism. Opponents say traditional Masai land is likely to be occupied by wealthy hunters from the Middle East. The land has been leased as a hunting ground by a company from the United Arab Emirates. As security forces began marking the border of the planned 1,500-square-kilometer wildlife sanctuary on June 10, they fired tear gas at Masai protesters who had gathered at the site in Loliondo, near the border with Kenya. In the ensuing violence, at least 30 Masai were injured and a police officer was reportedly killed by an arrow. Several hundred Masai have taken refuge in Kenya for shelter or medical care. Authorities have since arrested 23 Masai on murder charges and announced a 10-day hunt for “illegal immigrants” – their term for Masai who have crossed the border into Kenya. Hundreds of Masai people have already started moving away from the demarcated area, in what the government describes as a voluntary process. The conflict has emerged as a key test of the balance between wildlife and humans in the greater Serengeti region. The Serengeti is famous for its annual migration of wild stones, a dramatic spectacle that attracts tourists from all over the world, but the surrounding area is home to tens of thousands of Masai who see it as the land of their ancestors. There are 14 villages in Loliondo alone, along with thousands of cattle and other farm animals. The Masai people gather to discuss ways to defend their land in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Robert Bociaga / The Globe and Mail A similar dispute between the Maasai and the government is escalating in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO volcanic crater and UNESCO World Heritage Site that attracts thousands of antelopes, buffaloes, rhinos and other animals. In all, more than 165,000 Masai could be affected by the relocation plan in the two areas. They have turned to international teams for support. More than 3.2 million people around the world have signed online petitions to defend the Masai cause. “The government is waging war against the Masai,” said Dennis Olesangai, a Masai lawyer and activist in Tanzania. “They are being attacked with weapons and tear gas, but they still believe in a peaceful solution,” he said. “The Masai have an attachment to their land, so trying to get rid of them is a crime against humanity. The earth is their whole life. They depend on pastures “. The latest violence on June 10 has sparked global outrage. Photos and videos on social media showed Masai fleeing tear gas and showing horrific injuries sustained by police attacks. Jonathan Mpute Ole Pasha, national coordinator of the Maa Unity Agenda group, at a protest by members of the Masai ethnic community in Nairobi, Kenya, on June 17.BAZ RATNER / Reuters Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa told the country’s parliament that the images on social media were misleading. He denied being attacked or forcibly deported. Masai supporters were “inciting the conflict” and trying to tarnish the government’s reputation with fake photos and videos, he said. However, human rights organizations have found evidence to confirm reports of police attacks. Amnesty International, citing two eyewitnesses, said Tanzanian security forces fired on Masai protesters with live ammunition and tear gas, injuring 30 people. In addition, police have arrested dozens of unarmed Masai people, including political leaders and activists, and some are being held in unknown locations, Amnesty said in a recent report. The evictions – the fourth such attempt since 2009 – could jeopardize the Masai way of life, Amnesty said. “The Tanzanian authorities should never have made this area available to a private company without first consulting the Masai community, whose livelihoods depend on the land of their ancestors,” he said. The murder charges, meanwhile, are absurd because half of those charged were already in custody for other charges at the time the officer was killed, lawyers say. “These are political allegations,” said Paul Kisabo, a Tanzanian Maasai lawyer. “All the local leaders in Loliondo are in custody. The aim is to terrorize them and the villages. “ Other groups criticizing the Tanzanian government’s anti-Maasai tactics include the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a team of more than 250 scientists and a team of nine UN experts. Human Rights. “Evictions in the name of conservation will undermine Tanzania’s conservation efforts and tourism potential,” the scientists said in an open letter. In 2018, an East African court issued an injunction prohibiting the Tanzanian government from expelling the Masai until a Masai case was filed against the government. The long-awaited decision in this case was supposed to be issued on June 22, but at the last minute the court postponed it for September. Masai leaders say the delay was strange and unexplained. Our Morning and Afternoon Newsletters are compiled by Globe editors, giving you a brief overview of the day’s most important headlines. Register today.
