Ngorongoro's conservation status is becoming increasingly linked to anti-Maasai rhetoric

Loliondo and NCA are two separate but closely related issues. The Maasai in NCA live under harsh restrictions that don’t exist in Loliondo. It’s Loliondo that’s my area of expertise.

Themes: Conservation, Indigenous people, Livlihoods, NGOs, Parks, Pastoralists, Tourism

Leaked short-term eviction plans for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and vicious anti-Maasai hate campaigns in the media have been followed up by an anti-Maasai frenzy in the Tanzanian Parliament when discussing Ngorongoro. Posts from the 12th Feb and 6th Feb follow.

Loliondo and Ngorongoro Attacked from Every Angle, and People Have Spoken Up.

Themes: Conservation, FPIC, Indigenous people, Hunting, Human rights, NGOs, Pastoralists

The Tanzanian government must stop threatening and abusing the Maasai of Ngorongoro District, whether it’s for the old “Loliondogate” issue in Loliondo and Sale Division and the hunters’ wish for a “protected area”, or for the even older wish to for the love of tourism money further dispossess and strangle those in Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Now the Arusha RC John Mongella must backtrack on his (the government’s) terrible threat described in the previous blog post.

View from the Termite Mound

Themes: Conservation, FPIC, Human rights, Indigenous people, Pastoralists, Parks, Tourism, Poverty

The Tanzanian government is again preparing to grab grazing land in Loliondo for the benefit of the “investor” and this time it’s the Arusha Regional Commissioner who’s been sent as the messenger. Let’s stop any such plan!

Press Conference by Ngorongoro Representatives to Respond to the Imposter Lekisongo,

There was a Press Conference by Ngorongoro Representatives to Respond to the Imposter Lekisongo, It’s Over a Year Since the Election Murder that Killed Salula Ngorisiolo, and the DED Works Hard for the Loliondo Police State

Themes: Conservation, Human rights, Indigenous people, Livlihoods, Parks, Pastoralists

The press conference protesting the behaviour of the imposter Lekisongo is old news, maybe a diversion, and I haven’t been able to get much of a background on this individual, or much information what he’s done after being told off. I should have published on 28th October about last year’s election murder, but keep getting delayed and am un-focused. Then there were worries that NCAA were trying to influence the by-election, but now there is a candidate who is a lesser evil (I hope …) and will become MP, since a real by-election won’t be held anyway. When I finally was about to publish this blog post, more worrying information reached me that the new DED (not that the old one was any better …) isn’t lazy at all in his contribution to the Loliondo police state at the service of unethical “investors”, this time the horrible Thomson Safaris.

Ndumbaro Makes a Criminally Clueless and Dangerous Statement Urging Hunting Investors to Commit More Crime Against Rural People

On 5th August, the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Damas Ndumbaro, made a most inflammatory statement totally ignoring rule of law, human rights, land rights and common sense.

Themes: Conservation, Hunting, Human rights, Indigenous people, Livlihoods, Parks, Pastoralists, Poverty

The Failure of the Manongi Regime of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority.

And the Maasai as Natural Conservationists

Themes: Conservation, Human rights, Indigenous people, Livlihoods, Pastoralists, Parks, Poverty

By Tubulu Lerug Sokoine Nebasi (Diwani Nje ya Halmashauri/Councillor outside the District Council). (Tubulu is the first guest blogger here at View from the Termite Mound, but any serious voice for Ngorongoro land rights – not least including Loliondo, if anyone would be brave enough - is more than welcome. Susanna)

View from the Termite Mound

Press conference by Ngorongoro youths in Dar es Salaam

Themes: Conservation, Indigenous people, Livlihoods, Human rights, Pastoralists

After the press conference in Arusha on 21st January, held by ward councillors and customary leaders from Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), Ngorongoro youths in Dar es Salaam – all of them university students except one who’s a lawyer - followed up with their own press conference on 8th February.

The Multiple Land Use Model of Ngorongoro Conservation Area, review proposal

In this blog post: The MLUM review proposal. Reactions to the MLUM review proposal. Majaliwa/Olenasha/Marekani horror show in Wasso. Now

Themes: Conservation, Indigenous people, Livlihoods, Pastoralists, NGOs, Parks

On 22nd September 2019, what can only be described as a plan to kill pastoralism and Maasai culture and life in the whole of Ngorongoro district was presented at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) headquarters.