Madam Chair,
The situation of nomadic pastoralists continues to be extremely difficult and a matter of great concern in many parts of Africa, including in Tanzania where many pastoralists have been evicted from their lands.
IWGIA is seriously concerned about the forceful evictions of Maasai pastoralists from their homes and grazing lands in Loliondo in Northern Tanzania and the gross human rights violations that have been committed.
The eviction operation started on the 4th July 2009 and was conducted by the Field Force Unit police with assistance of private guards from the Ortello Business Cooperation (OBC). The evictions have been carried out by use of excessive force and many Maasai homes have been set on fire.
The Ortello Business Cooperation is owned by a member of the Royal family from the United Arab Emirates and has been allocated hunting rights on village lands belonging to the local communities. The allocation of hunting rights to the OBC has not given the company ownership rights to the village land, but the villagers are evicted nonetheless.
Eight villages in Loliondo have had their houses and property destroyed in the eviction process, and the following gross human rights violations have been committed:
· More than 200 Maasai homesteads have been totally burnt.
· Food stores and maize fields have been burned.
· It is estimated that up to 3,000 people have been made homeless without food and shelter.
· Several maize farms, which were ready for harvest, were set on fire exacerbating an already alarming hunger situation.
· More than 50,000 cattle have been pushed into areas hit by extreme drought with no water and grass. Some cattle have been lost and some burned to death.
· Property worth millions of Tanzania Shillings has been destroyed.
· The Field Force Unit police has committed serious physical assaults on pastoralists.
· Women have been raped and sexually assaulted by policemen.
· Other women who were chased from their homes have had miscarriages.
· Family units have been broken and some children have been lost in the bush due to the chaos and panic during the evictions.
· Communal and traditional worship places have been destroyed and
· Several pastoralists have been arrested on dubious charges
No actions have been taken by the responsible government authorities to assist the victims of the evictions who find themselves in a desperate situation amidst the ravaging drought with no food, water, shelter and grazing land for their livestock.
It is important to note that the evictions contravene Tanzania legislation as well as its international commitments. The provisions of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania guarantee and promote respect for human and peoples' rights and freedoms, including rights to own and use land and other natural resources;
Moreover, the Village Land Act No 5 of 1999 is applicable to the pastoralist villages. It provides for a clear framework of village land management and gives powers to the villagers on matters concerning ownership and land use plans.
We will also like to recall that the Government of Tanzania, in September 2007, voted in favor of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, that sets the framework and principles for the manner in which states should treat indigenous people, and that Tanzania is a signatory to several other international treaties and convections that protect basic human rights. The evictions are a violation of such international law and conventions.
We would furthermore like to recall that the Government of Tanzania, through the Ministry of Wildlife and Tourism, should be committed to ensure an effective participation of local communities and indigenous people in the management of natural resources and benefit sharing through community managed tourism - and that the evictions contravene the spirit of this.
Madam Chair,
IWGIA appreciates the interest that the African Commission has already taken on this serious issue. However, the government of Tanzania seems unfortunately not to have taken any action to address the situation.
We therefore call on the international community and the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights to urge the government of Tanzania to address the situation as a matter of urgency. The government of Tanzania should prevent any further evictions, investigate the human rights violations that have taken place, compensate the victims, ensure that the organizations and villagers who seek to support the victims of the evictions are not being harrassed and withdraw its stand on evicting pastoral communities for the benefit of foreign investors.
We furthermore request the international community and the African Commission to undertake a mission to investigate the evictions.
Thank you Madam Chair.
Statement of the Minority Right Group International on the eviction, relocation and marginalization of pastoralists in Loliondo and other different parts of the country.
Madam Chairperson; First, MRG, IWGIA, CORDS PINGOs Forum, and NGONET would like to congratulate you and other commissioners for being elected for such very important offices that oversees adherence of human rights in our continent . Thank you for giving me time to present to you the situation of pastoralists in Tanzania.
Madam Chairperson; Tanzania is publically known and admired worldwide for peaceful and ranquility, political stability and fair treatment of its citizenry. However, although pastoralism in Tanzania is a way of life for pastoralists whose entire lives and culture evolve around this livelihood system, the rights of pastoralists, comprising 10% of the national population, have been grossly violated. Pastoralism and supportive grazing resources has proven to be resilient and sustainable in the sustainable utilization of existing natural resources.
Madam Chairperson, As from July, 2009, acts of unconceivable treatment were perpetrated on the Maasai Indigenous Pastoralists in Ngorongoro through an eviction operation in Loliondo. Loliondo is one of the three Divisions of the Ngorongoro District situated in the Arusha Region in Northern Tanzania.
Madam chairperson, The eviction conducted by the Tanzania police {field force unit} from 4th of July 2009 todate with orders from the government was intended to remove pastoralists from the hunting block which was allocated to an UAE company known as Otterllo Business Cooperation in 1992. The pastoralists, who had lived in the area since time immemorial, were said to have allegedly invaded the private hunting block as well as degraded the environment in the respective area. The evictions were thus aimed at returning them to their supposed villages and save the environment in one of the vital forests of the Game Control area.
The malicious and ruthless operation to evict the Maasai communities has affected eight Villages of the Loliondo division, leaving more than 6,000 in unimaginable distress and utter poverty. Inhuman acts unlawful imprisonment, torture and prosecution of innocent pastoralists. People lost their lives and dignity, children were lost and property was destroyed. It was alleged that more than two hundred Maasai homes were totally burnt; women were harassed; more than 3000 people were left homeless without food and other basic social needs and more than 50,000 cattle were left with no grass and water. Some of the pastoralists stated that they were chained beaten and humiliated in front of their families and even women being ordered to beat their husbands in front of the whole family. Above all, the Maasai communities are highly traumatized and need psychological support. Due to the callous and malicious nature of the evictions, the Maasai communities have remained terrified and fearful of being terrorized by their government.
Madam chair, Furthermore, a young man named Rottiken Nkoididio has been shot in the eye by police forces is currently receiving treatment in hospital. At the same time many pastoralists are harassed and flimsy charges are instituted against them in court. There are also threats to any CSOs and the media when they try to publicize the issues. Even now the government is insisting that all the pastoralists have to be evicted to give room to the investor although they admit that there are no laws to support the eviction of the pastoralists in Loliondo.
Recommendations
1. We recommend that the government of Tanzania be stopped immediately from harassing and evicting pastoralists from their lawful homes and Villages and indigenous pastoralists be given back their ancestral land so that they can continue their livelihood system.
2. We demand Community members be involved in all decisions and all matters affecting their land and lives.
3. The community demands that they be treated fairly and harassment conducted by the government machinery on behalf of OBC should stop immediately
4. The community demands restitution for the loss that has been incurred in the process of the operation
5. Further, there is a strong demand for the government's accountability in all decisions that impact on the livelihood of the people
6. The community needs OBC out of their land and that they should be left alone to determine their destiny
7. We request the commission to make a follow up of this matter as we understand that they have already written a letter to the government of Tanzania on 6th August, 2009 by theAfrica commission's Working Group on Indigenous Population/communities in Africa and that the situation has not chanched on harrassment of the pastoralists in the country.
8. We requets the commision to interven on the country operation in Tanzania that has been directed towards evictions and harrassment of indigenous pastoralists and other indigenous communities
9. We request an urgent vist of the commision to witness and veryfy such eviction and breaches of human right and provide remedies for the pastoralists affected not only in Loliondo but countruwide.
Porokwa ndiye aliyekuwa akitafsiri maelezo ya Kimasai.
Mkuu Kibori, kuna watu hapa wame-specialise kudai sources za kila kinachoandikwa... nadhani hpa hawatakuwa na hojaMimi sioni haja ya kutoa picha na majina ya watu waliotoa habari... I stand to be corrected
Mwanamke wa Kimasai Kooya Timan, kutoka Loliondo, ameingia na kutoa ushuhuda Banjul katika mkut ano wa Tume ya Haki za Binadamu ya Afrika (
African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights) Banjul, Gambia. Ameelezea yaliyotokea akisema hata wanawake walibakwa.