Conflicts between Maasai and Tanzania government a setback for tourism

maasai
maasai
Avatar of Linda Hohnholz
Written by Linda Hohnholz

TANZANIA (eTN) – Tourism experts and stakeholders across the world are set to meet in Johannesburg, South Africa, mid-next month to deliberate issues on peace, conflict resolution, and cultivation of

TANZANIA (eTN) – Tourism experts and stakeholders across the world are set to meet in Johannesburg, South Africa, mid-next month to deliberate issues on peace, conflict resolution, and cultivation of sustainable and peaceful communities through tourism, culture, and sports.

Bearing the theme, โ€œCultivating Sustainable and Peaceful Communities and Nations through Tourism, Culture and Sports,โ€ the event will be held from February 16-19, 2015 to attract key and notable personalities across the world.

Organized on African soil, the IIPT World Symposium, is expect to give more light to participants, including African government ministers and key policymakers on conflict resolution modalities at this time when land conflicts are hindering tourism development on this continent.

Land conflicts between Maasai communities and governments of Tanzania and Kenya had become the order of the day, posing to distract tourism development in leading tourist parks in these two neighboring states.

Poor cooperation, lack of transparency, and poor planning on the side of the government of Tanzania had attracted land conflict between Maasai pastoralists in northern Tanzania, leading to the torching down of a luxury tourist facility late last year.

A mob of Maasai pastoralists had torched down one Ndarakwai Tourist Camp on the western slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in a conflict over grazing land.

On November 16 of last year, a mob of Maasai pastoralists invaded and destroyed by setting on fire 16 tourist huts ranking to a four-star hotel and a curio shop, all were razed down by pastoralists who invaded the camp in protest over the grazing area. The tension had so far attracted armed police to quell down the chaos which left the British tourist investor with a big loss.

The luxury tourist camp, owned by a Briton, Peter Jones, is situated on an 11,000-acre farm in the Ndarakwai wildlife corridor on the western side of Mount Kilimanjaro, neighboring Amboseli National Park in Kenya.

Mr. Jones told the media that his camp that is constructed with 16 permanent tented structures and which ranked as a four-star tourist hotel and included a large zoo with various animals, 11 vehicles, and other property valued at over US$1 million, was set ablaze.

The British tourist investor further said he had incurred a loss from tourists who had been booked to stay in his facility between November of last year and March of this year.

โ€œI am in my estate, and I have a title deed to it. The surrounding villages and I know our borders. There is a need for the law to protect all people equally,โ€ the British investor lamented.

Mr. Jones had so far suspended an extension of a monthly US$1,000 donation to local community schools in the area after destruction of his luxury tourist facility.

The Briton has been supportive by feeding 400 pupils of Olmolog Vet junior school as a benefit sharing initiative with local communities before his camp was blazed to zero.

โ€œI have been forced to stop my support to these poor children as I have to reconstruct my facility,โ€ he said.

Other than this school, the Briton has been supporting various community projects in villages that neighbor his tourist business.

Torching down of Ndarakwai Tourist Camp is just an example of looming hostility between the Maasai pastoralists and wildlife conservation management in Northern Tanzania and Kenya, fighting over grazing land and unequal benefit sharing.

The British investor was a victim of a conflict and hostility between the government of Tanzania and the Maasai pastoralists over along the Kilimanjaro-Amboseli corridor and which controls the movement of wild animals between Tsavo, Kilimanjaro, and Amboseli national parks.

All these three famous wildlife parks are located near neighboring Maasai communities.

In neighboring Tarangire National Park in northern Tanzania, there is a looming conflict between the Parks Authority and local communities over boundaries and grazing land.

In Kenya, there has been a prolonged conflict between Maasai communities near Amboseli National Park over land and rights to local communities (Maasai) to manage the parkโ€™s resources and equal sharing of tourist resources.

With great hopes, the IIPT World Symposium will shed more light to African tourist stakeholders on best options to create sustainable tourism through partnerships with local communities.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

Share to...