Land contests in Tanzania

Dumila violence kills one, injures ten more By Ashton Balaigwa 26th January 2013EmailPrint Field Force Police (FFU) officers remove logs and other road blocks used by Dumila residents in Morogoro to block the Morogoro-Dodoma highway yesterday pressing their regional commissioner, Joel Bendera, to listen to their grievances. (Photo: Ashton BalaigwaOne person was yesterday killed and ten others injured when chaos erupted at rural Dumila in Kilosa district, Morogoro in region. Reports from the scene say police had to use live ammunition to contain the violence when some people decided to block the Morogoro-Dodoma highway. The Guardian on Saturday was informed that Dumila residents blocked the highway for five hours in a bid to register complaints that Maasai pastoralists had persistently fed their cattle on farms located at Mfuru Mabwegere in the district. The dead was identified as Mohammed Msigira, 60 – and the injured were rushed to the Dumila health centre for treatment. But it was not clear who exactly killed Msigira, with claims that he might have died from shock caused by gunshots. The incident held up traffic along the Morogoro-Dodoma highway for about five hours, forcing Morogoro regional Commissioner Joel Bendera to rush the scene and listen to their concerns. In the meantime, Kilosa District Commissioner Eliya Tarimo rushed to the scene, but ended up being roughed up by irate residents, who the district commissioner was the source of the problem. Braving live ammunition, the furious farmers stormed five guest houses allegedly smashed the windows of guest houses said to be owned by the pastoralists. The irate farmers also destroyed one car, Landcruiser, before making away with several belongings belonging to the pastoralists. Before the chaos erupted the residents held a procession along the Dumila township at around 8.30 am, paralyzing transport along the highway for more than five hours before police arrived. In the ensuing chaos, Maasai women and children ran to the Dumila police station to save their dear lives. Speaking to The Guardian, Omari Athuman and Mauya Hamadi, said they were forced to resort to violence because the Maasai had taken away their cattle. The two farmers said they had since reported the matter to the village and regional authorities but no measures had been taken, saying even the Morogoro regional Commissioner, Joel Bendera had failed to address the matter. They claimed that Mabwegere area was reserved for farmers, but Kilosa district commisoner Alias Tarimo had claimed that the area was allocated to pastoralists, a statement that was rejected by the farmers. Later, the farmers are said to have asked the regional commissioner to show them the area allocated for farming activities and pastures under the Land Use Plan (LUP), but the RC failed to do so. Morogoro Regional Police Commander Faustine Shilogile confirmed the incidence, saying several farmers had been arrested. On his part, the Morogoro regional commissioner said he had ordered that all local government leaders who caused the conflict, including Dumila division secretary, be arrested. SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN