SERENGETI: THE WORLD IN ACTION

PRESS RELEASE

Reference is made to the ongoing campaign world over through AVAAZ.ORG (THE WORLD IN ACTION) titled ‘Stop the Serengeti Sell-Off’  whereby people from all over the world are called upon to sign the petition to oppose any attempt to evict 48,000 Maasai from their traditional land or require them to relocate to make way for foreign hunters.

The information in the petition reads as follows: At any moment, a big-game hunting corporation could sign a deal which would force up to 48,000 members of Africa’s famous Maasai tribe from their land to make way for wealthy Middle Eastern kings and princes to hunt lions and leopards. Experts say the Tanzanian President’s approval of the deal may be imminent, but if we act now, we can stop this sell-off of the Serengeti.

The last time this same corporation pushed the Maasai off their land to make way for rich hunters, people was beaten by the police, their homes were burnt to a cinder and their livestock died of starvation. But when a press controversy followed, Tanzanian President Kikwete reversed course and returned the Maasai to their land. This time, there hasn’t been a big press controversy yet, but we can change that and force Kikwete to stop the deal if we join our voices now.

If 150,000 of us sign, media outlets in Tanzania and around the world will be blitzed so President Kikwete gets the message to rethink this deadly deal. Sign the petition now and send to everyone.

THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA

MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND TOURISM

 

PRESS RELEASE

The Government wishes to refute the above claims as follows:

One, there hasn’t been such a move within the United Republic of Tanzania and specifically at Serengeti, which is a district within Mara Region.

Secondly, from the current population the number of Maasai in the Serengeti could not reach 48,000.

Thirdly, in Serengeti there is no any such Hunting Block allocated to Middle Eastern Kings and Princes to hunt lions and leopards.

Fourthly, from the good governance perspective in Tanzania, it is not the responsibility of the President to approve any area for the purpose of being a hunting block; the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism is the one responsible.

Apart from the above clarification, we wish to inform those who have signed and planned to sign the petition that they are doing so without knowledge of what are doing. It is better for them to find the authenticity of the information provided before taking any step to sign this unfounded and baseless petition.