Rights Group Says Tanzania Seizing Animals of Herders

Rights Group Says Tanzania Seizing Animals of Herders

An American rights group says Tanzania is seizing animals from herders because it wants to bring more foreign visitors to the northern part of the country.

The Oakland Institute, a research group based in Oakland, California, recently reported on the issue. The group said Tanzanian officials are seizing the livestock¹ of ethnic² Maasai herders. The goal of the officials is to clear the area for increased tourism in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

The rights group says the government forcibly seized 5,880 cattle and 767 goats and sheep from the Maasai people in November and December. Government officials are demanding that owners pay heavy fines. People who cannot pay have their livestock taken and sold to other people.

Anuradha Mittal is the executive³ director of the Oakland Institute, one group following the issue. She told the Associated Press that: "Livestock is central to the Maasai culture and livelihoods⁴." She said: "Losing cattle is therefore catastrophic for them. With this new tactic⁵ the government's goal is clearly to drive them away from their ancestral lands."

The government says the relocation will increase safari⁶ tourism and the hunting of lions, elephants and other big animals to pay for environmental and economic development. It says the displacement⁷ is "voluntary" and that the Maasai are semi-nomadic, meaning they are used to moving around a lot.

Mittal said the government's statements are not true. She said officials continue to make tourism money more important than "everything else, including lives."

Rights groups have accused the government of denying the Maasai the use of health services, land, water and salt licks—places where animals eat minerals. They say this is being done to force out the Maasai.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is recognized by the United Nations as a UNESCO World Heritage⁸ area. The Maasai villages occupy a small part known as the Loliondo commune.

In June of last year, rights groups accused the Tanzanian government of using violence against the Maasai people. There was international criticism of the relocation program but a court in the area ruled in favor of the government.

The African Commission⁹ on Human and Peoples' Rights is currently¹⁰ in Tanzania seeking information on the human rights situation.

Salangat Marko is a herder in the Loliondo area. He said he is worried about the future of his family. He said: "I have cows with no grass or water. Herders intimidated¹¹ and beaten...where do we go and what do we feed our children?"

Words in This Story

herder –n. a person who keeps farm animals like cows and sheep

tourism –v. the activity of traveling to other places for pleasure or the industry that serves people who travel for such reasons

catastrophic –adj. something terrible or disastrous¹²

tactic –n. a method used toward a goal

relocate –v. to move or to be moved from a place for a specific reason

safari –n. a trip to see or hunt animals, especially in Africa

intimidated –adj. to be threatened with violence or loss

1 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

2 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

3 executive   

adj.执行的，行政的；n.执行者，行政官，经理

参考例句：

• A good executive usually gets on well with people.一个好的高级管理人员通常与人们相处得很好。
• He is a man of great executive ability.他是个具有极高管理能力的人。

4 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

5 tactic   

n.战略，策略；adj.战术的，有策略的

参考例句：

• Reducing prices is a common sales tactic.降价是常用的销售策略。
• She had often used the tactic of threatening to resign.她惯用以辞职相威胁的手法。

6 safari   

n.远征旅行(探险、考察)；探险队，狩猎队

参考例句：

• When we go on safari we like to cook on an open fire.我们远行狩猎时，喜欢露天生火做饭。
• They went on safari searching for the rare black rhinoceros.他们进行探险旅行，搜寻那稀有的黑犀牛。

7 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。

8 heritage   

n.传统，遗产，继承物

参考例句：

• The ancient buildings are part of the national heritage.这些古建筑是民族遗产的一部分。
• We Chinese have a great cultural heritage.我们中国人有伟大的文化遗产。

9 commission   

n.委托，授权，委员会，拥金，回扣，委任状

参考例句：

• The salesman can get commission on everything he sells.这个售货员能得到所售每件货物的佣金。
• The commission is made up of five people,including two women.委员会由五人组成，其中包括两名妇女。

10 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

11 intimidated   

v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的

参考例句：

• We try to make sure children don't feel intimidated on their first day at school. 我们努力确保孩子们在上学的第一天不胆怯。
• The thief intimidated the boy into not telling the police. 这个贼恫吓那男孩使他不敢向警察报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。