Is my residence permit worth anything? will they respect it? Will my cows be confiscated? will I survive? These are questions posed by one resident of Ngara, who grazes in and out of Burigi forest reserve. His fears eminate from Jakaya Kikwete's vow to wage war on illegal immigrants! In Kagera, majority of the immigrants are actually from Burundi, (Hutu labourers), Uganda (Bachiga immigrants), Rwanda (Hutu remnants of 1994 refugees) and Rwanda/Uganda pastoralists (Who came to look for pastures). Kikwete based his threat on cattle keepers, he said: "Kuna aliyefurumishwa akaacha ndama mmoja, watendaji wanapewa ngombe 2 wanatoa vibali).
But interestingly, pastoralists are very minority immigrants, they don't even number 2000. But government officials, with desire to make quick money out of looted cattle, will only target them. This, despite the fact that most of the survivors of 2006 campaign of terror, applied for and obtained residence permits. But, hey, who cares, why bother with a Hutu immigrant who has nothing, when invading a cattle keeping Muhima can turn you into a rich man overnight?, We have orders from the top, the media behind us READY TO CRY: WAHAMIAJI HARAMU WAFILISIWA NA KUFURUMISHWA MAKWAO!
This blog will report from Ngara regularly on the operation.
Tuesday, 30 July 2013
Monday, 29 July 2013
Kikwete announces operation against illegal immigrants
Grave implications awaited
While on tour of western region of Kagera, president Jakaya Kikwete announced scotching earth operation against illegal immigrants. It will involve members of all security services. Who are the targets?
When he announced similar operation in 2006, forests were raided. herds of cattle were seized and auctioned at throw-away prices, women and girls from pastoral communities with Uganda and Rwandan roots were raped by village militias and the victims were simply thrown across borders in Uganda and Rwanda with nothing.
http://www.hrw.org/news/2007/05/08/human-rights-watch-letter-president-jakaya-mrisho-kikwete-tanzania
While on tour of western region of Kagera, president Jakaya Kikwete announced scotching earth operation against illegal immigrants. It will involve members of all security services. Who are the targets?
When he announced similar operation in 2006, forests were raided. herds of cattle were seized and auctioned at throw-away prices, women and girls from pastoral communities with Uganda and Rwandan roots were raped by village militias and the victims were simply thrown across borders in Uganda and Rwanda with nothing.
http://www.hrw.org/news/2007/05/08/human-rights-watch-letter-president-jakaya-mrisho-kikwete-tanzania
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