Efforts needed to end conflicts between farmers and cattle herders

By Simbarashe Msasanuri
Land use conflicts are common phenomena in Tanzania and the world at large. The problem is fueled by the fact that land does not expand while people and other living organizations, relying on it for survival, keep on increasing, putting on pressure on the limited available resources and resulting in land conflicts.
Farmer–herder conflicts in Africa are often presented as being driven by ‘environmental scarcity’. In countries such as Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania just but to mention a few, the two groups have for a long time found themselves in deadly clashes, most of which resulted in loss of lives, destruction of property and turning the areas into war zones as the they try to clinch the right to use the land.

In Tanzania, areas such as Kilosa and Kilombero districts in Morogoro region; Kilindi and handeni districts in Tanga region; and mbarali district in mbeya region to mention the few are some of the places that have experienced land conflicts between farmers and pastoralists in recent years.

The multiple cases of such conflicts taking place in several parts of the country result when pastoralists search for pastures and water for their cattle, the farmers complain that the cattle pass in their farms and destroy their crops. This s coupled by the generally held belief by crop farmers that pastoralists’ way of keeping livestock is old and does not deserve to survive up recently as result in lack of care for land resulting in soil erosion and other abuses.

Though many clashes have been witnessed, still fresh in people’s minds is a conflict in Kilosa District in Tanzania that tragically culminated in the killing of thirty-eight farmers on 8 December 2000. The fight recurred in December 2008 at Kikenge Hamlet of Mambegwa and Mabwegere village where 8 people were reported dead and several houses were burnt to ashes and crops destroyed. Thousands of livestock were equally stolen by unknown culprits. The government, since that time has been striving to put an end to this problem leading in the reduction of such incidents.

However, the recent Ikwiriri clashes have inflicted a huge dent on government’s efforts to promote harmony among these groups.  The clashes were fueled by the death of a farmer at the hands of pastoralists who were punishing him for trying to bar them from grazing their cattle in his field at Njogoro ward in Umwe Ikwiriri South village, Rufiji municipality in Coast Region.  

This led to a backlash as farmers joined hands to avenge the death of their colleague.  The clashes sent shocking waves within the area leaving a trail of destruction as several houses were destroyed while vehicles were stoned. Though recent reports reveal that normalcy has returned to the village, more still needs to be done to curb such ugly scenes.

The recent call by the Agriculture Council of Tanzania (ACT) that farmland in this country should be demarcated, identified and legally protected , could not have come at a better time than this where conflicts between pastoralists and crop farmers continue unabated.

“For a long time now, ACT has been advocating land use plans with allocations for crop cultivation and pastoralism. It is lack of such an arrangement causing conflicts countrywide,” said the statement signed by ACT’s senior official, Cleophas Rwechungura.

Though it might remain true that demarcation of land and legalizing it will go a long way in rescuing the situation, one size fit all solution to the problem might not be feasible. The causal aspect of such clashes is tension building up over a long period of time and incidents such as the killing of a farmer in Ikwiriri becomes the spark plug.

The problem of these clashes is deeper than it seems and there is need to involve the concerned parties, for a permanent solution that is seemingly elusive. To understand the conflict, it is necessary for the concerned parties to study the history of villagization and land use in Districts rocked by the problem. This is so because attempts at agricultural modernization seem to have fostered an anti-pastoral environment in Tanzania.

It remains a fact that pastoral access to wetlands is decreasing due to expansion of cultivated areas and promotion of agriculture. Though this is inevitable as the country thrives to boost food production at a time where the effects of climate change are biting, separation of these two warring groups might come in handy, after a careful consideration and study.

In as much as there are legally protected areas such as national parks and other forests, it is important that land is earmarked, and demarcated for various use of which if one group trespasses into another’s territory, then legal action can be taken.

Agriculture is undoubtedly the backbone of this country’s economy and has lifted the lives of many peasants out of poverty, therefore, clashes between the farmer groups should not be left to continue as they reverse the gains the sector has achieved so far.

The land conflicts in this country can be traced as far back time immemorial and no solution seem to be in sight as the social anomaly continues rearing its ugly head here and there throughout the country. This therefore, calls for urgent action.

Respect and tolerance among the warring groups is required for a solution to be found as nothing, even police presence seems to be deterring these people from taking the law into their own hands.

These conflicts if left unattended will most likely to threaten the counrty’s hard earned peace. They are potential spark plugs for civil disturbances and should be nipped in the bud.

In order to preserve the gains of the agriculture sector, while in the long run promoting sustainable development in both important sectors of the economy, deliberate action and decision in solving the land conflicts should be taken without delay.

This task then should not left to the government institutions and officials only, but there must be the collaboration from all sectors, institutions, organisations, private and public and all these in order to achieve the fruitful results should incorporate the ideas of all the communities who are the main land users.

 It should be borne in mind that land is the key source development of all the other sectors but this cannot attained if the prevailing land conflicts will not be solved immediately.