La carretera del Serengeti ✈️ Foro África del Este ✈️

WE ARE LOOSING THE BATTLE?

Bulldozers already starting up on the western side of the Serengeti and officials are vowing that the roads will start on the east side by the end of the year

THREATS TO TANZANIA:
Commercial roads are being developed around the Serengeti, with an ongoing threat of a commercial highway across the great migration route.

The government says it is determined to build a soda ash factory on Lake Natron, the breeding ground of virtually all of Africa’s Lesser Flamingoes.

Elephants in Tanzania are being slaughtered at a tragic rate. An extensive report just released by the United Nations shows that Tanzania leads the continent as the source of blood ivory!

A port is being planned for Mwambani Harbor, which will destroy the Tanga Coelocanth Marine National Park.

A uranium mine was approved in Tanzania’s Selous Reserve, which has one of the largest concentration of elephants in Africa.

There are plans for a dam on the Rufiji River, a critical water source in the Selous reserve.

There is corruption among officials, who have been implicated in the ivory trade and disappearance of climate change funds.

UNESCO wanted to make the Eastern Arc Mountains a World Heritage Site. After fifteen years of work, the government abruptly stopped the process.

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IF WE CAN'T SAVE THE SERENGETI - WHAT CAN WE SAVE?

www.savetheserengeti.org

*GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS VOWING THE HIGHWAY WILL GO THROUGH*

The following is a translation from a Kiswahili newspaper called Uhuru in Tanzania by one of our Tanzania volunteers:

SERENGETI IS FOR NATIONAL INTEREST

"Kinana: He said the highway should be built even if others oppose the project

The ruling party CCM said the highway from Ngoro Ngoro to Serengeti must be built for the benefit of Tanzanians even if some of the institutions and the big nations oppose.

They said they will make sure the project is done aimed to ensure that the citizens of Serengeti and Mara region at large are connected in terms of infrastructure with other regions.

Speaking to the people of Serengeti, CCM Secretary Abdurrahman Kinana said with the conspiracy made by some institutions aiming to stop the construction of the highway, it is impossible to stop the government because it prioritizes the Tanzanians interests.

He said the government leads by CCM will not remain silent and see people suffering for lack of a condition which resulting from not having a solid infrastructure of roads.

The statement came a few days after Non Government Organizations (NGO) defending the rights of animals from Kenya (Kenya African Network for Animals Welfare- ANAW) to open a case in East African Court (EACJ) against the construction of the highway

He said CCM supports the statement made by President Kikwete, that construction of the highway which will be the savior for the people of Serengeti, Ngoro Ngoro and Tanzania at large.

“Government will continue with the construction of the highway despite some people pass every corner wanting to establish support on the ground that the animals will suffer. It doesn’t sound even little that animals are better than human beings”

As president Kikwete said the construction of the highway will take place, and the party we support this and now 10 contractors’ have booked and the construction is in the early stages, he said”

Already three witnesses who defended Tanzania in the case filed by ANAW, where they want it to continue with the construction

The activists are complaining about 53 km that will pass in the area of Serengeti National Park grounds which will destroy the ecosystem of wildlife in the park.

Serengeti highway that connects the region of Arusha and lake Zone regions is in the final stage of start built where already the government has allocated funds in the budget for fiscal year 2013/ 2014

EACJ has called on the government of Tanzania to defend why the construction of the highway do not stop to pass the park area.
However as the highway was built at the rate of tarmac passing in Mikumi National Park and connects the regions of Mbeya, Morogoro, Iringa and Ruvuma with the neighboring countries Malawi, Zambia, and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

At the 12 parliamentary meeting held in August this year, Ngoro Ngoro Member of Parliament, Saning’o Ole Telele urged the government not to step back despite the Kenyan activists opposing the highway. " - Uhuru newspaper

OP ED
It seems that the Tanzanian government, despite pleas from scientists, environmentalists and economists from around the world - and despite a lawsuit pending against them to stop the highway by a Kenyan NGO - still plans on putting a highway through the Serengeti. Even through the German Government and the World Bank have offered to fund the Southern Route around the park which would help 5x as many people as well as roads on either side of the park to help communities get to the next largest town. WHY does a commercial road HAVE to go through the gem of Tanzania? It WILL NOT help the people of Tanzania - that is a ruse.

UN PORTAVOZ DE LA PRESIDENCIA DE TANZANIA HA DECLARADO QUE la autopista cortando la ruta de la Gran Migración en el Serengeti será construída por las buenas o por las malas, que el uranio en la Reserva de Selous será extraído por las buenas opor las malas, que la planta de extracción de sosa cáustica en el Lago Natrón será construída por las buenas o por las malas, aunque signifique la desaparición del único lugar de cría de toda la población de flamencos del Este de Africa.