Category: Agribusiness
According to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, “dispossession of land and natural resources is a major human rights problem for indigenous peoples. They have in so many cases been pushed out of their traditional areas to give way for the economic interests of other more dominant groups and to large scale development initiatives that tend to destroy their lives and cultures rather than improve their situation….[including] widespread expansion of areas under crop production. They have all resulted in loss of access to fundamental natural resources that are critical for the survival of both pastoral and hunter-gatherer communities such as grazing areas, permanent water sources and forest products.”
Maragoli vs. Agribusiness and the Republic of Uganda
Pushing Back Against Human Rights Violations By the Republic of Uganda, Police, and Multinational Agribusiness Corporations
Wodaabe vs. Niger
The Wodaabe are an indigenous people found in Niger and throughout North Africa. While they follow the nomadic lifestyle of cattle herding and some trading, their land rights are threatened by the Nigerien government’s encouragement of farm settlements. Photo Credit: Meryt Harding
Fellata vs. Citadel Capital and Concord Agriculture
In the Unity State of South Sudan, community land comprising 105,000 hectares was leased to an Egyptian company in 2009 for 25 years. The company, Citadel Capital, seeks to use the land to grow maize and sorghum. Photo Credit: Tim Mckulka
Morogoro
Maasai communities are facing violent attacks and eviction due to agricultural investments, conservation, and discrimination by farmers.
Pastoralists vs. SAGCOT in Tanzania
Government authorities lure foreign companies by promoting 350,000 hectares of fertile land, some of which is inhabited by indigenous people. Police violently evicted pastoralists, causing them to be homeless.
Bagamoyo
The influx of land-buyers is crowding out pastoralists in Bagamoyo. Additionally, a mega sugar cane plantation is being built, leading to more evictions of pastoralists.
Suri vs. Lim Siow Jin Estate
The Ethiopia government leased land to Malaysian company Lim Siow Jin Estate in the Bench Maji Zone of the SNNPR (Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region) region in 2011. However, the 31,000-hectare large plantation overlaps with the land of the Suri people and has had negative effects on their traditional pastoral livelihood.
The Kuraz Sugar Development Project
In the Lower Omo Valley in Ethiopia, several indigenous groups including Murle, Kara, Mursi, Suri, Bodi and Dassanech have been harmed by the Kuraz Sugar Development Project. Photo Credit: The Oakland Institute.
Komo vs. Resettlement
Koma are agro-pastoralists who raise cattle and goats. Due to government resettlement policies, they are increasingly unable to maintain traditional livelihoods. Photo Credit: Dartmouth