A Review of the Causes of Land Use Conflicts Between Farmers and Pastoralists in Tanzania and a Proposal for Resolutions

Source:
By:Method Julius Gwaleba

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30564/jesr.v2i1.389

Abstract:

Land use conflicts are complex disputes that contribute at large in terms of negative social and economic impacts within the heterogeneous societies. The mechanisms of success for land use conflict resolution still need further research because of various mindsets of the people. In this paper, the issues of land conflicts between farmers and pastoralists in Tanzania mainland which could lead to low economic development are reviewed and the general causes and effects of land use conflicts are outlined. Poor land governance, inappropriate of land use plans, inadequate land policies, land tenure insecurity, corruption and population increases are cited as being among of the main offenders fuelling land use conflicts in Tanzania.

 

As pastoralists move across the country with large herds of hungry livestock in search of pastures and water, the livestock are randomly led into farms where they forage on whatever crops that may be in sight. Angered farm owners (farmers) often take the law into their hands and fight the invaders. Armed fights erupt resulting to human and livestock deaths, destruction of crops and homesteads, fear and poverty.

Since a National Land Policy (NLP) is a key instrument for, among other things, land management and administration, land use planning, conflict resolution, and a stable land tenure security, both the countrywide lack of land use plans in the rural areas, and the (now) outdated National Land Policy of 1995 are brought in focus in line with the recurring land conflicts between farmers and pastoralists.

The paper provides the case of how Mediation-Arbitration (MED-ARB) approach can be used in solving land conflicts between farmers and pastoralists. Based on the various studies that have been undertaken and the recommendations made on this issue, the authors propose MED-ARB as the optimal way to put in place sustainable curative measures of land conflicts References:

Benjaminsen, T., Maganga, F., & Abdallah, J. (2009). The Kilosa Killings: Political Ecology of a Farmer–Herder Conflict in Tanzania. Development and Change , 40 (3), 423–445. Chigbu, U. E., Schopf, A., de Vries, W. T., Masum, F., Mabikke, S., Antonio, D., et al. (2017). Combining land-use planning and tenure security: a tenure responsive land-use planning approach for developing countries. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management , 60 (9), 1622-1639. Czyz, M. A. (2006). Applying the ABC Conflict Triangle to the Protection of Children’s Human Rights and the Fulfillment of their Basic needs. MSc. Thesis, European University Centre for Peace Studies, Stadtschlaining/Burg, Austria. Fisher, S., Ibrahim, A., Ludin, J., Smith, R., & Williams, S. (2000). Working with Conflict:Skills and Strategies for Action, Zed Books. London. Greenhalgh, L. (1986). SMR Forum: Managing Conflict. Sloan Managing Review , 45-51. Gwaleba, M., & Masum, F. (2018). Participation of Informal Settlers in Participatory Land Use Planning Project in Pursuit of Tenure Security. Urban Forum , 29 (2), 169-184. Kaswamila, A., & Songorwa, A. (2009). Participatory land-use planning and conservation in northern Tanzania rangelands. African Journal of Ecology , 47 (1), 128–134. Kishenyi, B. (2017). Resolving land disputes through alternative dispute resolution (ADR). An overview of Tanzania's legal framework. Masters Thesis, University of Bagamoyo, Tanzania, Bagamoyo. Kitabu, G. (2014). Inside the Kiteto land crisis 2: Greed for land, dirty politics fuel killing fields of Kiteto. Kombe, W. (2010). Land Conflicts in Dar es Salaam: Who gains? Who loses? . Crisis States Working Papers Series No.2, ISSN 1749-1797, Dar es Salaam. Kushoka, N. (2011). LAND USE PLAN AND FARMERS-PASTORALISTS CONFLICT IN MVOMERO DISTRICT: IT’S IMPLICATIONS ON HOUSEHOLD FOOD PRODUCTION. Masters' Thesis, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro. Locher, M., & Sulle, E. (2014). Challenges and methodological flaws in reporting the global land rush: observations from Tanzania. The Journal of Peasant Studies , 41 (4), 569-592. Mugabi, C. (2013). Challenges Facing Land Ownership in Rural Tanzania: What needs to be done? Dar es Salaam: ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION. Mung'ong'o, C., & Mwamfupe, D. (2003). Poverty and Changing Livelihoods of Migrant Maasai Pastoralists in Morogoro and Kilosa Districts, Tanzania. Dar es Salaam: Mkuki na Nyota Publishers. Mwamfupe, D. (2015). Persistence of Farmer-Herder Conflicts in Tanzania. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications , 5 (2), 1-8. Nathan, A. (1996). Everything You Need to Know About Conflict Resolution. New York: Rosen Publishing Group. Norman, A. (2013). Conflict Management among the Farmers and Pastoralists in Tanzania. International SAMANM Journal of Business and Social Sciences , 1 (2), 40-50. Nuhu, S. (2018). Peri-Urban Land Governance in Developing Countries: Understanding the Role, Interaction and Power Relation Among Actors in Tanzania. Urban Forum , https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-018-9339-2. Odgaard, R. (2006). Land rights and land conflicts in Africa: The Tanzania case. Danish Institute for International Studies, Copenhagen. Peace Bag For EuroMed Youth. (2015). Retrieved August 17, 2015, from http://www.peacebag.org/articles/toolkit-p4-conflictanaly.html Sackey, G. (2010). Investigating Justice Systems in Land Conflict Resolution. A Case Study of Kinondoni Municipality, Tanzania. MSc. Thesis, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands. Semberya, D. (2014). Farmers, pastoralists conflicts: Where have we failed? Shamir, Y. (2003). Alternative Dispute Resolution Approaches and Their Application. Technical Documents in Hydrology. Israel Center for Negotiation and Mediation (ICNM). Shao, I. F. (2008). Democracy and Land Conflicts in Tanzania: The Case of Pastoralists Versus Peasants. Tanzania Journal of Development Studies , 8 (2), 71-83. Simbarashe, M. (2012). Tanzania: Land - Efforts Needed to End Conflicts Between Farmers and Cattle Herders. Dar es Salaam. Sulle, E., & Nelson, F. (2009). Biofuels, land access and rural livelihoods in Tanzania. International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), London. Temirkulov, A. (2014). The “conflict volcano”: methodological proposition for conflict analysis. Journal of Aggression,Conflict and Peace Research , 6 (2), 99 - 115. Tudor, C. A., Ioja, I. C., Pǎtru-Stupariu, I., Nita, M. R., & Hersperger, A. (2014). How successful is the resolution of land-use conflicts? A comparison of cases from Switzerland and Romania. Applied Geography , 47, 125-136. United Republic of Tanzania. (2002). Land Disputes (Settlement) Courts Act, 2002. Dar es Salaam: Government Publishers. United Republic of Tanzania. (1997). National Land Policy: Second Edition. Dar es Salaam: Government Printers. Wehrmann, B. (2008). LAND CONFLICTS. A practical guide to dealing with land disputes. Eschborn: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ). Yamano, T., & Deininger, K. (2005). Land Conflicts in Kenya: Causes, Impacts, and Resolutions. FASID Discussion Paper 2005-12-002. National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Tokyo.