Persistence of farmer-herder conflicts in Tanzania

In Kilombero, Kiteto, Rufiji and Kilosa Districts of Tanzania, a study was made of factors that have contributed to persisting conflict between herders and crop farmers. The findings were published by Davis Mwamfupe in the paper “Persistence of farmer-herder conflicts in Tanzania” (2015) in the International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications 5 (2): 339–346. In focus group discussions and key informant interviews, numerous pastoralists (Maasai, Barabaig, Sukuma, Kwavi and Gogo), farmers, village leaders and district-level officials gave their views on the reasons for persistence of the conflicts and on the effectiveness of conflict-resolution mechanisms. The major factors were identified as policy deficiencies and contradictions, insecurity of land tenure, weak local institutions, corrupt practices, poor coordination in resettling migrants, low capacity in village land-use planning and the heavy-handed approaches used by the government to try to resolve the conflicts. The study concluded that the root cause of the conflicts is that small-scale farmers and herders lack security of tenure for the land they use, which is not surveyed and is therefore liable for alienation through acquisition and encroachment. Unless the government reviews its land policy to ensure security of land tenure, land grabbing and corrupt practices will escalate and lead to further conflicts.

Posted on 3 February 2023 in Pastoralism & Natural Resources, Pastoralism & Peacebuilding, Pastoralism, Mobility & Land Tenure