Tanzania cautions herders on cross-border pasturing

18 Octobre 2017

Dodoma, Tanzania, October 18 (Infosplusgabon) -  Tanzanian livestock herders in the country’s border regions must desist from letting their animals to graze in neighbouring countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation warned on Wednesday.

“In recent days we have witnessed the emergence of a large influx of livestock from neighbouring countries coming to feed and water without following the laws of the country,” the ministry said in a press statement issued in Tanzania’s new capital, Dodoma. “Importation of livestock from one country to another has many side effects, including security, environmental degradation and the spread of animal diseases.”

The ministry noted that on 13 October 2017, Tanzania’s Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries issued a public directive to remove all livestock grazing in the country illegally within seven days, warning that failure to do so would result in the confiscation of livestock, according to the law of the land.

“Following the order, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation calls on all Tanzanians having livestock in a neighbouring country to heed legal procedures and take them away immediately to avoid loss and inconvenience.

“In addition, the ministry urges people, especially those living in regions adjacent to a neighbouring country to  be patriotic to desist from associating with foreign nationals to break laws of the country,” the ministry said.

Meanwhile, Mwanga District Court in northern Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro Region has ordered a public auction of 1,325 cattle rounded up last week in a special operation by the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries to contain stray livestock in national border areas. The region borders Kenya.

“Our goal is to stop illegal livestock grazing in the country because it can contribute to environmental degradation as well as drying water sources,” explained Mr. Luhaga Mpina, Minister for Livestock and Fisheries. “Tanzania’s good neighbourliness with other member countries of the East African Community (EAC) should not be misused to break the law of the land.”

According to the minister, the two-week operation to stop cross-border grazing of livestock will cover all Tanzanian border regions around the country.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/UJL/GABON 2017

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