Dozens on the run as clash between rival tribes escalates

As we went to press yesterday, more and more people were said to be vacating their homesteads as tensions continued to flare up in the village of Kimotorok-Mkungunero, bordering Manyara and Dodoma regions.

According to the Manyara assistant regional police commissioner, Longinus Tibishubwamu, the trouble started last Saturday when the Datoga woman was murdered by people believed to be from the rival Maasai community while she was out grazing her cattle.

Tibishubwamu told The Guardian here that the suspected killers then disappeared with the victim’s 30 cows. The victim’s name has not been revealed.

According to some unverified reports from the ground, members of the Datoga community were yesterday seen raiding Maasai homes and making away with abandoned cows to avenge the death of their kinswoman.

The reports also have it that at least three Maasai men had been killed by rampaging Datoga tribesmen, also known as Mang’ati.

The Maasai community is said to have now issued a 48-hour ultimatum for the stolen cattle (numbering about 1,000) to be returned, threatening more bloodshed if the ultimatum is not met.

Police in Manyara are said to have seized a number of weapons from the incident. The assistant RPC said clan elders from both communities have since been called in the area to help quell the tensions.

When contacted by this paper, the Dodoma regional police chief David Misime said he had dispatched some officers to the area, but declined further comment on the matter pending the emergence of more details.

Early last year, Morogoro region was the scene of similar deadly violence between the Maasai and Datoga pastoralist groups, leading to concerns being raised in the then National Assembly that the clashes could descend into ethnic-based mayhem and spread across the country.

It was alleged at the time that those clashes were being instigated by prominent public figures with interests in acquiring the land being fought over.

Considered to be the oldest tribe in Tanzania, the Datoga are known for tribal pride and stealth in dealing with enemies.

Unlike the Maasai who are purely pastoralists, the Datoga are farmers specializing in onion plantations, though they share similarities with the Maasai in some rituals.