Transcript of a letter written to Richard Burge of African Parks Foundation.
6/4/2005
Dear Richard Burge,
My main worries for the future of the Mursi come from the horse's mouth
i.e. F------- the Awassa administrator and A------- the Mago Park
warden. They are the main government forces of physical implementation
of plans (along with the Omo Park warden) in what the government has
designated the Omo and Mago Parks.
F------- said that he was in favor of moving people. Later when I
asked what they would do with the Mursi, F------ said they may try and
settle them, in what has been designated the Tama plains, as
agriculturalists. They would be moved off of the banks of the Omo
River, which is their most valuable agricultural land. This plan seems
to be in the works because I saw the well trucks prospecting, (possible
even digging) near what is called Maganto by the Mursi, or Magantaia,
meaning junction, by the administration, the big Mursi village in the
Tama plains. The Mursi said there were four new wells going in. It all
made sense when I saw the letter from the Mursi Cxxxxxx saying the
Government has been pushing them all to move to Maganto. Settling them
as only agriculturalists would be ridiculous, as digging wells would
turn that area into a dustbowl, an ironic end to moving them in
order to preserve the ecosystem. The Mursi also need their cattle to
survive, not only for the milk and meat, but also to exchange them in
the highlands for grain.
A--------- and I spent a considerable amount of time together, as we
were friends, until our severe differences in ideas of what should
happen to the Mursi ended our friendship. A-------- said that the
boundary demarcation project they were working on, was so that African
Parks could take over the Omo and Mago Parks and that African Parks
"wants the electric fence" around the parks. He went on to say that he
didn't agree with this as the electric fences would interrupt animal
migration routes. He also told me that they had held meetings with the
Mursi tribal elders and the Mursi had all agreed to leave the territory
within what has been known as the Mago Park boundary, only to return
"in times of crisis". This territory is the territory of thousands of
Mursi. There is no way that thousands of Mursi would leave their
permanent villages and agricultural land, that is passed down through
family generations, for nothing. (This is in contrast to the agreement
that was reached with the Mursi of Makki, who I went and told what I
thought was in the works, namely them eventually being kicked out of
their territory after the boundary demarcation was in place. The Mursi
of Makki raised a strong objection to the boundary and it was redrawn
to exclude Makki.) While I was there, a runner came to Makki from Kon
Ba, a village in the northwest corner of Mago Park. This runner was
telling people that the government had threatened to make a “big
fire in their village” if they did not leave right away. The
Mursi interpreted this as grenades would be thrown. I heard Kon Ba was
empty by the time I’d left, but we were not sure if it was
because of the threat or that people had gone to plant gardens away
from the village. This was definitely not an agreement with the local
people to move. A-------- even tried to reassure me saying one village
(out of maybe 30 in the designated Mago Park), Shigin Gare, would be
left alone so that tourist cars could be brought to this village, as,
he said, most tourists come to the park to see the Mursi anyway.
The park administrators use the fact that the Mursi move around a lot
to graze their cattle and cultivate inland gardens (off the river) when
the rains come, to say that these villages are temporary so to make it
seem that it is easy for them to find somewhere else to live. This is
entirely untrue. The Mursi need the land they are on to survive. They
need their riverbanks gardens which they plant and harvest three times
a year, in order to survive. The resources here are entirely utilized
for their livelihood; there are no extra, unused resources. This is
true as well for the surrounding tribes. The tribal people are using
all the land that is available for their traditional mixture of grazing
and cultivation. I was sorely disappointed in A--------’s
suggestion that "Couldn't the Mursi just move to the other side of the
river?" He was speaking of to the south, out of what has been
designated the Mago Park, to Nyangatom (Bume) territory. The resources
are maximized in Nyangatom territory. There is nothing for the Mursi to
go to. It also does not take much time being around the Mursi to
understand these tribes have no love for each other. They are currently
the Mursi's worst enemy. When I left, the two tribes were gearing up
for armed conflict.
Unfortunately, the Government administration, including the National
Park wardens and employees, know almost nothing of the surrounding
tribal peoples. I believe it is because of cultural tensions between
the lighter-skinned and predominantly Christian northerners and the
darker-skinned southerners like the Mursi, who have traditionally
been regarded as 'slaves' or 'shankalla' by the northerners. I have
heard at least one Mago Park employee's long monologue on how the Mursi
were animals, not people. If the park officials are telling you they
know something of the tribal people and are advising you in anyway
about them, I believe you are in for a great shock when you actually
try and work with the indigenous people. A big part of my point to APF
is that you are most likely being lied to about the ease of dealing
with the natives, if you go ahead with what I have heard are the
proposed plans for the Parks, namely tribal people being moved around,
you will find yourselves in the middle of a disaster (probably a war).
I have a hard time seeing how a Park could be run with so much chaos in
the territory.
The Mursi know that the Park employees deal in devious ways. They are
aware, for example, of the Park's use of a Mursi named Dxxxxx.
Dxxxxx, from my impression, is one of the least savvy Mursi, from a
culture of excellent orators and politically active people. Dxxxxx also
does not speak Amharic, where there are many easily accessible Mursi
who do speak Amharic. The Mursi say that the Park administrators take
Dxxxxx to Park meetings, which he doesn't understand a word of, then
get him to sign papers that the Mursi agree to the proposed park
boundaries or agree to leave their land, something of that nature. I
witnessed this on one occasion where I saw Dxxxxxx at a proposed
boundary meeting, held in Amharic, and then saw him asking for his
payment afterwards.
You have said a number of times that APF does not intend to move
anyone. From what I have heard, the government is intending to move
them and they will be doing it at APF's wish. It seems that only
because of APF's arrival on the scene has there been any talk of moving
the Mursi. So will APF stand around saying they don't get "involved in
questions of a political nature, such as the resettlement of
people" while the government moves the Mursi for APF to come in?
In order for APF to have a moral leg to stand on, it would have to tell
the government that APF will not take the Park if the local people are
moved. Otherwise your statements of non-involvement are just a smoke
screen, while trying to dodge accountability.
I also take issue with your statements effectively saying that the
Mursi need APF to help them relieve their poverty. Although it is true
they would like access to western medicine, they are doing fine without
APF. The big issue for them is will they keep their land?
In conclusion, F--------’s statements of being in favor of moving
people, A-------'s statements that APF wanted the electric fence
surrounding the two parks, and that thousands of Mursi had simply
agreed to leave the Mago Park. This coupled with their absolute lack of
any knowledge of what to do with the Mursi when they were moved. Plus
the knowledge of what has already happened in Nech Sar and your
statements so far that have not come out and simply said that the Mursi
will not be moved, all lead me to see a sorry end for the Mursi.
Through all the rhetoric, I only care that the Mursi stay on their land and they are treated with dignity,
Will Hurd
