Tanzania has strongly criticized a recent report from international organizations, asserting that it disseminates a misleading and exaggerated account of isolated poaching incidents in Ruaha National Park, which resulted in one fatality.
Two weeks ago, several human rights organizations circulated claims that rangers from Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) had killed two villagers within contested park boundaries, implicating the World Bank by alleging that its funding of the REGROW project bolstered ranger enforcement, thereby facilitating such occurrences.
On September 28, 2017, the World Bank sanctioned a credit of $150 million for the execution of the Resilient Natural Resource Management for Tourism and Growth Project (REGROW), aimed at enhancing conservation management in the tourist circuit of Southern Tanzania.
On April 26, 2025, human rights organizations reported that rangers shot 27-year-old fisherman Mr. Hamprey Mhaki while he attempted to flee from Ihefu Basin in Ruaha National Park, where he and six other colleagues were engaged in illegal fishing activities.
The organizations further claimed that Mr. Mhaki likely died from his gunshot wound, as a search party discovered a significant amount of blood at the location where he was last seen.
He is still reported as missing, according to the NGOs. In contrast, the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA), responsible for managing all national parks, has denied these allegations, stating that there is no record of such an individual.
Additionally, the rights groups alleged that on May 7, 2025, a group of herders and their cattle in the Udunguzi sub-village of Iyala village were attacked by a TANAPA helicopter that discharged live ammunition.
Eyewitness accounts cited by the organizations claimed that Kulwa Igembe, a 20-year-old Sukuma herder, was shot in the chest by one of the rangers on the ground.
TANAPA Version
On May 7, 2025, TANAPA reported that a patrol team of four rangers from the Usangu West unit of Ruaha National Park carried out a routine operation in the Mjenje area.
They confiscated 1,113 livestock that were illegally grazing within the park, as stated by Southern Zone Commander, Senior Assistant Conservation Commissioner Godwell Ole Meing’ataki.
Approximately ten herders fled upon noticing the rangers. The team proceeded to transport the livestock to the Ukwaheri ranger post, located eight kilometers away.
Later that night, an unidentified group ambushed the patrol team, attempting to recover the livestock with traditional weapons such as arrows and spears.
“The rangers fired warning shots into the air in their desperate attempt to disperse the aggressors. The team then safely delivered the livestock to the Ukwaheri ranger’s post within an hour,” Meing’ataki explained.
On the morning of May 8, the Officer Commanding (OCD) of the Mbarali District notified park authorities of a fatality involving a man from Iyala village during a confrontation.
A collaborative team comprising police, park officials, and a medical doctor traveled to Iyala village to examine the body and gather pertinent information.
They then proceeded to the ambush location, where they recovered evidence, including traditional weapons and three injured cattle, before inspecting the confiscated livestock at the Ukwaheri ranger’s post and questioning the rangers involved.
The rangers are currently in police custody as the investigation continues.
Ceasefire
During a ceremony celebrating the return of 500 confiscated livestock as part of a truce aimed at resolving the conflict between local herders and conservation authorities, Catherine Mbena, TANAPA’s Assistant Conservation Commissioner for Corporate Communication, voiced her concerns regarding the way international NGOs have depicted the situation.
“This occasion symbolizes our commitment to amicably resolving conflicts with local communities,” she said, amid applause from the crowd.
She highlighted that TANAPA, responsible for managing 21 national parks, functions for the benefit of both the nation and the global community, ensuring that its conservation initiatives align with international priorities.
Mbena rejected the accusations, characterizing them as a calculated effort to unjustly damage Tanzania’s image.
“TANAPA doesn’t condone human rights abuse that’s why we are cooperating with other security enforcers to investigate the incident where one person died under controversial circumstances” she explained.
Mbena added: “Our anti-poaching efforts protect global natural heritage. Condemning our rangers without acknowledging the dangers they face or their critical work is reckless and uninformed.”
She denied the claim that TANAPA’s rangers competence in Ruaha are tied to World Bank funding.
“It’s absurd to suggest Ruaha’s rangers only existed after the REGROW project,” she said.
“TANAPA has managed Ruaha, one of our 21 national parks spanning an area larger than Germany, for over 60 years. If we were as irresponsible as claimed, millions of poachers or trespassers would have been killed, which is simply untrue.” Mbena said.
“This one-sided narrative ignores the realities on the ground and the sacrifices our rangers make to protect Tanzania’s biodiversity,” she noted.
TANAPA has reiterated its dedication to ethical conservation practices and has urged for a fair, evidence-based dialogue that acknowledges the complexities involved in safeguarding national parks while also addressing the concerns of local communities.
In 2003, mismanagement in agriculture and pastoral activities, coupled with population growth, led to a significant decline in the flows of the Ruaha River, adversely affecting hydropower production and resulting in widespread electricity shortages.
The desiccation of the Ihefu Valley and Usangu Plains, which are vital water catchment areas for the Great Ruaha River, has had dire repercussions, prompting the Tanzanian government to incorporate these essential regions into Ruaha National Park for conservation efforts.
This river is the source for three hydropower dams (Mtera, Kidatu, and Nyerere), which collectively produce approximately two-thirds of Tanzania’s electricity. The resulting power shortages have detrimental effects on manufacturing, businesses, and tax revenues.
Research conducted by the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) indicates that the diminishing water flows in the Great Ruaha River and its tributaries have profoundly affected buffalo populations and other wildlife within Ruaha National Park.
The Sangu ethnic group, who are traditional pastoralists in these regions, historically had a small population and insufficient cattle to raise significant concerns.
However, due to the migration of pastoralists from other areas, the Mbarali District, which can support fewer than 60,000 cattle, has now become home to 300,000 cattle.
