TANGANYIKA AND MEMORIES OF THE FORGOTTEN AFRICAN FIJIAN HISTORY

By Professor OMAR SULTAN

AFYA CHAMBERS CONSULTING FIRM

October 25, 2020

The historic Dr David Livingstone and Henry Morton Stanley meeting

Fijian traditional dance

Caution:

This paper is based on my personal assumptions,insights and experience. This may not reflect the views of the governments or Tourism ministries of countries surrounding the Lake Tanganyika (Tanzania,Zambia,Burundi and DRC).

In order to reach out to the above countries governments tourism authorities; please contact or refer to the official governments tourism ministries spokespersons officials or visit governments official websites in the relevant countries surrounding the Lake Tanganyika.

Tanganyika is the commonly known as the mainland of the United Republic of Tanzania.

It is also known as the longest lake and the second deepest lake in the world after Lake Baikal in Siberia Russia and close to Mongolia.

Lake Tanganyika is surrounded by Tanzania,Zambia,DR Congo and Burundi.

My best memory of my UNICEF mission trip and stay in Fiji was to find that Fijians passionately treasure their affiliation and origin from Tanganyika in their early childhood education ,their history, daily life,their tourism and their historic tales transmitted to generations and generations.

It was attracting seeing Fijians girls in Viti Levu(Suva) put in their hair the Fijians Tulip flowers which look like the flowers found in forests in Lwiche River Bassin and Lake Tanganyika shores.

Unfortunately; when you are in Tanzania especially on the mainland(Tanganyika) and even in Bagamoyo and Zanzibar towns which were the biggest slave trade markets centers; few schools children out of ten interviewed recall or know with confidence their Tanzania mainland affiliation to the Lake Tanganyika name or even can hardly locate the Lake Tanganyika and is neighboring regions and the countries surrounding the lake Tanganyika.

In my opinion; it is very sad to see that Fijians; who migrated from Africa(Tanganyika) to Asia then Fiji, treasure and market their affiliation to Tanganyika in their daily life tales, tourism and education more than we do in the countries surrounding the Lake Tanganyika in our tourism and education.

Recently during his December 9,2020 Union address;His Excellency,The President of The United Republic of Tanzania has urged the Ministry of Education to strengthen history teaching in the primary and secondary education curricula.

Despite huge investments and reforms initiated by His Excellency The President of the United Republic of Tanzania,John Pombe Joseph Magufuli; it is sad to see scanty national history in the primary and secondary education curricula,

It is sad to see scanty touristic promotional advertisements on the internet and TV attracting internal and foreign tourists to visit the Lake Tanganyika or the slave and ivory trade route and site in Kaluta Street(Ujiji/Kigoma) or Dr David Livingstone Memorial on the Lake Tanganyika shores in Ujiji/Kigoma.

I sincerely believe that the education and tourism sectors in Tanzania,Zambia,DR Congo and Burundi might need to reconsider how to improve national slave trade history conservation and their internet and TV advertisements to better promote and attract more tourists within and out of the country to visit the historic wonders of the Lake Tanganyika more than Fijians or to help tourists visit and feel the slave trade and ivory trade routes as much as the slave trade history is marketed in Zanzibar ,Bagamoyo or in the USA and in carribian countries tourism. Tanganyika historic treasures or even the lake Tanganyika islands and surrounding animals and human populations diversity could be more attracting internal and foreign tourists more than or even as much as the gorillas and other rare animals,birds and fish diversity and ecosystems surrounding Lake Tanganyika(Gombe and Mahale game reserves in Tanzania just to mention a few).

I do believe that more foreign people in the countries with slave trade and ivory trade history like Tanzania,DRC,Fiji,American countries,Oman,China,Persian countries,etc… would be interested in witnessing,revisiting or redrawing the footprint or the footsteps of the slave and ivory trade unhealed wounds scars and discover the wonders of the lake Tanganyika biodiversity and would like to enjoy games like fishing,snorkeling,bathing,beach relaxation,diving,camping or sun bath on the beautiful Lake Tanganyika beaches and witness the cultural diversity of the animal and human populations of the countries surrounding Lake Tanganyika.

In order to better understand and identify better approaches in conservation and promotion of tourism of the historic and cultural heritage of slave trade and ivory trade and better conservation of the biodiversity of the ecosystem as well as biodiversity of fish ,wild animals and human populations of the lake Tanganyika countries;

I do believe and strongly suggest that these countries need to design,develop and implement an integrated joint lake Tanganyika basin anthropological,historic and natural heritage conservation and tourism promotion research with the participation of all countries with support from UNEP,UNESCO ,WTO,WWF,Nature Conservancy,etc….

This joint triangular anthropological,conservation and tourism promotion/marketing research project/ program findings will inform the best ways to improve a joint integrated lake Tanganyika basin cooperation policy and strategy for conservation and tourism promotion that will improve conservation and tourism sectors income revenues of the Tanganyika basin countries.

A better inter-country integrated or joint promotional marketing approach or strategy of the Lake Tanganyika cultural heritage wonders and ecosystem biodiversity as well as integrated marketing of the slave and ivory trade could not only improve and promote the increase of revenues and the growth of tourism and economic sectors income between Tanganyika and Zanzibar as well as in the countries surrounding Lake Tanganyika and Tanzania at the forefront but could help in understanding the ongoing elephants and rhino illicit poaching and ivory trade smuggling towards countries like China,Oman,Europe,Americas,etc… and ultimately could help in understanding the dynamics and better ways to curb elephants,Rhino poaching and ivory trade and may be could contribute or help to heal slave trade and ivory trade historic and cultural unhealed wounds and answered questions.

That will not only improve income and revenues but will also strengthen cooperation, diplomacy and peace building among the people of these countries.

I do strongly believe that the Lake Tanganyika and its historic,cultural,ethnic and ecosystem biodiversity and its impact on human development of the people and nations surrounding the lake deserve to be among the UNESCO Protected World Heritage.

I salute Dr Jane Goodall Institute initiatives trying to better understand the chimpanzees of the Lake Tanganyika Basin.She has helped enormously in attracting more attention towards the conservation of the Lake Tanganyika wildlife.

Dr Jane Goodall initiatives should motivate more international and national research initiatives for better conservancy and better tourism promotional marketing of the rich history of human,animal,plants and fish populations of Lake Tanganyika and particularly the conservation and promotion of slave and ivory trade history tourism and the conservation of the ethnic,cultural and biological human,animal,plants and fish biodiversity of the natural Lake Tanganyika marvellous wildlife and natural Aquarium more attracting than the legendary Greek Atlantis island.

I do believe that that the Lake Tanganyika basin historical,cultural and natural wildlife,marine and plant ecosystem biodiversity deserve better conservation and better tourism promotion and marketing than it is currently done.

Much of the income from Lake Tanganyika conservancy and tourism goes to foreign firms and neighboring countries compared to what the revenues collected by Tanzania tourism.

I strongly suggest that building a Lake Tanganyika Natural and History Conservancy Museum and University on the Dr David Livingstone memorial site in Ujiji would be a milestone and stepping stone towards attracting more internal and foreign researchers and tourists towards the marvellous wonders of Lake Tanganyika biodiversity,cultural and historic heritage.

For any comments ,suggestions, clarifications,advice or corrections;please email us on afyachambers@yahoo.com and/or sul_man_omar@yahoo.com .

REFERENCES

1. The Tuungane Project

Creating healthier families, fisheries, and forests in western Tanzania(Pathfinder International)

2. Project to Support the Lake Tanganyika Integrated Regional Development Programme (PRODAP)

3. The World Bank Lake Tanganyika Environmental Management Project (P165749)

4. UNDP Lake Tanganyika biodiversity project

5. The Central Slave and Ivory Trade Route

6. The East African Ivory Trade in the Nineteenth Century

R. W. Beachey,The Journal of African History

Vol. 8, №2 (1967), pp. 269–290 (22 pages)

Published By: Cambridge University Press

https://www.jstor.org/stable/179483

7.The Ivory Trade and Political Power in Nineteenth-Century East Africa

8.SLAVERY AND THE SLAVE TRADE IN EASTERN AFRICA ,October 2015 DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.3949.8969

Authors:Abdulaziz Yusuf Lodhi,Uppsala University

9. Lisapo ya kama-l’histoire africaine

10. Les dilemmes de la construction de la nation dans les États-nations postcoloniaux : les cas de la Tanzanie et des Fidji [1] Erik Larson, Ron Aminzade

Dans Revue internationale des sciences sociales 2007/2 (n° 192), pages 187 à 201

Culture et traditions, découvrez l’histoire des Iles de Fidji — Pacifique à la carte https://pacifique-a-la-carte.com/voyage-iles-fidji/guide-de-voyage/histoire-culture-et-traditions