Tanzania is touting slave trade artifacts, including 150-year-old memorabilia of renowned British explorer David Livingstone, to promote heritage tourism in the western Tabora town mired in widespread poverty and economic stagnation.

Heritage tourism is increasingly becoming a growing industry in Africa, attracting a huge number of descendants of the slave trade and tourists who are disenchanted by traditional attractions and are seeking more authentic experiences by visiting historic and cultural sites.

More than 9 million people are believed to have been sold as slaves by Arab traders to the Middle East and other regions through long trips across the Sahara Desert and the Indian Ocean.

Tourism dollars

Perched on the rolling hills with thin grass straws, Tabora, previously known as Kazeh, was founded by Arab traders in the 1850s and became a center of the slave trade and a junction of major caravan routes from Ujiji-Kigoma on the shores of Lake Tanganyika to the Bagamoyo town on the Indian Ocean coast.

The ancient town is known for its long streets dotted with giant mango trees said to have been created by long lines of slaves spitting mango seeds as they passed.

"Cursed" by the brutal slave trade, the town has for decades lagged behind economically but officials are aggressively working to market its slave trade heritage sites to cash in tourism dollars and attract much-needed foreign investments.

Tabora Mayor Ramadhani Kapela said heritage tourism is not a new phenomenon and part of the government’s broader effort to rekindle forgotten history and woo tourists and investors.

“The idea is to make people remember their history and where they came from, no matter how brutal it was,” he told Anadolu Agency.

From the handwritten scribbling in Dr. David Livingstone’s notebook to the chains used to shackle slaves to the old fort used as headquarters of German East Africa, and to a 150-year-old mango tree used as gallows for sick and tired slaves, officials use multiple slave trade relics to rekindle history of the ancient town in the hinterland.

Tourism is one of the cornerstones of Tanzania’s economy, contributing about 17.2% to the country’s gross domestic product and 25% of all foreign exchange revenues. The sector, which provides direct employment for more than 600,000 people, injected roughly $2.4 billion in 2018, government statistics show.

At the Kwihara village, located 8 kilometers (around 5 miles) from Tabora, the marron-colored, Arabic-style “tembe” house, built in 1857 by an Arab trader where Dr. Livingstone lived during his stay in Tabora in 1872, appears strikingly intact with a sordid history belies its beauty.

Mbarak Saleh, a curator, said a collection of Dr. Livingstone’s personal belongings, including letters, maps, pictures, a diary, and a copy of the daily New York Herald, are a great treasure for future tourism.

“This house was a center of the slave trade at that time. I believe people would be interested to visit and learn more about the slave trade,” he said.

According to Saleh, Livingstone stayed in that house in 1871 and it was later occupied by Henry Morton Stanley, who waited for three months hoping that the Arabs would defeat Mirambo -- a famed king of the Nyamwezi people -- and reopen the trail to lake Tanganyika.

Trail of slave trade

Despite having a wealth of tourist attractions, the tourism industry remains largely untapped in Tabora. Officials are banking on relics of the slave trade and colonialism to woo foreign visitors.

The move to market slave trade relics, touted as silver-bullet to unleash tourism potential in the impoverished town, however, evoked bitter memories among villagers who recall horrors of the slave trade where their ancestors were brutally shackled and forcibly made to work as cheap laborers.

“Slave trade was a very bad thing. It was the worst crime on humanity. No amount of money can heal the wounds it inflicted to our ancestors made,” said Mustafa Kitwana, 91, a resident of the Itetemia village.

To most Tabora residents, the slave trade remains one of the most tragic and disturbing crimes of humanity partly responsible for their miseries.

Hamisi Kaloka, a retired official from the department of archaeology of the Tourism and Natural Resources Ministry, called upon traditional African chiefs whose ancestors colluded with Arabs in the dreadful business to publicly apologize.

“We can no longer blame the Arabs for their cruelty. It would be wise for our local chiefs to say sorry to the victims of the slave trade,” he said./agencies

Collaborations like the South-South cooperation are much needed for developing countries amid the coronavirus pandemic and India's role in diplomatically and economically supporting global south states is more important than ever, experts observed.

On the eve of UN Day for South-South Cooperation on Sunday, observers also point out that the South-South Cooperation -- technical collaboration among developing countries in the Global South -- is now an important vehicle for advancing interests of "emerging societies."

"South-South cooperation has long been a point of emphasis in Indian foreign policy, and it is needed now more than ever before. The Global South faces multiple crises, including the impacts of climate change, the challenges of accessing and delivering effective COVID-19 vaccines and related public health equipment," Frank O'Donnell, a scholar who works on South-South Cooperation primarily in its BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) region form at US-based Tufts University, told Anadolu Agency.

Traditionally, India had been an active player in the South-South Cooperation until the early 1990s. Since then, it has made a conscious effort to work with the US and the Western world. Consequently, China has filled the vacuum through its engagement with countries in the Asia Pacific, Africa and Latin American regions.

But of late, India has again rediscovered the importance of South-South Cooperation and has been participating in various projects.

Examples include the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, managed by the UN Office for South-South Cooperation, which is working rapidly to support projects that respond to COVID-19 across Global South countries. And India, Brazil and South Africa are running a Facility for Poverty and Hunger Alleviation, which supports an e-Learning project.

O'Donnell, an expert on South Asian foreign policy, said building the necessary infrastructures -- from green energy sources, education, health care system development -- to generate the sustainable and inclusive development in the Global South is "one of the most imperative tasks of the 21st century."

He said India's role diplomatically and economically supporting Global South states is now important.

"The reality of many states in the Global South as potentially lucrative emerging markets means that India’s continuing role in diplomatically and economically supporting Global South states is more important than ever before," he said.

O'Donnell also believes that China may be the only serious actor engaged in addressing the problems, but adds, "in ways that maximize Chinese political influence and tie the recipient state into political commitments to China that it can ill afford."

"(Indian Prime Minister Narendra) Modi has sought to revive the IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) forum and BIMSTEC (members Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) organization, to improve development and connectivities among its members. The members of the BRICS New Development Bank - initially an Indian proposal, hold equal shareholdings, limiting the extent to which its resources can be used as a tool of Chinese influence,” he said. “The landmark addition of Bangladesh, Uruguay, and the UAE (United Arab Emirates) as New Development Bank members under the 2021 Indian BRICS Presidency heightens the promise of the Bank lending to non-BRICS members.”

"In highlighting how South-South Cooperation can be conducted without the risk of predatory investments or political leverage, India’s model should be amplified in the years to come," he added.

On Friday, the UN Office for South-South Cooperation held a high-level virtual panel focused on boosting solidarity “in support of a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable future.”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that “as the world seeks to ramp up COVID-19 response and recovery and tackle the existential threat of climate change, South-South and triangular cooperation is more essential than ever,” according to a statement.

Challenges

Experts also highlight challenges that exist in advancing South-South Cooperation.

"Great power politics and narrowly focused self-interests could undermine South-South Cooperation," Sylvia Mishra, researcher at the European Leadership Network think-tank, told Anadolu Agency. "In promoting South-South Cooperation, India has always maintained that despite multiple challenges on the economic front, political independence should remain constant and in no way can be undermined."

She said China's "mercantilist approach" and aid diplomacy with strings and conditions attached to developing countries which often lack resources, valuable capacities threatens to "undermine the spirit of South-South Cooperation."

O'Donnell also cites two major challenges.

"The first challenge is maintaining sufficient interest and long-term commitment to the task. This is especially true in the current context, in which the pandemic and associated impact on national economies are causing many states to turn inward and focus on domestic challenges (a tendency also found in the West)," he said.

He adds that the developmental experiences of Global South leaders, such as Brazil, China, India and South Africa, "often grant them a special understanding of the problems facing less developed states, and their solutions."

"South-South Cooperation cannot be allowed to wax and wane between Global South leaders, such as Brazil, China, India and South Africa, and less developed Global South states," he said.

Other challenge, O'Donnell said, is that South-South Cooperation prioritizes development for its own sake and "not be tied to the kind of political conditions that China imposes in its direct bilateral aid."

"This includes the seeming conditioning of Chinese aid upon the recipient state de-recognizing Taiwan, and in Sri Lanka, having to concede control of the Hambantota port to China in return for Chinese debt relief," he said.

More areas

Mishra maintains that India's role as a first responder has augmented its credibility as a "dependable partner." But she stressed more areas India should take up under this heading.

"Other areas that India needs to undertake under this rubric is to strengthen vaccine, medical, and health diplomacy," she said. "Given India's vast reservoir of soft power, the cultural milieu it offers, India needs to advance its role as a preferred destination for higher education and a leading center for research and innovation in cutting-edge emerging technologies."/agencies

Government officials and experts have shown concern at the rising cases of teenage pregnancies in the landlocked East African country of Uganda during the COVID-related restrictions.

Education officer Nelson Ayo claimed that over 90,000 girls under 18 have got pregnant during this period when they were not going to school.

Education Minister Janet Museveni urged parents to guard their daughters. “I will not get tired of reminding you (parents) to always keep an eye on your children so that they do not get pregnant during this lockdown,” she said.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, primary teacher Rachael Bakalikwir, who resides in Natayigirwa village in Luuka district, 180 kilometers (111 miles) from the capital Kampala, said since the COVID-19 enforced lockdown, it has become a normal sight in the region to see teenage pregnant girls.

“Since lockdown, children stopped going to school. They became redundant and started misbehaving leading to many of the girls becoming pregnant,” she said.

She added that in that village, and neighboring villages it is normal to see 14- or 15-year-old girls pregnant.

Hamuza Lubale, a district children welfare officer, said he has so far recorded 770 pregnancies of children below 18 years in the district. But he said there may be many more in rural areas which have not been recorded.

Livingstone Naitema, a retired headmaster, urged the government to reopen schools so that students will get engaged.

“Few girls have been impregnated by fellow students, but the majority ones have been exploited by mature men in the villages especially those who work in sugar plantations,” he said.

Reports said the phenomenon is not limited to Luuka, alone but has spread across all the 144 districts in the country.

Jonana Kandwanaho, who heads the country’s national planning authority, said these pregnancies will become a burden on the nation in the nearby future. He also said that schools should reopen soon to allow children to return to an organized environment to keep them safe.

A recent survey by Twaweza, an NGO which promotes education countrywide, said at least 80% of Ugandans are worried about teenage pregnancy at epidemic proportions during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Richard Mugahi, an assistant commissioner of reproductive and infant health at the Health Ministry, also described teenage pregnancies as a big challenge. He said girls are better and safer in schools./agencies

As part of a push to conserve the natural environment in the Zanzibar archipelago, a Tanzanian charity has teamed up with farmers to rear butterflies under a scheme striving to give residents a financial stake to protect forests.

The Zanzibar Butterfly Center, which consists of a meshed tropical garden, is home to hundreds of species bred by locals.

Although the semi-autonomous island off the coast of Tanzania is known for its rich history and cultural heritage, the majority of residents live in poverty.

Residents routinely cut down trees to make charcoal to meet their growing energy needs, so increasing the carbon footprint while destroying fragile ecosystems.

But the community-based initiative is working to reverse the situation by luring former charcoal producers to rear butterflies and earn incomes to support their families.

Alfred George, the center’s assistant manager, said that through the project, many farmers have been lifted from poverty and have realized the importance of protecting the environment.

“When we introduced the idea of rearing butterflies, most farmers were doubtful, but they now earn good incomes and their families are better off,” George told Anadolu Agency.

Raising awareness

Although the initiative is not a panacea to Zanzibar’s widespread deforestation, residents said the scheme has helped to raise awareness and a sense of ownership of the forest among locals.

“Many people have stopped cutting down trees to produce charcoal, they are more concerned about forest protection,” said George.

While many farming activities need the clearing of forests, which can trigger climate change and the loss of species, officials said butterfly farming requires unharmed forests which provides an economic incentive for conservation.

Nestled on the outskirts of Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park, the Zanzibar Butterfly Center contains an enclosed tropical garden with hatching booths where tourists visit to catch a glimpse of the dazzling creatures.

With its fragile wings banded with dazzling blue patches, homerus is one of the most spectacular butterflies to view.

But its beauty and rarity have brought the insect to the verge of extinction as local Zanzibaris prowl its last refuge near the Jozani forest.

However, through ongoing conservation efforts, the endangered species is now protected.

Flying handkerchief

Launched in 2008, the center is one of Africa’s largest butterfly exhibits, housing more than 50 species of native butterflies, including the flying handkerchief, a black and white African swallowtail.

The project has created opportunities for women who supplement their incomes.

The butterfly rearing process starts with farmers catching female butterflies and transferring them to an enclosure where they can lay eggs on host plants.

Farmers then collect eggs and when they hatch, caterpillars that emerge are placed on new plants, which must be regularly replaced to satisfy their voracious appetites.

The caterpillars continue to feed until they pupate and are ready to be transported.

It is during this stage that farmers start reaping the fruits of their labor by selling the pupae to the center that sells them for export or keep them until they hatch, to display for tourists.

The mostly women farmers earn about 65% of $1-$2.50 for each pupa, while the rest meet running costs of the organization, said George.

He also noted that the amount each farmer earns varies depending on how many pupae they sell to the center and of what species.

“The payment very much depends on individual efforts. Some farmers earn 600,000 Tanzanian shillings ($260),” he said.

Tourists awe

As the midday sun blaze in Zanzibar, a group of wide-eyed tourists huddled at the center gaze in amazement at dozens of butterflies clinging in tightly packed masses to every branch and trunk of the tall eucalyptus tree.

The butterflies swirl through the air and carpet the sprawling tropical garden in their flaming myriad.

“I am happy to be here, butterflies bring me closer to nature,” said Laurie Petterson, a tourist from England.

The Jozani forest, perched on mangrove-filled bays of Chwaka and Uzi on Unguja Island, is a vast natural forest containing a wide array of endangered species, such as Red colobus monkeys.

Despite the financial benefit, butterfly farmers who spoke to the Anadolu Agency are more concerned about environmental conservation than the income they receive.

“For me, money is nothing. We need to protect trees, it is our life,” said Mariam Maulid Ali, a farmer in Zanzibar./aa

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia used new combat robots and tactical vehicles on the second day of the active main phase of large military drills with its ex-Soviet ally Belarus, the defence ministry said on Saturday.

The "Zapad-2021" war games, which will run until next Thursday on Russia and Belarus's western flanks including sites close to the European Union's borders, have alarmed Ukraine and some NATO countries.

Troops used Platform-M combat robots, which are controlled remotely and armed with grenade launchers and a machine gun, the ministry said in a statement. Russian news agencies said it was the first time such hardware had been used.

New Sarmat-2 tactical vehicles have also been used, Russian media said.

President Vladimir Putin denies the drills are directed against any foreign power and says they are sensible given increased NATO activity near Russia's borders and those of its allies.

Neighbours such as Ukraine and NATO members Poland and Lithuania say such big exercises so close to the frontier risk being provocative.

"We need to realize that this (a Russian military attack on Estonia) may indeed happen in the coming years," Martin Herem, commander of the Estonian Defense Forces said in an interview on Friday evening.

"Russia's goal likely isn't to occupy us – it does not want to gain control through occupation, but it enjoys instability and influence via instability," the BNS news wire quoted him as saying.

The manoeuvres are held every four years, but this year's drill has been seen as a particular signal of Russia's support for Belarus and its leader Alexander Lukashenko, who has been ostracised by the West for cracking down on dissent.

Russia sees Belarus as a strategically important buffer to its west, and helped to keep Lukashenko in power with loans and political backing while he crushed a popular uprising last year.