Native People and The Omo Park
The Mursi, Suri, Nyangatom, Dizi and Me'en are reported in danger of displacement and/or denial of access to their traditional grazing and agricultural land. This follows the demarcation of the Park boundaries in November 2005, and the recent management takeover of the Park by the Dutch African Parks Foundation (also known as African Parks Conservation). This process threatens to make the Omo people 'illegal squatters' on their own land.
There are reports that these tribal peoples have been coerced into signing documents they could not read by Park officials.
On October 2008 African Parks Network (APN) announced they were giving up the management of the Omo National Park and leaving Ethiopia. APN stated that sustainable management of the Ethiopian parks is incompatible with ‘the irresponsible way of living of some of the ethnic groups’. The organization has trouble dealing with the indigenous population trying to continue its traditional way of life within the park borders.
Read more about this topic: Omo National Park
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