Fort Ikoma

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Fort Ikoma is a settlement with around 2,000 inhabitants (as of 2018) in the Serengeti district in the Mara region in northeastern Tanzania .

history

After the establishment as a district branch of the administration of German East Africa in 1890, a small settlement developed around the now partially dilapidated and unused (but still largely preserved) fort, in which parts of the 14th Company of the Protection Force for German East Africa were stationed.

During the First World War , in June 1917 a section of the Schutztruppe for German East Africa under Lieutenant Naumann set a trap near Ikoma for a British-Belgian troop pursuing them. The German attack was supported by the local rulers appointed by the German colonial administration in the area of ​​the German East Africa colony, which was still under German administration until July 1916 . When the German administration and troops withdrew, these local rulers were told to also serve under British rule in order to be able to continue the previous German-African administration smoothly when German rule returned. So the German troops were able to inflict a heavy defeat on the British-Belgian troops pursuing them through the country. The German troops then withdrew to the south and the British deposed all local local rulers who were involved in supporting the Germans.

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Fort Ikoma is located approximately 14 miles north of the Ikoma Gate to Serengeti National Park and is the closest major settlement to the park's headquarters in Seronera . There are several hotels and lodges in the vicinity.

The place is on the Tanzanian national road T17 and is directly connected to the regional capital Musoma via this. To the south, the T17 leads to Makuyuni and on to Arusha .

Fort Ikoma is connected to the district capital Mugumu via a well-paved all-weather slope . From there it is possible to visit the far north of the Serengeti with the area around the Mara River . The paved Rubondo Airstrip is located on site and enables small aircraft to land all year round.