TANZANIA: Zanzibar Rioters Torch Churches

Police are hunting for suspects in
connection with Saturday night’s clashes in the municipality of Zanzibar, that
left property destroyed including two churches that were set on fire.

Police confirmed yesterday that
Uamsho faith group was to blame for the criminal acts. A group of youths
believed to be followers of an Islamic propagation group in Zanzibar — Uamsho
– currently campaigning against the Union, had attempted to hold a rally at the
Mwembe-Madema Police station as a gesture of protest against the arrest of one
of their leaders.

Eyewitnesses said that Uamsho fans’
attempt to occupy the police station and refusal to obey orders to vacate the
place was met with police tear gas, and bullets in the air. “Tear gas and
live bullets were fired into air the whole night on Saturday and yesterday
morning,” said Amina Hassan, a resident in the trouble spot.

She and other people at Michenzani,
Dajarani, and Kariakoo streets complained that they had a sleepless night and
that their businesses paralyzed yesterday with the streets littered with
stones, and burning tires.

“We have managed to control the
situation. We are now busy hunting for the suspects who caused all this havoc.
We have already arrested seven people. All of them are members of Uamsho group.
It is this group that is responsible for the problem,” the Commissioner of
Police (CP) in Zanzibar, Mr Mussa Ali Mussa, said at a press conference on
Sunday.

However, he declined to mention the
names of the suspects that are in custody. He added: “We will spare no
efforts in hunting for all suspects including the leaders of Uamsho so that we
take them to court.

“Members of this group have
been using abusive language against leaders, destroying property and are to
blame for the destruction of two churches.” CP Mussa named the destroyed
Churches as Tanzania Assemblies of God at Kariakoo and Kibweni Church. He said
that the crime is punishable.

“I appeal to anyone with
information that would help the police to arrest the suspects to help us.”
Although there are reports that some people got injured, the CP said there was
no reported case of injury.

Bishop Dickson Kaganga of Tanzania
Assemblies of God told reporters at the ill-fated Church that a group of youths
armed with stones and sticks forcefully entered the church at around 10.30pm on
Saturday.

“They set fire on some plastic
chairs, a car, music instruments and other items. They also pulled down the
fence,” he said.

“Fortunately the guards at the
church escaped unhurt. No one got injured but property worth more than 100m/-
was destroyed,” Bishop Kaganga said. However, in a press statement
released later, Uamsho refuted claims that it was responsible for the
destruction of the two churches. “Islam is a religion of peace and never
shall we send our people to destroy churches,” the group said.

“Let the police hunt for the
culprits and take them to court,” said the group’s statement signed by
Uamsho secretary Abdallah Saidi. Uamsho has been conducting a series of public
rallies on both Unguja and Pemba islands with the aim of inciting Zanzibaris to
demand a referendum, an opportunity that would bring about “full
independence for Zanzibar.”

Leaders of Uamsho led by Sheikh
Farid Hadi have openly vowed to fight for Zanzibar’s sovereignty, arguing that
“economic difficulties and moral decay in the islands are partly caused by
the present structure of the Union.”