area in Zanzibar municipality yesterday. Police said one person was
killed and several others wounded after an unknown person threw the bomb
around midnight on Friday. Photo: Salma Suleiman
Police in Zanzibar have launched a manhunt in
search of individuals involved in a bomb that killed one person and
injured eight others.
The incident, according to the police, occurred on Friday at 8 pm at the
Darajani commercial district of Stone Town, the UNESCO-listed world
heritage site.
Speaking to The Guardian on Sunday yesterday, Urban West Regional Police
Commander Mkadam Khamis Mkadam said police were yet to establish the
motive behind what he termed as a cowardly act.
“We are searching for the perpetrators of this act… we therefore call
for assistance from the public. We kindly ask for whoever has
information on these people to furnish us with tips as police alone are
unable to accomplish this task,” the regional police chief pleaded.
“We are investigating to find out the type of explosive, the criminals
and motive,” he said, while witnesses said the casualties included
worshippers coming out of evening prayers at a nearby mosque.
The island is also currently hosting a religious gathering of Muslims
from across the East Africa region. “We ask people not to panic, as the
security forces are on full alert,” the RPC urged.
He identified the fatality case as Muhammed Abdallah Mkumbalagula (27), a
resident of Tanga who arrived in the Isles on Monday on a religious
assignment.
The injured included Kassim Mafuta Kassim (38), also a resident of
Tanga, while the rest are Zanzibaris, namely Hamad Masour Khamis (46),
Suleiman Ali Juma (21), Khelef Abdallah Abdallah (21), Kassim Issa
Mahmoud, Ahmed Haidar (47) and Halid Ahmed Haidar (16).
All the injured persons were rushed to Mnazi Mmoja Referral Hospital and by early yesterday three of them had been discharged.
The bomb exploded as believers were returning to their home places after evening prayers.
He said police found gray pieces of bombs at the scene of explosion,
which the RPC said was an indication that the device that exploded was
homemade.
No one was in police custody in connection with the explosion, he said.
The attack coincided with the opening of the Zanzibar International Film
Festival, which has drawn a number of international visitors, and bars
and restaurants have also been packed with people watching matches of
the World Cup finals in Brazil.
There was no claim of responsibility for the bomb attack.
Zanzibar has been the scene of sectarian and political tensions in
recent years, with the bomb breaking a period of calm that has prevailed
for several months.
In February two improvised bombs exploded at Stone Town’s Anglican
cathedral and a seafront bar popular with tourists, without causing
casualties.
Last year suspected Islamist attackers hurled acid on the faces of two
British teenage English teaching girls as they strolled through Stone
Town, during preparations for the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
Tensions surrounding this year’s 50th anniversary of Zanzibar’s union
with Tanganyika added to the contention, especially due to an
acrimonious constitutional assembly where opposition parties seeking a
break up of the union.
The recurring attacks, now on the sidelines of a film festival, have
sparked fears of a tourist exodus from Zanzibar as it is the case now
with Kenya, despite its pristine white sand beaches. The state budget is
heavily reliant on tourism.
Observers saw the latest attack as reinforcing fears of stability, with
EAC Secretary General Dr Richard Sezibera reiterating on Thursday that
peace and stability were critical in attracting investments to the Great
Lakes Region.
source;IPP MEDIA
