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One dead, 20 hurt in Z`bar violence

27 Sep 2005
By Issa Yussuf, Zanzibar

At least one person died and more than 20 others were injured when election violence flared up in Zanzibar on Sunday evening, according to police and eyewitnesses.

Sauti ya Tanzania Zanzibar (STZ) quoted the director of Mnazi Mmoja Hospital as saying that a man identified as Hassan Foum Haji died as he was being taken to Muhimbili Hospital in Dar es Salaam for specialised treatment while Mohamed Simai was admitted to the intensive care unit at the hospital after his condition worsened.

In a swift move to curb the escalating violence, police said they had arrested nine people suspected of instigating the violence.

Fifteen of the injured are supporters of CUF and were admitted to Al-Rahma Hospital while at least 13 of the injured are CCM supporters. The latter were admitted to Mnazi Mmoja Hospital.

Urban West Regional Police Commander George Kizuguto visited both hospitals, but declined to comment on the incident, saying investigations were still going on.

The eyewitness said the attacks took place in three different areas in the western section of Stone Town.

“The incidents took place at Meli-Nne, Mwanakwerekwe and Daraja Bovu where the police used tear-gas to disperse people”, an eyewitness said at Daraja Bovu, which is a predominantly CUF area.

CUF Zanzibar presidential candidate Seif Shariff Hamad condemned those behind the violence and accused the `CCM militia` of being behind the clashes.

`Our vehicle was attacked by a group of youths calling themselves Janjaweed.

They stoned the people inside the vehicle as the anti-riot police looked on.

We appealed to the police to follow up the incident so that those who caused the violence can be charged, regardless of the party they belong to,` Hamad told a press conference in Zanzibar yesterday.

He said that both President Benjamin Mkapa and Zanzibar president Amani Abeid Karume were aware of the existence of the camps where the `Janjaweed` were trained.

`These training camps must be closed down immediately for free, fair and peaceful elections and the police should go about their duties impartially,` Hamad said.

No ruling party members were immediately available for comment, but the state radio (STZ) quoted Urban West Regional Commissioner (RC) Abdallah Mwinyi as having appealed to the police to curb the escalating violence.

Deputy Registrar of Political Parties Rajab Baraka also visited the victims of the clashes at both hospitals.

He said afterwards:`This is sad…political parties leaders must do something to stop the violence.`

* SOURCE: Guardian