ZANZIBAR POLICE COMISSIONER PRESS RELEASE.

THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA
MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
POLICE FORCE OF TANZANIA
 
PRESS RELEASE
MAY 24, 2015
 
TO THE PRESS: AS IS OUR PRACTICE, WE HAVE COME TOGETHER IN A CONFERENCE TO SHARE NEWS ABOUT THE STATE OF SECURITY AND PEACE IN OUR COUNTRY – IN THE PREVIOUS PERIOD, THE SITUATION AS IT IS NOW, AND OUR FUTURE PLANS FOR STRENGTHENING NATIONAL SECURITY AS A WHOLE. AT THIS GATHERING TODAY WE WILL DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING ISSUES:

1. CRIMINAL ACTS STEMMING FROM INCENDIARY SPEECH BY SOME POLITICAL PARTY LEADERS AND THEIR SUPPORTERS.

 

2. THREATS MADE AGAINST GOVERNMENT LEADERS VIA SOCIAL NETWORKS, PHONES, MESSAGES OF VARIOUS KINDS AND FLIERS.

 

3. AN ALERT ABOUT TERRORIST ACTIVITY, RELIGIOUS CONFLICT, AND OTHER GROUPS THAT SUPPORT ACTIONS THAT DISRUPT THE PEACE.

 
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1. CRIMINAL ACTS STEMMING FROM INCENDIARY SPEECH BY SOME

POLITICAL PARTY LEADERS AND THEIR SUPPORTERS.
 
IN RECENT DAYS, A GROUP OF POLITICAL PARTY LEADERS AND THEIR SUPPORTERS HAVE BEEN ISSUING PROVOCATIVE STATEMENTS WHOSE INTENT IS TO ENCOURAGE THE PEOPLE TO HATE THE GOVERNMENT THAT IS NOW IN POWER, AS WELL AS ITS OFFICIALS, AND EVENTUALLY TO DISRUPT AND VIOLATE THE PEACE THAT NOW EXISTS.
MOREOVER, THOSE LEADERS CALL [THIS] THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RESOLUTIONS MADE BY THE CUF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON MARCH 2 AND MAY 11 OF 2015, WHEN THEY DECIDED TO ENCOURAGE CITIZENS TO SABOTAGE THE GOVERNMENT AND CITIZENS WHO ARE NOT FOLLOWERS OF THEIR PARTY.
THE RESULTS [OF THIS DECISION] INCLUDE THE BOMBING OF VARIOUS OFFICES AND HOMES, ARSON ATTACKS ON VARIOUS HOUSES AND OFFICES, ESPECIALLY IN THE REGIONS OF PEMBA, [AND] THE CLEARING OF CROPS AND FARMS. SEVERAL OF THE ACCUSED HAVE BEEN ARRESTED.
ACTIONS LIKE THESE HAVE BEEN CELEBRATED BY THOSE LEADERS AND HAVE ENCOURAGED THEM TO CONTINUE TO COMMIT THESE CRIMES. A RECENT INCIDENT IN WHICH PEOPLE WERE ATTACKED, ESPECIALLY IN WETE AND MICHEWENI DISTRICTS, WERE HIGHLY PRAISED BY THESE LEADERS. IN ADDITION, THESE LEADERS HAVE ALSO MADE PROVOCATIVE STATEMENTS AND USED INSULTS LIKE “DICTATOR SHEIN,” “THUG BALOZI SEIF ALI IDD” AND OTHERS.
STATEMENTS LIKE “PRESIDENT SHEIN WILL NOT SERVE FIVE YEARS,” “THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WILL DENY AID TO THE GOVERNMENT OF ZANZIBAR,” “THE UNITED NATIONS WILL DECIDE TO RERUN THE ZANZIBAR ELECTION,” “THE LEGITIMATE LEADER OF ZANZIBAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN SWORN IN ON MAY 1 2016,” AND OTHERS, CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE THE SPEAKERS INTENTION TO WISH ZANZIBAR HARM AND TO ENDANGER THE EXISTING PEACE.
THE POLICE FORCE IS ISSUING A WARNING, THAT LEADERS AND SUPPORTERS OF POLITICAL PARTIES THAT ENCOURAGE THE MAKING OF THESE STATEMENTS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED ANY LONGER; AS THEY ARE LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR UNREST IN THE COUNTRY; AND LEGAL ACTION WILL BE TAKEN AGAINST ANY PERSON WHO MAKES ANY INCENDIARY STATEMENT, REGARDLESS OF THEIR OFFICE, POSITION, OR STATUS IN SOCIETY.

2. THREATS MADE AGAINST GOVERNMENT LEADERS VIA SOCIAL NETWORKS, PHONES, MESSAGES OF VARIOUS KINDS AND FLIERS.

IN ADDITION TO INCENDIARY SPEECH, PEOPLE HAVE ALSO STARTED MAKING DEATH THREATS AGAINST GOVERNMENT LEADERS, USING THE METHODS DESCRIBED ABOVE. AMONG LEADERS WHO HAVE RECEIVED THREATS ARE SECOND VICE PRESIDENT BALOZI SEIF ALI IDD, INTERIOR MINISTER IN THE SECOND VICE PRESIDENT’S OFFICE, THE HON. MOHAMMED ABOOD MOHAMMED, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ZANZIBAR ELECTORAL COMMISSION (ZEC), THE HON. JECHA SALIM JECHA (ON THE ROOF OF WHOSE HOUSE ROCKS WERE THROWN), AND OTHERS.
AN IN-DEPTH POLICE INVESTIGATION INTO THESE THREATS IS ONGOING, AND APPROPRIATE LEGAL ACTION WILL BE TAKEN AGAINST ANYONE FOUND TO BE INVOLVED. FURTHER, THE POLICE FORCE ISSUES A WARNING TO THOSE WITH PLATFORMS/ACCOUNTS ON SOCIAL NETWORKS: THAT IF THEIR NETWORK IS USED TO DISSEMINATE THESE THREAT/S, LEGAL STEPS WILL BE TAKEN AGAINST THEM UNDER THE CYBER CRIMES LAW. AS FOR FLIERS, AN INTENSIVE INVESTIGATION IS NEARING ITS FINAL STAGES AND WE EXPECT TO ARREST ALL THOSE INVOLVED IN THEIR PUBLICATION AND DISSEMINATION VERY SOON.

3. AN ALERT ABOUT TERRORIST ACTIVITY, RELIGIOUS CONFLICT, AND OTHER GROUPS THAT SUPPORT THE DISRUPTION OF THE PEACE.

I BELIEVE WE HAVE ALL HEARD ABOUT THE EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE IN TANGA IN THE AMBONI CAVES, AS WELL AS THE KILLINGS IN THE MOSQUE IN MWANZA. ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO OFFICIAL PROOF YET THAT THESE WERE TERRORIST ACTS, THEY NONETHELESS SPREAD FEAR AMONG THE PEOPLE, REMEMBERING THAT OUR COUNTRY IS CLOSE TO KENYA, WHICH HAS FOR A LONG TIME FACED THE THREAT OF THE SOMALI TERRORIST GROUP AL-SHAABAB. FURTHER, THE KILLINGS IN MWANZA, INSIDE OF A MOSQUE, ARE SURE ENOUGH PROOF THAT RELIGIOUS CONFLICT IS A REAL THREAT TO PEACE IN OUR COUNTRY. THE POLICE FORCE ASKS THE PEOPLE TO MAKE A REPORT WHENEVER THEY SEE ANY SIGN OF SUSPICIOUS PEOPLE OR INDICATIONS OF RELIGIOUS CONFLICT IN VARIOUS AREAS.
IN ADDITION TO THE MATTERS CITED ABOVE, THERE HAVE ALSO EMERGED GROUPS OF YOUNG MEN CALLING THEMSELVES “MAPANGA MAPANGA” (MACHETES MACHETES), ASSAULTING PEOPLE IN THE STREETS AND CUTTING THEM WITH MACHETES, THEN STEALING THEIR MONEY AND OTHER VALUABLES. THE POLICE FORCE ORDERS THESE CRIMINALS TO DESIST IMMEDIATELY, AND WARNS THEM THAT A THOROUGH SEARCH FOR THEM IS UNDERWAY; THOSE FOUND RESPONSIBLE WILL FACE LEGAL SANCTION. LET US REMEMBER THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE A PART OF SOCIETY, THAT IS, THEY ARE OUR CHILDREN, OUR SIBLINGS, AND SO FORTH. THEREFORE, THE POLICE FORCE ASKS PEOPLE TO REVEAL THE WHEREABOUTS OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE, AS THEY ARE THREATENING THE PEACE FOR ALL, NOT JUST THAT OF PARTICULAR GROUPS.
FINALLY, THE POLICE FORCE CALLS ON ALL PEOPLE NOT TO INVOLVE THEMSELVES IN ACTIONS THAT COULD DISRUPT THE PEACE; LET THEM REMEMBER THAT RECOVERING A LOST PEACE EXACTS A GREATER
TOLL THAN DOES PROTECTING THE PEACE THAT IS IN PLACE. THE POLICE FORCE CONTINUES TO ASSERT THAT IT WILL KEEP FIGHTING AGAINST ANY PERSON WHO INTENDS TO ENDANGER THE PEACE, PAYING NO REGARD TO THAT PERSON’S OFFICE, STATUS, OR POSITION IN SOCIETY.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.

SALUM M. MSANGI – DCP

POLICE COMMISSIONER, ZANZIBAR