Tanzania opposition leader Zitto Kabwe arrested over remarks on Kigoma deadly clashes
What you need to know:
- Three days since he spoke to the media, asking the police to issue a statement on the deadly clashes involving police and pastoralists in Kigoma, the ACT-Wazalendo party leader, Mr Zitto Kabwe, has been arrested for interrogations over the remarks.
Dar es Salaam. The party leader for the opposition ACT-Wazalendo, Mr Zitto Kabwe, has been arrested in connection with his recent remarks on deadly clashes involving police and pastoralists in Kigoma.
The opposition party’s secretary for ideology, communications and publicity, Mr Ado Shaibu said in a statement on Wednesday, October 31, 2018, that Mr Kabwe has been arrested by officers from Oysterbay Police Station in Dar es Salaam.
“The Party Leader has been arrested by police from Oysterbay. He is now heading to the Police Station for interrogations over killings of police and civilians that took place at Mpeta Village, Uvinza, Kigoma,” he said, promising to issue updates as lawyers pursue the matter further.
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, October 28, 2018, Mr Kabwe asked the police to issue a statement on the killings.
He said it was astounding that the law enforcers have remained quite over the issue, promising that his party was collecting information on the incident which would be released to the public.
About a fortnight ago an operation to remove livestock keepers from a protected forest in Uvinza District went awry after it degenerated into deadly clashes that left at least two police officers and an unknown number of civilians dead. Scores others were injured.
Neither the police nor the Kigoma Regional Commissioner’s office has issued a statement on the incident, despite the fact that the Inspector General of Police, Simon Sirro visited the area recently.
Addressing a press conference on October 28, 2018, Zitto also claimed that retribution killings are continuing even after the clashes.
“The situation is tense in the area and people deserve to know the truth on what happened and on steps being taken to solve the situation,” Zitto noted.
Reports from local residents say the operation to remove the pastoralists from the area had to be suspended due to the clashes.
“We want the Police to issue a statement to account for all the deaths that took place during the clashes,” Zitto noted.
