17 men face terrorism charges before Dar court

Dar es Salaam. Seventeen people appeared before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday charged with terrorism.

State attorneys Prosper Mwangamila, George Barasa, Mwanaamina Kombokono and Brenda Dick told Resident Magistrate Helen Riwa that the accused conspired to commit and committed terrorism offences in various parts of the country along with foreign accomplices they illegally sneaked into the country.

Because the court has no jurisdiction over such matters, the accused did not enter pleas and their case will be referred to the High Court.

Those charged yesterday are Mr Jihad Swalehe, Mr Nassoro Abdallah, Mr Hassan Suleiman, Mr Anthari Ahmed, Mr Mohamed Yusuf, Mr Abdallah Hassan, Mr Hussein Ally, Mr Juma Juma, Mr Said Ally, Mr Hamis Salum, Mr Said Salum, Mr Abubakari Mngodo, Mr Salum Salum, Mr Salum Amour, Mr Alawi Amir, Mr Rashid Nyange and Mr Amir Juma.

At a press conference earlier in the day, police spokesperson Advera Bulimba told reporters that several people had been arrested in connection with a string of attacks in various parts of the country.

The suspects are said to have been giving military and terrorist training to youth groups in the country.

“We have arrested them as part of our efforts to ensure that citizens and their properties are safe,” Ms Bulimba said.

The arrest and subsequent charging of the suspects came about a fortnight after several people were wounded, some seriously when an explosive device was thrown into a popular restaurant in Arusha.

Two days after the attack, Home Affairs minister Mathias Chikawe said the recurrent bomb attacks in the tourist hub were acts of terrorism. “This is terrorism,” the minister told The Citizen.

“The aim of these terrorists is to disrupt peace, to kill, to maim and cause terror in society...nothing else.”

A day earlier, Director of Criminal Investigations Isaiah Mngulu said Arusha and Zanzibar—which has also seen its share of incidents, including acid attacks—were targeted because the two towns are the destination of choice for Western tourists.

A number of attacks took place in Arusha last year. A church congregation was bombed on May 5 and three worshippers were killed on the spot.

Scores others were injured. On June 15, a Chadema political rally was bombed ahead of civic elections. Four people died and several others were wounded.

This year too has seen several assaults. On April 13 a blast went off at Arusha Night Park. Fourteen people were wounded. One of them died later in hospital.

On July 3, Arusha witnessed yet another grenade attack when an explosive was hurled at the home of an Islamic preacher, wounding him and another person.

In June, a bomb explosion killed one person and wounded at least seven in front of a mosque in the busy Darajani Street, Zanzibar. It was the second explosion this year, in February when homemade bombs went off near an Anglican Cathedral and a restaurant both in Zanzibar’s tourist hub of Stone Town.

Last year, a Roman Catholic priest was attacked with acid and two men splashed a corrosive liquid at two British volunteer teenagers.