One killed in Zanzibar bombing
http://www.google.ca/gwt/x?gl=CA&hl=en-CA&u=http://www.iafrica.com/articles/944168.html&source=s&q=One+killed+in+Zanzibar+bombing
Sat, 14 Jun 2014 9:06 AM
Stone Town, Zanzibar.
One person was killed and several others were wounded in a bomb attack
near a mosque on Tanzania's Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar on Friday,
police said.
Police said the bomb went off in the Daranjani commercial district of
Stone Town, the UNESCO-listed historical centre of the semi-autonomous
Tanzanian archipelago, at around 8:15 pm local time.
"We are investigating to find out the type of explosive, the criminals
and motive. We ask people to help provide information," senior police
official Mkadam Khamis told AFP.
Witnesses said the casualties included worshippers who were coming out
of evening prayers from 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 police official 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 World
Cup matches.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
Zanzibar has been the scene of sectarian and political tensions in
recent years, although the island has been generally quiet for several
months.
In February two improvised bombs exploded at Stone Town's Anglican
cathedral and a seafront bar popular with tourists, without causing
any casualties.
Last year suspected Islamist attackers hurled acid into the faces of
two British teenage girls as they strolled through Stone Town, as
Zanzibar's Muslim majority were preparing to celebrate the end of the
Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Some have blamed the hardline Islamic group Uamsho, Swahili for "The
Awakening", a minority group, but believed to be growing in influence,
especially among disaffected and jobless youth.
While the group denies involvement in any of the attacks, they have
widely succeeded in funnelling cultural and political tensions into
support for radical Islam.
There have also been incidents of acid attacks and shootings targeting
religious leaders, both Christian and Muslim.
There have also been wider tensions surrounding this year's 50th
anniversary of Zanzibar's union with mainland Tanzania, with some
opposition political parties wanting to break ties and return to
independence.
The unrest had sparked fears of a tourist exodus from Zanzibar, which
is famed for its pristine white-sand beaches and is heavily reliant on
tourism. AFP
Tanzania police hunt bombers after Zanzibar blast
Sapa-AFP | 2014-06-15 10:28:45.0
Vendors in Stone Town, Zanzibar Picture: Image by: GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP
Tanzanian police on Saturday hunted for suspects amid tightened
security a day after an explosion at a mosque in the busy capital of
Zanzibar killed a Muslim preacher and wounded several people.
The blast from a homemade bomb was the latest in a series of
explosions on the Indian Ocean island, whose economy depends on
tourism.
"We ask members of the community for assistance in providing
information that will lead us to arrest," the police said in a
statement Saturday.
The blast area in Zanzibar's Stone Town was cordoned off Saturday as
police scoured the area for clues.
Police named the victim as Sheikh Mohammed Abdalla Mkombalaguha, who
had recently arrived from the Tanga region on the Tanzanian mainland.
Senior police chief Yussuf Ilembo said several suspects had been
questioned but none arrested.
"We need help to find the thugs," 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 World
Cup matches.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Zanzibari police spokesman Mkdam Khamis said the motive for the attack
was unclear.
However, they were investigating reports that the killed preacher had
links with a Muslim cleric in neighbouring Kenya's port city of
Mombasa, Sheikh Mohamed Idris, who was killed by gunmen earlier this
month.
Zanzibar has been the scene of sectarian and political tensions in
recent years, although the island has been generally quiet for several
months.
In February two improvised bombs exploded at Stone Town's Anglican
cathedral and a seafront bar popular with tourists, without causing
any casualties.
Last year suspected Islamist attackers hurled acid into the faces of
two British teenage girls as they strolled through Stone Town, as
Zanzibar's Muslim majority were preparing to celebrate the end of the
Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Some have blamed the hardline Islamic group Uamsho, Swahili for "The
Awakening", a minority group that is believed to be growing in
influence, especially among disaffected and jobless youth.
While the group denies involvement in any of the attacks, they have
widely succeeded in funnelling cultural and political tensions into
support for radical Islam.
The unrest had sparked fears of a tourist exodus from Zanzibar, which
is famed for its pristine white-sand beaches and is heavily reliant on
tourism.
Britain's Foreign Office updated its advisory to citizens on Saturday,
noting the attack and warning of "an underlying threat from
terrorism."
There have also been wider tensions surrounding this year's 50th
anniversary of Zanzibar's union with mainland Tanzania, with some
opposition political parties wanting to break ties and return to
independence.
--
SIBOMANA Jean Bosco
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