Jaluo Kama Jaluo rade gi joluo wete gi… East African, international, news, politics, culture, business & economy, environment, arts, are discussed by contributors in Africa and world wide. Writers call for social justice, better governance, quality investment.

Tanzania: Religious conflict flare ups in Zanzibar as Muslim and Christians go for each other’s throat following the torching down of churches in the Isles

Writes Leo Odera Omolo

INFORMATION emerging from the Tanzania’s commercial capital, Dar Es Salaam say investigations into the recent killing of a Catholic priest and the blowing up of a church in Zanzibar are pointing to an act of religious intolerance orchestrated by Muslim fundamentalists.

These attacks being linked to the recent infiltration of the Al-Shabaab terror group into the hitherto peaceful and politically stable United Republic of Tanzania.

This has emerged as local journalists have established that the government of Tanzania has called in security intelligence officers from the US and the UK to help it track down the killers of Evarist Munishi.

A church still under the construction in the largely Muslim archipelago of Zanzibar was set on fire within only 48 hours after the priest’s murder.

The police sources in Dar Es Salaam said that Father Munishi way was blocked by two young men at the entrance of the church compound who shot him at the close range in the head killing him instantly.

The Zanzibar shooting came barely a week after the religious attack that saw the killing of Mathayo Kachili of the Assembly of God church in Geita Region. The slain pastor was beheaded by Muslim extremists on the Tanzanian mainland as religion tensions increase between the Christians and the Muslims.

Local investigators are said to be in constant touch with those of the United States to exchange information related to the murder, including whether it was carried out by the homegrown terror outfits, having links across the border or by terrorists based in neighboring countries.

Local media have quoted Bishop Obeid Fabian, head of Zanzibar Pastor’s Fellowship as saying that churches in Zanzibar had in recent months appealed to the government to step up security, especially for pastors working on the Muslim majority Island.

But nothing much has been done. The Bishop said it was unfortunate that over seven Christian churches had been burnt down while the Isles government had not arrested anyone in connection with the violence.

The Tanzania National Security Council last week ordered the government security agencies to immediately negotiate with foreign security intelligence agencies over the killing of the Catholic Priest.

The US Ambassador to Tanzania Alfonzo Lenhedent was last week quoited as saying that the State Department in Washington DC ready to lent the Tanzanian government some assistance as it needed.

Ends