Tanzania police chief justifies use of excessive force in Zanzibar

By Osoro Nyawangah, DAR ES SALAAM Tanzania

Tanzania Police force has confirmed use of lethal force to maintain order that caused deaths and injuries to unarmed citizens during October elections in the semi-autonomous Indian Ocean archipelago of Zanzibar. 

The country’s Inspector General of Police, Simon Sirro told reporters in the commercial city of Dar es Salaam on Thursday, November 19, that only three people died during the general election violence; two in Zanzibar and one in Tarime district.

In Pemba and Unguja, the opposition Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT-Wazalendo) supporters engaged the police in running battles protesting against early voting for government personnel.

In his National State of Security assessment after the October election, Simon Sirro said that despite the sporadic violence in some areas, the country has remained safe.

“The force used by our officers was force in excess because in an event where their colleague’s throat is slit and his gun taken; then the response must be use of weapon." He said adding that if there was a victim of police gunshot then it’s obvious that there were reasons for use of lethal force because the other side also had weapon.

"There was sporadic violence, especially in Zanzibar where some opposition leaders and their supporters marched with the intention of disrupting the early day-elections on October 27. This resulted in one police officer being shot in the leg, something that vividly indicated the group was determined to bring chaos to the polls," said Sirro.

Law enforcement officers are supposed to use only the amount of force necessary to mitigate an incident, make an arrest, or protect themselves or others from harm. The levels, or continuum, of force police use include basic verbal and physical restraint, less-lethal force, and lethal force.

Whereas the IGP said only two people were killed in the isles, the opposition party says that 13 supporters lost their lives with over 100 injured.

Early this month, the leader of ACT Wazalendo, Zitto Kabwe told journalists that 13 people had been killed in Zanzibar, 130 others injured, 130 people arrested by police and 14 others   missing.

"Thirteen civilians have been killed by gun shots in various parts of Zanzibar, most of the killings took place between October 27 and 29 this year. The dead include one woman and 12 men.” Zitto told the press.

The police boss called for the people claiming that many people have been killed to cooperate with the force by showing evidence. “Show us where those people were buried so that we can exhume their bodies through court permit for investigation.” He insisted adding that that all officers responsible for the killings will be arrested and punished according to law.

The early voting in Zanzibar was marred with reports of killings by security forces and arrest of main opposition presidential candidate, Seif Sharif Hamad.

The ACT-Wazalendo Communication and Advocacy Secretary, Salim Bimani, told a local media in Pemba that security personnel immensely deployed in the Islands fired randomly at night killing four and injuring many citizens.

He named the deceased on that day as Asha Haji Hassan, Yussuf Shaame Muhidin, Kombo Hamad salim all of Kangagani Kojani constituency and Masoud Salim Fadhil aged 16 of Mzambarauni Wangwi constituency.