Zegabi

The President of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to end the acid attacks which has plagued Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania in the past few months.

Speaking to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, he said he has already directed the Police force to increase their presence in key areas and to also conduct a manhunt for suspects. He added that so far about 10 suspects have been apprehended. However, the authorities are yet to release more information about the suspects.

Two weeks ago, the Zanzibar police force announced that they have arrested 15 suspects in connection with the acid attacks. It is unclear if the suspects are the same ones referred to by the President.

So far, a Catholic priest, two British women and a few shops in Zanzibar have been attacked. Besides an attempted use of a grenade in the attack on shops in Zanzibar, all the attacks were carried out with acid. The Zanzibar police had reported that it retrieved large amounts of acid from persons who weren’t entitled to be in possession of it. But no other information has been released concerning that case.

According to President Kikwete, “At the beginning it was the Zanzibar Chief Sheikh’s secretary, Sheikh Adhil Suleiman, who was attacked. We thought that attack had been carried out by his opponents.”

The authorities have not made any declarations as to who is thought to be behind the acid attacks. However, there are many theories.

According to Police Commissioner Mussa Ali Mussa, the suspects may have possible connections with Al Qaeda and Al Shabab. It is thought that this attack, like the attack on the Westgate mall in Kenya last week, is intended to persuade the government of Tanzania to withdraw its troops from peacekeeping missions in the horn of Africa.

However, acid attacks are not characteristic of Al Shabab’s modus operandi. Ahmed Rajab, managing director of Universal TV in Somalia commented that the police may be blaming the crime on Al Shabab and Al Qaeda in order to cover up the fact that not much progress has been made in the case.

Another theory has it that it these are religious-driven attacks since clerics seem to have been targeted.

But former Tanzanian parliamentarian, Njelu Kasaka sees things differently. He associated the acid attacks with the long standing demand from the Zanzibaris for autonomy. “It is a political struggle which has been there for quite a long time,”  he said. And according to him, “The solution is for the two governments to [sit down] and talk everything openly, then we will get a lasting solution.”

Zanzibar currently has a semi-autonomous status and is ruled by the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar.

The acid attacks are already having an effect on the economy of the island as tourists and investors are snubbing Zanzibar over safety concerns. According to Kasaka, these attacks have the potential to destroy the thriving tourism industry the little island’s economy has relied on for so many years.