TANZANAI (eTN) - A few days before Tanzania holds its historic
election, tight security has been deployed in most streets of the
capital city of Dar es Salaam and the northern tourist city of Arusha
with assurance of safety to visitors calling at various tourist sites.
The police force and internal security authorities in Arusha have
assured tourists booked to various wildlife parks and other attractive
areas of their safety during election day this coming Sunday and days
after polling exercise.
"As the police force and other security agencies, we are encouraging
tourists to continue coming in to Tanzania, and their security is
guaranteed 100 percent despite the fact that the country is heading into
the General Election," said Arusha Police Commander Liberatus Sabas.
He said his force has a Tourism Police Unit, which is being equipped
with vehicles and other related facilities to strengthen security for
tourists, a situation to waive worries from tourists on safari in
northern Tanzania.
“We have police officers in most crucial areas to ensure safety and
security of our visitors and the public. We will reinforce security
across the Tanzania's tourism circuit,” he added.
Security authorities in Arusha had as well assured tourists that all
necessary precautions have been taken to make sure they are safe, when
visiting East Africa’s premier wildlife parks of Ngorongoro Conservation
Area, Serengeti, Tarangire, Mount Kilimanjaro, Arusha, and Manyara
national parks whose hub is Arusha city.
Expressing fears of possible security risks during the General
Election process in Tanzania, the United Nations offices in New York and
Dar es Salaam have cautioned its staff in Tanzania to be vigilant for
the rest of October.
The UN message to their staff in Tanzania cautioned its foreign staff
stationed in Dar es Salaam and other parts of Tanzania to keep vigil
during the days when Tanzanians will be voting for its presidency,
parliamentarians, and councilors, and a few days later after the voting
exercise.
The message to its staff in Tanzania had mentioned five security risk
hot spots for potential violence, which are Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar
on the Indian Ocean coast, Mbeya in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania
neighboring Zambia, Mwanza on the shores of Lake Victoria, and the
northern Tanzania tourist city of Arusha.
“The Stone Town in Zanzibar and surrounding outer areas are also hot
spots and likely [there will be] no through roads or access to
amenities,” the UN message said, quoting reports of police and a
military presence on the various streets in the island.
The United States has as well alerted American citizens residing in
or traveling to Tanzania to exercise caution and remain abreast of the
security situation throughout the electoral period until the end of
November.
“The State Department recommends US citizens to maintain a high level
of security awareness leading up to, during, and following the election
period; [they] should avoid political rallies, polling centers,
demonstrations, and crowds of any kind as even gatherings intended to be
peaceful can become confrontational and turn violent,” reads the alert.
The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has alerted British
nationals or visitors to Tanzania to be precautious during the election
process.
In its circulated consular advice, the FCO said presidential,
parliamentary, and local elections could attract heightened tension and
unrest during and after the elections particularly in big towns and
cities on the mainland and the tourist island of Zanzibar.
“You should take care, be aware of your surroundings, and avoid
political rallies, polling stations, large crowds, or public
demonstrations. Make sure you have a means of communication with you at
all times and monitor local media for updates,” the advice said.
“There will be restricted access to the area where the British High
Commission is located in the city of Dar es Salaam from Sunday, October
25, election day, to continue for several days over the election
period,” said the FCO advice.
“There will be a number of police checkpoints around the area. If you
require urgent consular assistance during office hours, inform the
officer in charge of the checkpoint who will contact the High Commission
to grant you access,” reads part of the advice.
It is now a high tourism season in Tanzania and the rest of East
Africa where hundreds of tourists from across the world are calling
every day. The United Kingdom is the leading source of tourists visiting
Tanzania each year. Around 75,000 British nationals visit Tanzania
every year.
Tourism is Tanzania’s leading foreign currency earner. Over one
million tourists visited Tanzania last year and spent US$1.8 billion,
making tourism the leading economic sector, says the Tanzania Tourist
Board (TTB).
Arusha and other northern parts of Tanzania are the political
strongholds for the opposition Chadema Party, which had vowed to oust
the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party, a situation which the police said
could cause violence.
Over 90 percent of the tourists booked to Tanzania will visit the
northern circuit, which is dominated by the opposition Chama Cha
Demokrasia na Maendeleo party under its presidential candidate Mr.
Edward Lowassa, the former Tanzanian Prime Minister.
Over 22 million out of a population of about 45 million Tanzanians
will go to the polls on October 25 to elect the president, members of
parliament, and councilors.
John Magufuli, the presidential candidate for the ruling party of
Chama Cha Mapinduzi, is facing fierce competition from Edward Lowassa of
the leading opposition Chadema party.
Leaders and members from the opposition side have been running tough
political campaigns aiming to oust the ruling party from political
leadership of Tanzania and which it has been holding since 1961 when
this African country gained independence from Britain.
The opposition members have accused the Chama Cha Mapinduzi policies
which they said, had embraced poverty, ignorance, corruption, and
squandering of natural resources including wildlife and tourist
products.
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