Arusha attacks raise eyebrows as year ends

Arusha.Peace, tranquility, signs of favourable weather conditions and, of course, good prospects in business in the coming year, reigned in Arusha as 2013 came to an end.

But that is not without the grim memories of shock, panic and apathy the city was subjected to during two grenade attacks in the span of two months mid this year, which left at least seven people dead and scores injured, some critically.

The year has ended without any verifiable clue on who was behind the twin attacks, which caused a lot of anguish among the 500,000 residents of Arusha and threatened the multimillion dollar tourism industry and other productive activities.

Government authorities have repeatedly given assurances that people behind the grenade attacks were either being tracked down, arrested or have been identified. However, this has not convinced many that the issue has been adequately handled.

Although not much had been heard ever since a ‘bodaboda’ rider was arraigned for alleged complicity in the first attack at the Catholic Church building on May 5, the twin blasts bore all hallmarks of politically-motivated attacks aimed at creating disharmony among the people of Arusha and the country at large.

They struck at the nerve centre of the Arusha social fabric. A grenade attack was timed to coincide with the opening of a new church building at Olasiti on the outskirts of the city. The function was to be graced by the Vatican Ambassador to Tanzania Francsisco Padilla.

Immediately after the grenade was hurled at the worshippers at 10.40 am when they were awaiting the Vatican envoy to cut the tape, nearly all the churches in the entire city were deserted by other worshippers, fearing for their lives. A week after the blast, three people were known to have died and were buried within the same church compound.

One and a half months later, Arusha was subjected to another shocking bomb attack on June 15. Again, this was also timed to draw the attention of the city population in that it was executed at the climax of a month-long political campaign for a by-elections.

The grenade was hurled at the last campaign meeting of the opposition Chadema party at Kaloleni, which was one of the four wards where a by-election was to take place on the following day (June 16). The causalities included four deaths and dozens of others were seriously injured.

Police and other security organs have been at pains to find out the root cause of the two attacks. But the latter one at the Chadema political rally had led to outcry by the opposition party over who was responsible for the attack. The latter has accused the police of having a hand in the attack, something which the law enforcers have vehemently denied.

Until now, the police have not arrested any suspect in connection with the attack at Kaloleni grounds also known as Soweto, although time and time again some regional leaders have been quoted saying some suspects were being questioned.

There had been information that investigators from outside the country, including the American Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), had been involved in the hunt for the culprits, especially with the attack at the church. But no further information is forthcoming on how far the investigations have gone.