2 August 2008
Arusha — Police in Arusha region say the local people are to blame for the proliferation of combat weapons in Ngorongoro district, Arusha region.
Regional police commander Mr. Matei Basilio said most of the guns found were in possession of the villagers not licensed to carry them.
He played down reports that there were bands of heavily armed bandits from neighbouring countries in the vast district which attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists.
He said most of the bandits from outside the country, including criminals of Somali origin, had been wiped out from the area some years ago.
"The Somali bandits are no longer a threat. Our main worry now is the number of local people carrying the military guns in the area" he told reporters last week.
Mr. Basilio said more than 20 combat weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammunition have been seized by the police in Ngorongoro district since the beginning of this year.
An operation to flush out criminals from the area continues and is being spearheaded by a special crack unit of the police force deployed there since early last year.
However, the regional police boss said he could not understand where the local people in Ngorongoro obtained the military weapons and why they possessed them.
He added that some of them may probably keep the guns for their own security against bandits or to defend themselves from inter-tribal wars which were common in Ngorongoro in the past.
"But we cannot rule out the use of such weapons for cattle rustling and banditry" he said, but assured that the security for tourists and tourist facilities there has been intensified.
The regional commissioner Isidori Shirima cautioned that the fast growing tourism industry can suffer a major blow if criminal activities in Ngorongoro district and other areas in Arusha if not contained.
He pleaded with the media to cooperate with the government authorities to ensure there was no negative publicity on the tourist sites and warning that at times the country's competitors on such crimes can be deliberately overblown.
He added that the region's defence and security officials have instructed the local leaders to work hand in hand with the security personnel to curb crime in the area.
The last incident involving the attack on tourists took place on June 3, 2008 at Mto wa Mbu. The visitors were robbed of money and other valuables. Six suspects have since then been arrested.
In July last year, heavily armed bandits raided a lodge near Mto wa Mbu and robbed tourists from overseas who were resident there.
Other attacks took place at Malanje near the Ngorongoro crater in February last year and at Lake Duluti in Arumeru district. Several tourists were robbed and injured.
Often the guns seized by the police were surrendered by the villagers to their local leaders.
Although no tourist has been killed in the crime incidents in Ngorongoro, several innocent people have died in the hands of armed thugs who used to target vehicles carrying business people or tourists.
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