The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
Ummy Muya
2 September 2008
Tributes poured in yesterday for two Tanzanian soldiers who died during an African Union military operation to oust a renegade leader in the Comoros in June.
It emerged that two Tanzanian soldiers, and not one as previously thought, died in the mission that nevertheless brought honour to the Tanzania People's Defence Forces (TPDF).
Comoro's defence minister, Mohamed Bacar Donsar, yesterday attended celebrations in Dar es Salaam to mark the 44th anniversary of the TPDF, which played a leading role in the operation to liberate Anjouan.
The island nation's commander-in-chief, Brigadier General Salimou Mohamed, was also present at the colourful ceremony that was used to highlight the recent successes of Tanzania's defence forces.
The Comorian delegation used the occasion to acknowledge the support given by TPDF to depose renegade leader Mohamed Bacar.
Col Bacar declared himself president of Anjouan, which is part of the Comoros, in April this year before AU forces led by Tanzania ousted him in June. He is currently living in exile.
Delivering the Comorian government's message, Mr Donsar and Brig Gen Mohamed paid homage to the widows of the deceased soldiers. Also present at the function were Defence and National Service minister Hussein Mwinyi and the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Davis Mwamunyange.
The soldiers who lost their lives in the Comoro are Khamis Makame, who reportedly died of typhoid, and Raphael Salakiki, who drowned as the joint AU force landed in the Comoros.
The late Makame left behind a widow and six children, while Salakiki is survived by a widow and two children.
Makame's widow, Faida Mwarabu, said she was notified of her husband's death on June 25, a day before he was buried at Chaani Mchenza Shauri in Pemba. She said she had been receiving assistance from relatives and the TPDF since her husband's demise, and appealed to the Government to help her educate her children.
"I am asking the Government to help me in taking my children to school until when they are able to take care of themselves as I have no means to educate them," said Ms Mwarabu.
The other widow, Ngakii Salakiki, said she was distraught because the body of her husband had not been traced after he drowned. She also said that her husband's relatives had abandoned her.
"I am still in a dilemma, and I do not know how I will manage to take my children to school. I have no job or anything to help me earn some money," said Mrs Salakiki. Dr Mwinyi promised that the ministry would do whatever was possible to help the families of the two soldiers.
Having died in the Comoros and buried in Pemba, Mr Makame's death was not made public while Salakiki's death was earlier refuted by the Government.
Meanwhile, Dr Mwinyi said it was up to the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (Sumatra) to decide whether or not soldiers should pay fare in commuter buses.
Dr Mwinyi said it was not the duty of the Defence and National Service minister to decide whether soldiers should pay fare, adding that he hoped members of the armed forces would continue travelling free in public transport until Sumatra sorted the matter out.
Sumatra public relations officer David Mziray told The Citizen that the authority had not given any statement regarding members of the armed forces travelling in commuter buses.
"That is a matter that we have not touched. What we have done is announce new fares," he said by telephone.
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