Tanzania’s Police Denies Reports Of Deadly Shootings

by PH October 27, 2020, 4:26 pm

Police officers enforce a cordon where investigators are scouring for evidence for forensic analysis at the scene of an explosion suspected improvised explosive devices (IED's) October 31, 2015 at Zanzibar's 'michenzani' neighbourhood. Two explosions rung-out from a residential neighbourhod, a kilometre from the scene of a bomb threat October 30 evening, where another IED was safely detonated near the main market. Tensions over a controversial cancellation of general election results that followed a peaceful general election Sunday continues to fester after Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) chairman Jecha Salum Jecha, in a statement broadcast on public television, said polls on the Indian Ocean archipelago were "nullified" and must be carried out again. Opposition party's Civic United Front's (CUF) presidential candidate and Secretary General, Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad has issued an ultimatum for dialogue by November 01 to the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) on the existing political crisis in Zanzibar or face public unrest. . AFP PHOTO / TONY KARUMBA (Photo credit should read TONY KARUMBA/AFP/Getty Images)

Tanzania’s head of police, Simon Sirro, has denied reports that police officers shot dead three people on Monday night in one of Zanzibar’s islands.

The semi-autonomous archipelago is due to hold elections on Wednesday, although early voting has started for electoral officials and the police.

Zanzibar has a history of contested polls.

The opposition had claimed that three people were killed in Pemba island and several others injured as police used live ammunition to disperse a crowd.

But Mr Sirro has told journalists that police only arrested 42 youths in connection to the violence in Pemba.

He said the youths had thrown stones at police officers and electoral officials who were distributing voting kits ahead of the elections.

He added that police will not allow people to stay at polling stations after voting.