Briefing reporters here yesterday, CUF’s Director of Mass Communication and Publicity, Hamad Masoud Hamad, alleged that the move signified government intent to start arresting people en masse in the island ahead of the general election rerun scheduled for Sunday.
However, these claims were refuted by local officials who maintained that the security beef-up was normal during electioneering.
The March 20 election rerun follows the nullification of the original election by Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) chairman Jecha Salim Jecha back on October 25.
According to Hamad, soldiers have been raiding homes in Pemba and beating up people believed to be opposition (mainly CUF) supporters.
This has forced many residents to seek places to hide places in nearby forests or take refuge in Mombasa, he said. “Pemba is under military threat,”
Hamad said. “We are very saddened and we condemn such inhuman actions against our people.” He said many of the incidents of arbitrary beatings have been reported to the police, but no arrests made so far.
“CUF believes that the incidents of torture are a deliberate ploy by security forces to scare people,” Hamad stated, warning security forces against working for political interests but staying true to their main duty of maintaining peace and harmony in the island.
According to Hamad, about 30 CUF supporters and another 72 citizens have been arrested without any reason and denied bail.
He called on local institutions and international community to come out and condemn what the government is doing. When reached for comment, North Pemba Assistant Regional Police Commander, Hassan Nassir concurred it is true that security has been tighten in Pemba Island but refuted claims by CUF, saying that they are baseless.
“No one has gone into hiding or taken refuge in another country. Those might be some few criminals who are scared to be arrested due to their acts,” he said.
According to the police, the government saw the need to deploy more armed security personnel in Pemba due to occurrence of incidents such as torching of people’s houses, CCM and CUF branches.
He said security forces have been given orders that people should not be found in groups or sitting in their political party centres (maskani) during night hours. However, the Minister for State (Second Vice-President’s Office),
Mohammed Aboud said the government has no information regarding Pemba residents seeking asylum in Mombasa or running into the bush.
He said security forces are only there to safeguard the people and their properties and not to threaten them. “We have decided to deploy a huge number of security forces following incidents which have recently occurred and news of some few people threatening to behead others if they vote,” he said.
He also said the security is only there maintaining peace and harmony during the polls re-run and it is normal at such periods.
Last week, unidentified people set ablaze a number of houses belonging to CCM members in Pemba Island and 11 party meeting centres (maskani), reducing them to ashes early yesterday.
The criminal acts were committed at different times in North and South Pemba regions in which a health centre was also razed by fire in incidents which are believed to be politically motivated.
South Pemba Regional Police Commander Mohamed Shakani said one suspect identified as Mohamed Ramadhan Seif had been arrested in connection with the incident.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the arsonists sprinkled some petrol on the houses along Kibirizi Street in Chake Chake, together with two meeting centres in Kiwani and Mwambe villages in South Pemba Region,” Shakani explained.
He said a manhunt for the suspects behind the acts of violence and intimidation had been mounted, promising to bring all the suspects to justice.
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