Roman Catholic priest injured in Zanzibar acid attack

Priest Joseph Mang'amba

Catholic Church priest Joseph Mang’amba (60) of the Machui parish in Zanzibar municipality has been hospitalized at Mnazi |Mmoja hospital after suffering acid attack by unknown individuals.

Urban West Regional Police Commander Mkadam Khamis Mkadam said in a telephone interview yesterday that Father Mang’amba was attacked at an internet café at Mlandege in the municipality.

He said the acid burned his face, chest, hands, thighs and most of his clothing at the front. He rushed to a police station to obtain PF 3 forms for treatment, and the police did not pose questions at him as he needed urgent treatment, the RPC said.

He said the priest often visits the café for internet use and hadn’t up to that point received any threats.

Muccadam issued assurances that the acid did not gravely hurt the priest and trusts that his condition would be improving following the start of treatment, elaborating that no one had been arrested for questioning up to late last evening.

Machui parish is located at Cheju area in the municipality, with the attack on the priest coming a month or so following a similar attack on two British young women teaching English at an Anglican Church school.

Another victim of acid attack was Sheikh Fadhil Suleiman Saroga, a close aid of the Zanzibar chief sheikh, while two other priests were attacked by firearms, Padre Ambrose Mkenda shot on Christmas Day and in February, Padre Evaristus Mushi was shot dead by assailants.

The latest incident has sparked fears on the security situation in Zanzibar, after the 4p.m. attack on Father Mwang’amba sent shock waves in the Christian community here.

Fr. Mwang’anda was responsible for a youth care centre at Cheju operated by the Catholic Church, residents said. Two political figures have also come under acid attack, being Zanzibar municipal director Rashid Ali Juma, and Mohamed Kidevu, a local government official (sheha) for Chumbuni area.

Other than the two youthful resident visitors from the UK, the other victims have been religious officials, first on the side of Muslim organization seen as allied to the CCM government, and the Catholic Church in the Isles.

A bomb was once thrown at Olasiti parish in Arusha city where Bishop Josephat Lebulu was officiating at the church consecration, where the Papal Nuncio, apostolic representative of the Holy See, was present.

Padre Evarist Mushi of Minara Miwili Catholic church’s parish in Mtoni, Zanzibar was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen on a Vespa motorcycle.

The assailant fired a single bullet into Father Mushi’s head and fled the scene on their motorcycle.

“Father Evarist Mushi was blocked by two young men at the entrance of the church, one of the attackers shot him in the head,” Isles police spokesman Mohammed Mhina had explained.

DAR ES SALAAM: A Roman Catholic priest was hospitalised on Friday after acid was thrown at him in Zanzibar, police said, a month after two British teenage girls were victims of a similar acid attack there.

The incident in the semi-autonomous, mainly Muslim islands of Tanzania follows warnings by President Jakaya Kikwete that religious tension threatens peace in the nation of 45 million people.

Zanzibar police spokesman Mohamed Mhina said Joseph Mwang'amba had been attacked on leaving an internet cafe in the Mlandege area.

"He sustained burns in his face and shoulders. The acid burnt through his shirt," Mhina told Reuters by phone.

Mhina said the priest was admitted to a Zanzibar hospital for emergency treatment.

Two Christian leaders were killed in Zanzibar earlier this year in separate attacks and there have been arson attacks on churches.

A Zanzibar Muslim leader, Sheikh Fadhil Suleiman Soraga, was hospitalised with acid burns in a November incident.

A separatist group in Zanzibar, Uamsho (Awakening), has been blamed by some but authorities have not linked the group with the violence.

Uamsho wants the archipelago to end its 1964 union with mainland Tanzania, which is ruled as a secular state, and wants to introduce Islamic Sharia law in Zanzibar.

Police said no suspects had been arrested following the attack on Mwang'amba, who is of Tanzanian origin, and the motive was unclear.

"An investigation has been launched following this incident. At this point we have made no arrests and it is unclear who carried out the attack," said Mhina.