A MOSQUE AND 16 HOUSES TORCHED IN VIOLENT STRICKE

A MOSQUE AND 16 HOUSES TORCHED IN VIOLENT STRICKE

By Paskal Mbunga, Kilindi    October 30, 2013

AN unknown number of angry residents in Lulago village in Kilindi district have burned down a mosque used by an armed assailants who had tiraken refuge in the forests after killing a militia man last week.

A group of Tanga based journalists who toured the troubled area early this week were informed by the Chairman of Lulago village, Mohamed Waziri Mwariko that all the assailants were of the Ansar Sunni sect and that apart from torching down their mosque, but also 16 houses belonging to the assailants were completely burned to ashes.

The village chairman confirmed that the security atmosphere  was still tense because the main culprits were still at large, though the police has apprehended 18 of them.

Mwariko said there were three main ring leaders in the gang namely, Ayub Idd/a.k.a. Master and his lietnant, known by only one name, Jumanne. He named the third as Yusuf Said.

According to the village chairman, the torching down of the mosque belonging to the Ansar Sunni sect had nothing to do with religion strife or conflict but it was rather they (assailants) to blame for failing to live up according to the law of the land.

‘Let me clarify to you journalists that the torching of the mosque and the burned houses had no connection with religion strife”. 

He said and added that there is no christianity driven agenda or government intervention. It was the Ansar Sunni members whose open agenda was to disobey the government, calling it a kafir one.

The moslem population here is 99.5 per cent against other believers, he said adding that there are two mosques, apart from the torched one which belonged to the Ansar Sunni sect.   

According to residents of the village who talked to reporters, the Ansar Sunni members settled in the village in 20o9 without the consent of the village government. 

 Athumani Bakari and Mariam Abdallah said since they settled in the village, there has more chaos rather than peace in the village.

Another villager,  Mganga Kilimo said after their arrival in two buses  from Dar es Salaam, they singled out themselves from other villagers, saying that they cannot mingle with kafirs.