Questions linger as Tanga caves cleared

Members of a police crack unit search the Amboni caves in Tanga after a fierce firefight with heavily armed gunmen. One soldier was killed and four police officers were injured during the battle. PHOTO | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER 

In Summary

 Yesterday, Mr Magalula only said that the area was safe although there was no confirmation of either the arrest or the killing of the attackers or the recovery of arms that were in their possession. He spoke of no arrests.

Tanga. The government yesterday declared safe the Amboni caves in Tanga, the scene of the deadly clash between an armed gang and security forces on Friday night.

Tanga Regional Commissioner Magalula Saidi Magalula told a press conference in the city that the caves had been cleared by security personnel who continue to patrol the area.

But questions still linger on the whereabouts and identities of the gangsters. It has also not been made clear if the arms that the thugs used to exchange fire with the police and members of the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) had been recovered.

During the confrontation, a TPDF Sergeant Said Kajembe was shot and killed while four of his colleagues and a police officer are admitted with bullet injuries to the Mombo Regional Hospital in Korogwe.

Yesterday, Mr Magalula only said that the area was safe although there was no confirmation of either the arrest or the killing of the attackers or the recovery of arms that were in their possession. He spoke of no arrests.

“Government forces have scoured all the known caves in the area, including the one which attracts tourists and there are no traces of the thugs,” he said, calling on Tanga residents to stop worrying about the security situation, urging them to get back to their daily activities.

Journalists were yesterday allowed to visit the area of the fighting and take pictures of the scene. They were able to see the intricate openings and routes in the caves and signs of fired ammunition and damage caused by bombing.

Some caves had been blasted open. But the journalists were not allowed to venture deep into the caves. The cave said to have been used by the assailants, apparently, has only one entry while several small outlets dotted the area surrounding it. Security of the area was relaxed yesterday, which was in contrast to the last two days. Residents of the Karasha sub-village where the caves are located streamed back to their homes.

However, some residents said they remained nervous because members of the security forces were combing their homes and interrogating them over any possible affiliation or knowledge of the thugs. “We don’t know whether the thugs have been killed or buried in the caves following the massive explosions, or whether they managed to escape,” said a woman who did not wish to be named.

“We are still not allowed to go to the area to crush rocks… we urge the government to take charge of the situation as quickly as possible to allow us to resume working,” said Mr Idd Butiwa who works at a quarry in the area. Another youth, Mr Salim Bakari, said the government must reassure them by capturing the armed thugs who some people have linked with terrorism.

According to Mr Magalula, the awe-inspiring Amboni Caves which are a big lure to local and foreign tourists weren’t at the centre of the attack. He said the touristic site was 5km away. There are 13 known caves in the area and they are the most extensive limestone caves in East Africa, believed to have been formed about 150 million years ago during the Jurassic age. The caves are located at Kiomoni Village, 8km north of Tanga City. However, only two are normally visited by tourists.

Yesterday, the curator, Mr Jumanne Gekora, told The Citizen that visitors to the touristic caves had dried up following the news of the attack. “We normally attract up to 80 visitors everyday but since Friday when the matter was reported, we have had none coming here,” said Mr Gekora.