Tarime settles after special police zone contained crime

Tarime, Tanzania.

IS cattle rustling still a threat to peace in the northern district of Tarime even after inception of the special police zone? Rampant cross-border cattle rustling is one of the security concerns which triggered the establishment of the special police zone in Tarime a few years ago.

Formation of the special police zone was expanded to cover the neighhouring Rorya district where armed rustlers used to grab hundreds of cows at gun point just as they did in Tarime. Formation of the special police zone has witnessed heavy presence of security personnel including anti- livestock theft unit.

The decision also aimed to end frequent clan and tribal clashes which left dozens of people including women and children dead in the two Districts of Mara Region. Cattle rustling and land conflicts have been cited as the major cause of fighting that also left many people seriously wounded and destruction of property worth millions of shillings.

President Jakaya Kikwete had promised to make Tarime a safe place to live when he made his first working tour in the area after he came to power in 2005. Formation of the special police zone has greatly helped to boost security and clan or tribal clashes are almost becoming history.

The prevailing clan and peace has enabled area residents to participate on development activities as compared to the past. “This is a new Tarime. Imagine people are trading until midnight. In the past, people closed shops before sunset simply because there was no security," several Tarime town business people told the 'Daily News' early this week.

Tourism industry is also seen gaining momentum in the district with hundreds of tourists entering the country via the Tanzanian/ Kenyan Sirari border making frequent stops in Tarime town before heading to Western Serengeti via short cut of Tarime- Mugumu road. But cross – border cattle rustling is still seen as major insecurity concern that is yet to be tackled by the Tarime/ Rorya Regional Special Police Zone.

In April this year armed rustlers stormed Kimusi and Borega village on different days and made away with a number of cows after killing. Police confirmed that a civilian was shot dead at Kimusi by the rustlers. Kimusi is just an example of several villages still prone to cross- border cattle rustling in Tarime.

Regional Police Commander (RPC) for Tarime/ Rorya Regional police zone Assistant Commissioner of Police(ACP) Justus Kamugisha told Tarime councillors recently that efforts are underway to make cattle rustling a thing of the past in the area. The RPC hinted that they have started meeting with their Kenyan counterparts to put in place effective strategies meant to combat cross- border crimes with cattle rustling being the top agenda.

“We are conducting joint security meetings with our Kenyan colleagues from Kurya West, Kurya East and Nyatike and aim is to end cross border cattle rustling and other crimes," ACP Kamugisha said during a full council meeting. The RPC was given an opportunity to give a security briefing during the packed meeting chaired by Tarime District Council Chairman Mr Amos Sagara.

Some councillors accused the special police zone for allegedly failing to stop cattle rustling in some parts of the district especially those villages bordering Kenya. “Sometimes we are failing to understand why our police officers meet armed rustlers with stolen cows and fail to recover the cows on grounds that the rustlers have AK47. Are these guns strong than the guns you have?” Asked a councillor from the affected villages.

ACP Kamugisha said they are well prepared to deal with the rustlers to make Tarime free from crimes without fearing armed bandits. “We don’t fear their guns. An AK47 is a normal gun, just like a sub machine gun (SMG) and we have strong guns”, the regional top police cop reacted.

“We are well prepared, it is possible to have zero crime in Tarime”, he added. A few weeks ago security personnel shot dead five rustlers, said to be from neighbouring Kenya, after they raided Borega village in Tarime district and grabbed several cows at gun point. The Kenyan police also took part in the shooting of the rustlers in an incident witnessed by ACP Kamugisha.

Source: http://www.dailynews.co.tz/index.php/features/popular-features/18336-tarime-settles-after-special-police-zone-contained-crime