Dar es Salaam: Mob justice is a human rights violation-LHCR

BY GADIOSA LAMTEY

Murder of police officers is unacceptable and has been heavily condemned by the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) who only yesterday called the recent killing of officers in Ngara, Kagera region violations of human rights.

Last week, two police officers from Ngara in Kegera were killed by an angry mob, public property was damaged and goods stolen. The mob was apparently retaliating against the shooting of a suspected criminal.  

The human rights centre is calling on the public against the habit of taking the law into their own hands, warning that such action will only result in a chaotic society where no one’s rights will be observed no security guaranteed. 

Speaking to journalists yesterday in Dar es Salaam LHCR Executive Director Dr. Helen Kijo-Bisimba, asked the government to take serious legal action against all involved in the act.

“In this year alone…” reported the executive director”… their have been several such killings and this cannot be allowed to escalate…” she however did not specify the number of killings.

The situation is, according to her, more intricate and represents a larger issue amongst the civilians, community police and the military continues with each group attempting to exert their influence while the other feels oppressed and as such retaliate undermining one another’s rights and authority resulting in unwarranted deaths and collapse of order.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN (19/12/2012): http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=49203