Tanzania: Acid Attacks - Everyone is under preassure
Zanzibar — ACID attacks are not a new crime
in Zanzibar. However, the assault on two British volunteers who were
walking along the historically narrow streets, of the Stone Town last
week, took the world by surprise.
The attack on Kate Gee and Kirstie Trup both of age 18, who came to Zanzibar as volunteers at the St Monica Nursery School, was a wakeup call to the authorities and security that acid attack crime is a big challenge.
At least four prominent Zanzibaris have been victims of acid attack, one being an elderly, Mohammed Omar Said who was attacked in May and another, Fadhil Suleiman Soraga, Secretary - Office of the Zanzibar Mufti in November last year. Fifteen years ago, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM)'s Mwinyi Msuko was attacked in Pemba, while former director - Zanzibar Municipal Council Rashid Ali Juma was one such victim about four years ago.
With the latest attack on the volunteers, everyone is now scared of the 'acid.' Despite police hunt for suspects in all incidents, unfortunately, no one has been charged while the victims remain with abnormality on the body.
However, the acid incidents have caused panic, even the police themselves are scared of being targeted. and some have opted to wear masks during any security operation, like evacuating petty traders (Machinga) from the Zanzibar town centre.
"We have to wear masks to avoid being recognized. People are complaining why we cover our faces during operation, but it is the only way to stay safe." Some members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives have complained against emerging habit by some security officers including Zanzibar paramilitary - KMKM, JKU, and Valantia saying their masks scare people.
The ministers responsible for security in Zanzibar Dr Mwinyihaji Makame Mwadini (paramilitary), and Mr Mohammed Aboud Mohammed (police) have on many occasions downplayed the issue of masked soldiers. Some soldiers who requested for anonymity, told the 'Daily News' that the acid attacks have prompted them to wear masks.
"It is scary. We have to protect ourselves because we are part of the society. We mix with people and taking precautions are important," said a security officer. Some people, including leaders say they have stopped walking alone, while some have hired body guards, in a bid to stay safe from the attack.
An acid attack is a form of violent assault, defined as the premeditated act of throwing acid or a similar corrosive substance onto the body of another "with the intention to disfigure, maim, torture, or kill."
Perpetrators of these attacks throw acid at their victims, usually at their face, burning them, and damaging skin tissue, often exposing and sometimes dissolving the bones. Psychologists and health experts say that long term consequences of these attacks may include blindness, as well as permanent scarring of the face and body, along with far-reaching social, psychological, and economic difficulties.
When acid is thrown on a person, the results can be horrifying. Nitric, hydrochloric, or sulphuric acids all have a catastrophic effect on human flesh. It causes the skin tissue to melt, often exposing the bones below the flesh.
When acid attacks the eyes, it damages these vital organs permanently. Many acid attack survivors have lost the use of one or both eyes. The victim is traumatized physically, psychologically and socially.
An acid attack on your body would dramatically change your life. Most survivors of an acid attack are forced to give up their education, their occupation and other important activities in their lives. This is because recovering from the trauma takes up most of their time and because the disfigurement they have to bear debilitates and handicaps them in every conceivable way.
The scars left by acid are not just skin deep, victims are most often faced with social isolation that further damages their self esteem, self-confidence and seriously undermines their professional and personal future. Global statistics crime indicates that women are widely victims of acid attack, and women who have survived have great difficulty in finding work and if unmarried, as many victims tend to be, they have very little chance of ever getting married.
Acid attack violence occurs in many countries but is particularly prevalent in: Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Cambodia. Some attacks are also reported in other nearby countries. For example, acid attacks have been reported in Afghanistan in the last several years.
Reasons for acid attacks vary but globally the highest rate of occurrence take place over disputes like family dispute, and refusal of relationship/ sex. The major victims of acid attack are women, followed by men, and also children have not escaped from the attack.
Sometimes domestic animals or birds are also victimized. Chemists mention that the most common types of acid used in these attacks are sulphuric, nitric, or hydrochloric acid. But after the attack on the British young women, Commissioner of Police - Zanzibar Mr Mussa Ali Mussa says acid from car batteries have been used.
"War against acid attack is challenging because acid is easily available from cars, but the current initiative to strengthen the law to restrict acid should be welcome . We support it," said Mussa. The Minister for Information and Tourism Mr Said Ali Mbarouk promised that the government was planning to review the law on possessing acid as the police pursue suspects of the acid attack on British women in Zanzibar. Zanzibar President Ali Mohammed Shein vowed to hunt the criminals trying to cause instability on the islands, saying "We will find them."
Addressing the traditional Eid Baraza (gathering) to mark the end of Ramadhan, Shein said that members of the community had responsibility to reveal the few people behind tarnishing the image of Zanzibar. Zanzibar depends on tourism and any attack on foreigners can scare away tourists, but the islands' authorities have assured all people and visitors that despite the acid attack, Zanzibar is still safe for visitors.
More than 75 per cent of the Zanzibar foreign cash is from tourism, while more than 12,000 Zanzibaris are employed directly in tourism - the island has more than 300 hotels with an additional 45,000 engaged in tourist activities.
The attack on Kate Gee and Kirstie Trup both of age 18, who came to Zanzibar as volunteers at the St Monica Nursery School, was a wakeup call to the authorities and security that acid attack crime is a big challenge.
At least four prominent Zanzibaris have been victims of acid attack, one being an elderly, Mohammed Omar Said who was attacked in May and another, Fadhil Suleiman Soraga, Secretary - Office of the Zanzibar Mufti in November last year. Fifteen years ago, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM)'s Mwinyi Msuko was attacked in Pemba, while former director - Zanzibar Municipal Council Rashid Ali Juma was one such victim about four years ago.
With the latest attack on the volunteers, everyone is now scared of the 'acid.' Despite police hunt for suspects in all incidents, unfortunately, no one has been charged while the victims remain with abnormality on the body.
However, the acid incidents have caused panic, even the police themselves are scared of being targeted. and some have opted to wear masks during any security operation, like evacuating petty traders (Machinga) from the Zanzibar town centre.
"We have to wear masks to avoid being recognized. People are complaining why we cover our faces during operation, but it is the only way to stay safe." Some members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives have complained against emerging habit by some security officers including Zanzibar paramilitary - KMKM, JKU, and Valantia saying their masks scare people.
The ministers responsible for security in Zanzibar Dr Mwinyihaji Makame Mwadini (paramilitary), and Mr Mohammed Aboud Mohammed (police) have on many occasions downplayed the issue of masked soldiers. Some soldiers who requested for anonymity, told the 'Daily News' that the acid attacks have prompted them to wear masks.
"It is scary. We have to protect ourselves because we are part of the society. We mix with people and taking precautions are important," said a security officer. Some people, including leaders say they have stopped walking alone, while some have hired body guards, in a bid to stay safe from the attack.
An acid attack is a form of violent assault, defined as the premeditated act of throwing acid or a similar corrosive substance onto the body of another "with the intention to disfigure, maim, torture, or kill."
Perpetrators of these attacks throw acid at their victims, usually at their face, burning them, and damaging skin tissue, often exposing and sometimes dissolving the bones. Psychologists and health experts say that long term consequences of these attacks may include blindness, as well as permanent scarring of the face and body, along with far-reaching social, psychological, and economic difficulties.
When acid is thrown on a person, the results can be horrifying. Nitric, hydrochloric, or sulphuric acids all have a catastrophic effect on human flesh. It causes the skin tissue to melt, often exposing the bones below the flesh.
When acid attacks the eyes, it damages these vital organs permanently. Many acid attack survivors have lost the use of one or both eyes. The victim is traumatized physically, psychologically and socially.
An acid attack on your body would dramatically change your life. Most survivors of an acid attack are forced to give up their education, their occupation and other important activities in their lives. This is because recovering from the trauma takes up most of their time and because the disfigurement they have to bear debilitates and handicaps them in every conceivable way.
The scars left by acid are not just skin deep, victims are most often faced with social isolation that further damages their self esteem, self-confidence and seriously undermines their professional and personal future. Global statistics crime indicates that women are widely victims of acid attack, and women who have survived have great difficulty in finding work and if unmarried, as many victims tend to be, they have very little chance of ever getting married.
Acid attack violence occurs in many countries but is particularly prevalent in: Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Cambodia. Some attacks are also reported in other nearby countries. For example, acid attacks have been reported in Afghanistan in the last several years.
Reasons for acid attacks vary but globally the highest rate of occurrence take place over disputes like family dispute, and refusal of relationship/ sex. The major victims of acid attack are women, followed by men, and also children have not escaped from the attack.
Sometimes domestic animals or birds are also victimized. Chemists mention that the most common types of acid used in these attacks are sulphuric, nitric, or hydrochloric acid. But after the attack on the British young women, Commissioner of Police - Zanzibar Mr Mussa Ali Mussa says acid from car batteries have been used.
"War against acid attack is challenging because acid is easily available from cars, but the current initiative to strengthen the law to restrict acid should be welcome . We support it," said Mussa. The Minister for Information and Tourism Mr Said Ali Mbarouk promised that the government was planning to review the law on possessing acid as the police pursue suspects of the acid attack on British women in Zanzibar. Zanzibar President Ali Mohammed Shein vowed to hunt the criminals trying to cause instability on the islands, saying "We will find them."
Addressing the traditional Eid Baraza (gathering) to mark the end of Ramadhan, Shein said that members of the community had responsibility to reveal the few people behind tarnishing the image of Zanzibar. Zanzibar depends on tourism and any attack on foreigners can scare away tourists, but the islands' authorities have assured all people and visitors that despite the acid attack, Zanzibar is still safe for visitors.
More than 75 per cent of the Zanzibar foreign cash is from tourism, while more than 12,000 Zanzibaris are employed directly in tourism - the island has more than 300 hotels with an additional 45,000 engaged in tourist activities.
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