The Zanzibar police commissioner, Mussa Ali Mussa, claimed to the press that his department has seized
twenty nine litres of acid from different people who were illegally in possession of it. Acid in Zanzibar has been used as a weapon for committing crimes whereby it is poured on it victims aiming at the particularly on the face.
Below is the street scene of Stone Town in Zanzibar where the acid attack occured
There are many reported cases where acid is used. It was last month when two young female British volunteers were badly burned when acid was thrown in their faces by a man in a motorcycle. Three weeks ago a Catholic priest was again attacked and badly injured in the fifth acid attack in Zanzibar since November.
The police commissioner claimed that the seized suspects have links to terrorist groups of Al-Qaeda and Al-Shabaab but did not provide any evidence. However Ahmeid Rajab, the managing director of the Somali satellite television network said that Zanzibar is unlikely to have an al-Qaeda or al-Shabaab presence. He also claimed that neither al-Shabbab nor al-Qaeda use acid to advance their goals or in this case their victims.
Ahmeid Rajab added that the police are looking for an excuse so as to escape blame for failing to arrest the real suspects instead their are going for the innocent people. It has also been noted that those caught with the acid include school teachers who posses acid as part of their teaching resources.
Mohammed Hafidh who is an economist also supported Ahmeid Rajab by saying that he doubts the validity of the police commissioner's statement that the acid attacks do not bare the hallmarks of al_Qaeda and al-Shabaab attacks because the two groups are known for deadly and large-scale attacks.
In the recent past tourism which is Zanzibar's main economic activity in Zanzibar has been dropping due to the acid attacks especially after the two incident of the two British volunteers went world wide. Mr Hafidh added that Zanzibar draws visitors from all over the world attracted by the archipelago's history and the sandy white beaches on the shores of Indian Ocean. The Island also boasts a mixture of African, Indian and Arabian cultures.
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