Tanzanian troops will continue to participate in international peacekeeping missions despite the recent tragedy in Darfur, Sudan, in which seven soldiers were killed in action.
President Jakaya Kikwete
President Jakaya Kikwete said this in Dar es Salaam, as he led hundreds at the sombre occassion to pay last respects to the fallen heroes.
He, however, said much emphasis would now focus on intensifying defensive military powers of the country’s troops on peacekeeping missions. Reports from Sudan said that 36 members of the Tanzanian contingent of soldiers and police was on July 13, ambushed by unknown gunmen some 20 km from Khor Abeche in South Darfur.
Seventeen others were wounded, including two women. Hundreds of people who turned out at the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) Headquarters in Upanga area in the city, were in sombre mood during the five-hour ceremony.
Also in attendance were the Vice-President, Dr Mohamed Gharib Bilal, Zanzibar Second Vice-President, Ambassador Seif Ali Iddi, Minister for Defence and National Service, Mr Shamsi Vuai Nahodha and several other military commanders and senior government officials.
“We should now let the bygones be bygones. This tragic incident should not make us lose morale. We are going to continue taking part in peacekeeping missions but with much emphasis on defensive powers,” the president reaffirmed.
Mr Kikwete described the incident as despicable and a criminal act, reassuring Tanzanians that its perpetrators would be apprehended and brought to justice. “When I received the report on this tragedy, I was deeply shocked and annoyed.
I wondered as to why the people of Darfur can execute such a brutal act on our soldiers who are there to keep peace for their welfare. “I am convinced that its perpetrators are criminals,” he stressed.
President Kikwete said he has communicated with the UN and the Sudanese government and was assured that the perpetrators would soon be booked. “The President of Sudan (Omar Al Bashir) has committed himself to pursue and arrest these criminals. Since the incident occurred in Sudan, we believe that people behind it are Sudanese.
“The Sudanese government has the responsibility to arrest them,” he said. Mr Kikwete, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, paid glowing tribute to Tanzanian men and commanders who were assigned in international peacekeeping missions for their good work.
“Our troops have earned a good reputation for the high degree of discipline and hard work, wherever they went. Their record is clean and this is not the first time for our soldiers to be killed in such missions,” he said. President Kikwete said prior to their deployment to unstable areas such as Darfur, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Lebanon, the soldiers were trained and given protective equipment.
He extended his condolences to the bereaved families and the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), General Davis Mwamunyange. President Kikwete commended the CDF for forming a team to probe the incident to find out in detail what transpired on the ground.
Mr Nahodha noted that the incident was a deliberate move to deter Tanzania from taking part in peacekeeping missions. He added that the ill motive will not materialise and that the country will continue to participate in peacekeeping missions. “The ministry will help in burying all the seven soldiers and help the grieved families in kind and resources,” he said.
By ABDULWAKIL SAIBOKO, Tanzania Daily News