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Masha: Give us reports on illegal immigrants
2008-02-26 09:43:05
By Rose Mwalongo in Ngara
The government has called upon people living around the country`s borders to be patriotic and report about illegal immigrants in order to maintain peace and security.
Home Affairs Minister Lawrence Masha made the remarks in Ngara last week when responding to a question on reports that the area was a security threat to the country.
Masha reassured residents near the borders that the government would do all it could to ensure safety adding, ``people should not fear but rather should be keen to see who gets in and report to the police or Immigration Office.``
``I call upon the residents to be patriotic. Closing the refugees`camps does not mean that the residents should relax. We have the duty to protect them but can do so easily with the collaboration of the local people,`` said Masha.
Responding on allegations that refugees were responsible for criminal activities, Masha said such acts were also in other areas where there were no refugees.
He said that some refugees or illegal immigrants most often involved themselves in criminal activities with the assistance of Tanzanians.
``My ministry will always educate residents living near the borders on immigration rules and regulations.
Let us remember that there is always a possibility of criminal activities whenever there are people without hope nearby,`` said Masha in regard to some Burundians who flee in the country where they commit crime.
A number of residents speaking to `The Guardian` called upon the government to strengthen security on the borders saying some Burundi armed people crossed into the country where they terrorise villagers and steal food and cattle.
Abeid Shija from Kahama mentioned Ushiru Rombo, Luzewe Forest, Karagwe and Biharamulo highways as some of the most dangerous places in the country.
``We usually keep our hands closed when we travel in those areas.
Bandits normally emerge from thick forests and hijack buses, beat passengers and snatch everything in their possession. I call upon the government to use the army to curb crime around the area.
Most of those bandits employ military tactics which the police cannot withstand,`` said Shija.
Yusufu Hussein Kingwe from Karagwe called upon the government to continue with the exercise of disarming the thugs through its campaign of collecting all weapons in the area.
He said there was a time when they saw people carrying sub machine guns on account that they did so for self defence saying some of them used the same weapons to steal from the villagers.
``Some of them threaten to kill the villagers if they don`t give them food and money. In most cases the villagers have no option but to give them or else risk dying,`` said Kingwe.
Kingwe applauded the government`s move to repatriate the refugees, saying many of them were involved in criminal activities.
Commenting, a driver working for an international refugee organization who preferred anonymity said security was a big threat around the area.
He said there had been times when bandits hijacked trucks and raped drivers whenever they found them with no means to defend themselves.
The driver narrated to this reporter that bandits attacked him more than three times during which in one of the incidents they once hijacked his car and left him in a forest after tying him.
He later got assistance from his office after they became worried and decided to trace him along the highway.
Masha said he did not find reasons for the military to intervene adding that security on around the border was tight and the police were armed ready to deal with the bandits.
This reporter and four other journalists drove from Ngara to Kibondo under police escorts. The situation was similar as the car drove to Kasulu.
Biharamulo and Ngara roads are well known for hijacking due to the presence of bandits who use the thick forests along the ways to hide.
Research indicates that it has been hard to tell whether it is people around the borders or Burundians who are involved in the criminal acts due to the resemblance in culture and language.
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