Tourist industry in northern Tanzania to receive extra protection from Police

Monday 5th November 2007

The Inspector General of police in Tanzania has promised to boost police numbers in tourist areas.

The announcement follows an attack last week in the Ngorongoro Conservation area in which several shops in Ngoile Village were raided by gangs of heavily armed bandits.

Though the attack was not aimed at tourists, the raid led to panic amongst tour operators that this event could mean the start of a crimewave against tourist-related businesses.

The Inspector General, Saidi Mwema, made his announcement in Arusha, the centre of the tourist industry in northern Tanzania from where safaris to Ngorongoro, the Serengeti and other national parks are organized, and where many Kilimanjaro operators are based.

“We will ensure the safety of tourists within and outside the national parks. There is no wavering on this,” he said.

Three of the suspects in the Ngorogoro raid were gunned down the day after the attack. Many of those living in northern Tanzania suspect the involvement of criminals from neighbouring Kenya, a suspicion that was seemingly confirmed in July of this year with the arrest of two known Kenyan felons for a raid on a bank at Mwanga in July. This in turn led to the uncovering of a crime syndicate involving gangs from both sides of the border.

Kilimanjaro itself is one of the safer national parks in Tanzania, with the last recorded robbery occurring several years ago. The introduction of armed guards to escort trekkers on the remote Shira/Lemosho and Rongai routes undoubtedly helped to curb raids by locals, though recent reports suggest that armed guards are no longer compulsory for trekking groups and are seldom seen on the mountain these days.

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