Masked men reportedly torched a radio station in Zanzibar on Thurday, amid on-going negotiations to strike a deal on Tanzania’s semi-autonomous island, after elections were scrapped.
The gand of about 15 men are said to have broken into the privately-owned Hits FM radio station in the early hours of Thursday morning, drenching broadcast equipment in petrol before setting them on fire.
“It was swift action, lasting about 15 minutes – they covered my face including mouth with a piece of cloth, and ordered me not to say anything,” said radio journalist Ali Abdalla.
The police said that they have launched investigation into the attack and are hunting for the gang, adding that the motive for the attack is still not known.
Zanzibar has experienced sectarian and political tensions in recent years, including recent grenade explosions, with the unrest affecting the islands’ key tourist industry.
No date has been set for new elections.
