Intelligence Insights: What Happened to #AzoryGwanda, a Tanzanian Journalist who "Disappered" in November 2017 While Investagating "MKIRU Killings"?
Analysis by Evarist Chahali
What happened?
Mr Gwanda, a Tanzanian correspondent with Mwananchi Communications Limited (MCL), publishers of local papers Mwananchi, The Citizen and MwanaSpoti, when he disappeared, is believed to have been taken away by unknown people at the height of a mop-up operation in Kibiti District four years ago where killings were taking place.
He had been reporting cases of unexplained killings in Kibiti in the months leading up to his disappearance.
What did authorities say by then?
The Tanzanian government has claimed time and again that it was investigating his case and that of other reported missing individuals, but there have not been any substantive updates.
“There is no report which is separately prepared on Azory Gwanda,” government chief spokesman Gerson Msigwa was quoted as telling journalists on October 18, 2021.
Is Azory Dead?
In an interview with the BBC’s ‘Focus on Africa’ on July 10, 2019, Foreign Affairs Minister Palamagamba Kabudi said that Gwanda had “disappeared and died” in the eastern area of Rufiji, adding that the government has since “been able to contain that kind of extremism” in the region.
This prompted the CPJ to call on the government to provide a detailed public account of Gwanda’s fate. Prof Kabudi later retracted his statement by saying that it was misinterpreted and that what he meant was that what happened in the region was painful experiences which led to several people disappearing and others dying.
.@pressfreedom today called on the Tanzanian government to provide a detailed public account of the fate of freelance journalist Azory Gwanda after the country's foreign minister, Palamagamba Kabudi, said in an interview that the journalist is dead. https://t.co/kzC4fQT4I6
— CPJ Africa (@CPJAfrica) July 10, 2019
On July 10, #Tanzania-n foreign minister Palamagamba Kabudi broke with the script of non-answers and dismissals that officials have stuck to whenever questioned about Gwanda. To @BBCAfrica, Kabudi claimed that #AzoryGwanda had died. #WhereIsAzory? https://t.co/kzC4fQT4I6
— CPJ Africa (@CPJAfrica) July 21, 2019
Intelligence insights
To understand what could have happened to Mr Gwanda requires to look into what he was investigating when he "disappeared." Fortunately, a Tanzanian intelligence analyst, Evarist Chahali, wrote an indepth intelligence report on the MKIRU KILLINGS.
Unfortunately, the report is still in Swahili although efforts are being made to translate it into English
Uncovering the lid: it's 2017, something sinister is happening at MKIRU, that's Mkuranga, Kibiti and Rufiji districts in the Coast Region where after spate of killings of police officers, 100s of innocent civilians were murdered in special govt op involving TISS, TPDF and police pic.twitter.com/Pe5wn9GpF2
— Jasusi (@Chahali) October 3, 2021
Holding Magufuli accountable: What exactly happened at #MKIRU (Mkuranga, Kibiti and Rufiji) in 2017?
— Jasusi (@Chahali) March 23, 2021
👉 Mkiru Matrix Drawn Down pic.twitter.com/VmH6Y1q3hy
#MKIRU Killings: Analysis of Competing Hypotheses (ACH) https://t.co/r9DxT4jdhO pic.twitter.com/dEg5tvpf9p
— Jasusi (@Chahali) March 23, 2021
In 2017, massacres (some say was genocide) happened simultaneously at Mkuranga, Kibiti and Rufiji districts in Coast Region, Tanzania. That got #Jasusi working, and came up with this intel analysis 👉Uchambuzi wa Kiintelijensia Kuhusu Mauaji Ya #MKIRU 2017 https://t.co/CCDpWJNbps pic.twitter.com/Ct2xyQ7YsN
— Jasusi (@Chahali) March 23, 2021
I think one of civic duties as Tanzanians is for each and everyone of us to turn sleuths of sorts, and find answer to this burning question: "just how many people have been killed since 2015 when @MagufuliJP got into power." We could as well start with #MKIRU. Over to you, folks! pic.twitter.com/l8Ig7sQozQ
— Jasusi (@Chahali) November 21, 2020
Either @MagufuliJP is exceedingly lucky to avoid being reported to @IntlCrimCourt following the #MKIRU massacre or Tanzanians are useless when it comes to demanding justice. But it not only sets bad precedent but also gives the tyrant incentive to pursue his authoritarian agenda pic.twitter.com/jbfweE4ATt
— Jasusi (@Chahali) November 21, 2020
Evil legacy: Some of Magufuli's victims. Many more remain unaccounted for. And there are 1000s of innocent people languishing in various prisons in Tanzania. Mama @SuluhuSamia must make sure this never happens again#WhereIsAzory#Akwilina#MamaErickKabendera#MKIRU pic.twitter.com/oZ11bZ0Ico
— Jasusi (@Chahali) March 19, 2021
For the world to get to the truth not just about what actually happened at MKIRU, and to Mr Gwanda, and to "unknown numbers of the dissapered under the brutal Magufuli regime," there must be genuine interest among Tanzanians, particularly in the media. However, unfortunately, that is unlikely to happen.
Previous efforts to demand the truth went hugely unsupported and caught little attention from the public.
Video: These are documents I have enclosed with my #MKIRU and #AzoryGwanda petition to the UN Human Rights Commissioner | Hizi ndio nyaraka nilizoambatanisha kwenye #PetitionYaMKIRU na #AzoryGwanda niliyotumia leo kwa Kamishna wa Haki za Binadamu huko Umoja wa Mataifa pic.twitter.com/eUid1vI1Bw
— Jasusi (@Chahali) July 9, 2018
It is therefore nearly unimaginable to think of President Samia Suluhu Hassan's government forming an independent commission of inquiry to investigate, among other things, the disappearances, including Mr Azory's, and other alleged injustices which occured during the Magufuli 5-year and 3-month tenure.