A son of Major Khatib Mshindo weeps beside the coffin bearing his
father’s body at Lugalo Military Hospital in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
Hundreds of people paid their last respects to the fallen soldier, who
was killed in eastern DRC last week
. PHOTO | MICHAEL JAMSON
By Frank Aman, The Citizen Correspondent
(email the author)
Posted Monday, September 2 2013 at 10:31
Posted Monday, September 2 2013 at 10:31
In Summary
The Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) officer
was part of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (Monusco).
Dar es Salaam. Hundreds of mourners yesterday
paid their last respects to Major Khatib Mshindo, who was killed by
rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last week.
The Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF)
officer was part of the United Nations Organization Stabilization
Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Monusco).
His death brought back memories of the killing in
July in an ambush of seven Tanzanian soldiers, who were part of the
African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur.
Yesterday was a sad day for the late officer’s
family and relatives, who could not hold back tears as the casket
bearing his body was placed in a military vehicle for the trip to Julius
Nyerere International Airport from where it was flown to Zanzibar for
burial scheduled later in the day.
Speaking after leading mourners in paying their
last respects at Lugalo Military Hospital, Foreign Affairs and
International Cooperation minister Bernard Membe said Tanzania was
deeply concerned by the deteriorating security in eastern DRC. He said
it was sad that Major Mshindo was killed while on a peacekeeping mission
in the DRC. “Tanzania is saddened by this attack that led to the
killing of our soldier who went to keep peace in the DRC,” said Mr
Membe.
He described the late Major Mshindo, who died in a
grenade attack, as a true patriot who was dedicated to serving his
country selflessly, adding that Tanzania would continue with its role in
various peacekeeping missions in Africa. “What happened in Darfur and
DRC strengthens our resolve to bring peace to Africa’s troubled areas,”
Mr Membe said.
The Chief of Defence Forces, General Davis Mwamunyange, said Major Mshindo died while representing the country in a noble cause.
He said TPDF invested a lot in soldiers through training and exposure before sending them on UN peacekeeping missions.
In March this year, the United Nations Security
Council authorised the creation of a special brigade of 17,000
comprising soldiers from South Africa and Tanzania with a mandate to
fight the M23 rebels.
A contingent of about 100 Tanzanian soldiers is in
the eastern DRC as part of the United Nations mission aimed at
neutralising armed groups in the trouble area.
The M23 rebel is made up mostly of Congolese Tutsi
of Rwandan origin. The rebels were under a 2009 peace agreement made
part of the DRC army but broke ranks in April last year.
source: The citizen
source: The citizen
