Opinion differs over cause of Zanzibar bombings

Following a turbulent month on the semi autonomous island of Zanzibar, there continued to be disagreement over who is behind a recent spate of bombings and attacks and what their motives might be. While the Tanzanian government said the violence was politically motivated, the police maintained that they could not yet rule out extreme religious groups that were potentially being supported and funded from abroad. However, the Civic United Front (CUF), the main opposition party, said it believed that those responsible for the violence were people concerned about the implementation of democratic systems of government on Zanzibar. "I am really wondering whether those responsible don't want the successful implementation of the Muafaka [agreement] and the establishment of a permanent voters' register," Ibrahim Lipumba, CUF chairman, told IRIN on Friday. "These could be people within the system who have something to lose if this progress continues," he said.