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Three journalists were arrested by police in the Mara region while following up on ethnic clashes in the Tarime district. The arrested journalists are Dismas Ayuke of the daily Kiswahili private paper "Majira", Erick Nampesya of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), and Richard Mgamba of the Nairobi-based English weekly private paper "The East African".

Reports of their arrest were made public by Mwanza Press Club (MPC) Chairman Abubakar Karsan during an extraordinary journalists' meeting called by MPC. Karsan said the journalists were arrested on August 22 apparently on a directive by the Tarime District Commissioner, Pascal Mabiti, at Nyamongo village, which hosts the Africa Mashariki Gold Mine (AMGM). He said the charges filed against their colleagues were not clear yet but reports from Tarime said the three were taken to court on August 24.
On August 24, Mabiti denied giving the order when MPC contacted him by phone. The acting Mara regional police commander also said he was not aware of the arrests.
The journalists left the city of Mwanza for Mara last Monday August 20 after reports that some 50 people had been arrested and buried in one huge grave.

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