A Catholic priest in Zanzibar was hospitalized with burns to his face and body after an assailant threw acid on him as he was leaving an Internet cafe. He had been threatened during the past two months and had reported the threats. President Shein ordered police to expedite investigations into the rise in acid attacks; five such attacks have been reported since November. A moderate Muslim cleric who was attacked has blamed the Islamist group Uamsho. The government’s chemical agency has vowed to crack down on chemical dealers due to the rising use of chemicals as ”weapons,” but has been hampered by staff shortages.
