Tanzanian gov't says its 8 citizens held in Malawi are not spies

The government of Tanzania said on Tuesday eight Tanzanians being held by authorities in Malawi were not spies but they were activists opposed to uranium extraction.

Augustine Mahiga, the east African nation's Minister for Foreign Affairs, East Africa, Regional and International Cooperation, refuted reports by Malawian media that the Tanzanians were spies.

"The government has established that the eight Tanzanians being held in Malawi are employees of a German- based non-governmental organisation which advocates for a stop in the extraction and use of uranium," the minister told Xinhua on phone.

Mahiga said the Tanzanians travelled to Malawi to seek more information on Uranium mining and its effects.

"So far we have established that they are anti-uranium activists who went to Malawi to seek more information on the uranium issue and the Malawian government has understood us, but maybe the authorities in Malawi want to ascertain themselves by going through documents of the Tanzanians," he said.

Mahiga said the Tanzanian ambassador in Malawi requested to see them in prison and he was granted the chance but he has not sent any feedback.

He said the German NGO was behind the sponsorship of their tour.

The eight Tanzanians were arrested in December last year in the border district of Karonga after they reportedly tried to enter a uranium mine in Malawi. It was later reported that they were taken to court.

Reports of their arrest were reported by Malawian media suggesting that the eight were spies sent by the Tanzanian government to investigate if the country "is developing nuclear weapons from uranium at Kayerekera mine site in Karonga District".

The Malawian media quoted anonymous security sources saying some of those arrested had "suspicious" devices, including a "heavy camera".

The reports also suggested that "the Tanzanian government is frustrated with Malawi's position of being unshaken with the issue of Lake Nyasa border dispute between the two southern African neighbouring countries.

Malawian police were quoted as saying the Tanzanians did not give satisfying answers when asked them what they wanted at the mine.

This was the second time Tanzanians were arrested for trying to visit the mine in Malawi, recently, according to Malawian media report, a group of university students from Tanzania under the Moravian Church were also blocked from visiting the mine site, which is currently closed. Enditem