Tanzania has banned activities along the Kagera river, which divides it from Rwanda, after 59 Tanzanians were reported missing.

There are fears among communities that the 59 may have been captured by a group seeking to control activities such as fishing and sailing across in the river.

Karagwe District Commissioner Godfrey Mwalukwa said the ban would be in force until Tanzania starts patrols along the river.

“I have ordered a halt to marine activities until the government installs patrol boats on the River Kagera,’’ Mr Mwalukwa told Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation.

Officials in Karagwe and Kyerwa districts claimed scores of women had reported their husbands missing, fearing they could have been been killed in the river and in Mbali island.

TBC showed footage of people with bullet wounds, including a Rwandan who said she had fled from a militia that shot her baby dead.

Christina Mwangosi, deputy head of government communications in the Tanzanian Ministry of Home Affairs, said the ministry had ordered investigations into the alleged abductions and killings.

The Rwandan Embassy in Tanzania had not responded to our questions at the time of going to press.

Rwanda and Tanzania relations have thawed since the coming to power of President John Magufuli. When he made his trip to Rwanda in April, he and his host President Paul Kagame opened a common border post of Rusumo along River Kagera.

READ: Trade, renewed relations as Magufuli visits Kigali

Meanwhile, Tanzania has banned an open market within the Burundian refugee camp in Kibondo following a demonstration by Tanzanians residing around the camp who claim that at least four of their compatriots have been robbed and killed by refugees.

Refugees

The District Commissioner for Kibondo, Peter Bura has ordered a closure of an open market inside Nduta camp which hosts a Burundian population of 53,497 following allegations of killings made by Tanzanian demonstrators residing in villages around the camp.

Government authorities in the district say that a Tanzanian was recently killed at the market in the refugee camp in what seemed as a revenge carried out by Burundian refugees over a killing of their colleague which took place in one of surrounding villages.

UNHCR says there is at least 250,473 Burundians who have fled to the neighbouring countries of Tanzania, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Rwanda and Zambia since President Pierre Nkurunziza opted for a third term in the office.