L'impérialisme chinois avance ses cartes.
Les populations locales reprochent aux autorités de ne pas utiliser le gaz pour les intérêts locaux.
La semaine dernière la population s'est révolté, à l'issue d'une manifestation pacifique, contre les policiers et les autorités locales en s'en prenant aux foyers de leurs représentants.
Après plusieurs jours de troubles l' "ordre" a été restauré.
Pipeline Riots Leave 7 Dead in Tanzania
By NICHOLAS BARIYO
KAMPALA, Uganda—Days of riots over the construction of a 310-mile Chinese-funded natural-gas pipeline in Tanzania have left seven people dead, but the development will continue, officials said Monday.
The riots mark an escalation of local tensions as the East African nation attempts to start exploiting recently discovered offshore natural-gas reserves.
The pipeline is planned to run from the impoverished southern region of Mtwara to the port city of Dar es Salaam, where the fuel is to be used to boost power plants and help end years of chronic power shortages, the government says.
Mtwara residents want the government to use the fuel to stimulate their local economy first, and were angered by the government's decision to proceed with construction despite local resistance.
Peaceful demonstrations in Mtwara last week degenerated into chaos after protesters began targeting the residences of policemen and local government officials. By Sunday, at least seven people had been killed, including one policeman, and dozens had been arrested, a police spokesman said. Activists said the death toll could be higher.
Yona Maro, a rights activist in Dar es Salaam, said residents believe the pipeline will deprive them of any benefits that could come from finding the natural resource.
"There are high levels of poverty and unemployment in Mtwara, people see this pipeline as an entity that will disadvantage them," Mr. Maro said.
Tanzania's government is implementing the pipeline as a "high-priority project" , Deputy Information Minister Amos Makala said. "Some selfish politicians are inciting the population against the government, this is unacceptable" he said.
After days of rioting, police had managed to restore order in Mtwara on Sunday, Mr. Makala said. He said pipeline construction work would continue.
The $1.2 billion project is being funded by China Export-Import Bank. Construction started in November and the project is expected to be commissioned early 2014.
Canada-based Wentworth Resources, WRL.OS +6.52% which operates the Mnazi gas fields in Mtwara, said in November that it was completing an agreement to supply 80 million cubic feet of natural gas to the pipeline. Company officials couldn't return calls or emails seeking comment about the riots.
Tanzania has enjoyed relative stability and peace for years, but the recent discovery of huge gas reserves has heightened tensions among local residents.
Mainland Tanzania is also embroiled in a spat with the semiautonomous archipelago of Zanzibar over sharing future oil and gas revenue. The feud continues to hamper the commencement of exploration activities by Royal Dutch Shell RDSB.LN +0.44% PLC, which holds a license near the archipelago.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that East Africa's coastal region holds up to 441 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
