DAR ES SALAAM -- The route of the Beijing Olympic torch relay in the Tanzanian largest city of Dar es Salaam will stretch from Dar es Salaam railway station of the TAZARA to the Tanzanian national stadium, the Chinese embassy in Tanzania confirmed on Saturday.
Members of the local Chinese community wave flags as the plane carrying the Olympic flame lands at Dar es Salaam airport April 12, 2008. [Agencies] |
The torch relay in Dar es Salaam dubbed as "harbor of peace" will cover a total of five kilometers and last about two hours.
It is scheduled to be kicked off at 2:00 p.m. local time (1100 GMT) in the Dar es Salaam railway station.
The first torch bearer will be Tanzanian Minister of State for Union Affairs in Vice President's Office Mohamed Seif Khatib.
The one to carry the torch to the destination will be UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-HABITAT Anna Tibaijuka, the first African woman elected by the UN General Assembly to the position of UN under-secretary-general, Chinese Ambassador Liu Xinsheng said.
Tanzanian Vice President Ali Mohamed Shein, Dar es Salaam Mayor Adam Kimbisa, Chairman of Tanzanian Olympic Committee Gulam Rashid and Ambassador Liu will take part in the ceremony of the torch relay.
Kimbisa and Liu are also among the 80 torch bearers in Dar es Salaam. Liu said both the starting point and the destination of the torch relay in Dar es Salaam display the long-lasting Chinese-Tanzanian friendship. The two buildings have been regarded as representatives of the city along the Indian Ocean.
The Dar es Salaam station is the starting point of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA) dubbed as "Uhuru Railway" which means Freedom Failway in Swahili.
The world-famous railway links Dar es Salaam and New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia. It was built between 1970 and 1975 with the help of the Chinese government and Chinese people.
The National Stadium of Tanzania was a large sports facility built with Chinese help in recent years.
Liu also said the Tanzanian government has attached great importance to the security measures and made good preparation in this regard.
The Beijing Olympic flame is scheduled to arrive in Dar es Salaam on Saturday night from Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina.
