Curfew reported after Zanzibar island violence

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (Reuters) -- The small Tumbatu island off Zanzibar has been placed under curfew after violence between rival groups over registration for next October's Tanzanian presidential election, Tanzania's Guardian newspaper reported on Sunday.

The curfew was imposed on Saturday on Tumbatu, which has a population of 12,000, after clashes which started on Friday between supporters of the ruling CCM (Revolutionary) party and the opposition Civic United Front (CUF).

The CCM supporters alleged that they had been denied access to the voter registration exercise and that all those registered on the island so far were members of the CUF, the newspaper said.

Fighting broke out at a registration centre, and police reinforcements were called in to restore order.

After a bloody revolution that overthrew its Arab Sultan, The Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar joined with mainland Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. Zanzibar retains a large measure of autonomy, with its own parliament, in addition to membership of the Tanzanian government and parliament.

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