Hundreds of mourners have taken part in a ceremony to bury Clemence Mtenga, a Tanzanian who was living in Israel.
The 22-year-old agriculture student has been laid to rest in Kirwa Village, in Tanzania’s northern district of Rombo, surrounded by his family.
It remains unclear how he died but Clemence was killed following Hamas’s attacks on Israel on 7 October.
Clemence had arrived in Israel as part of a study programme just one month before the attack, and was due to graduate from Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania last week.
His family and the local community had high hopes his agricultural experience would help many in this village where agriculture is a lifeline.
Clemence’s father, Felix Mtenga, described his death as “a wound that won’t heal in my soul”.
“He was my beacon of hope and unwavering support. I gave all to ensure a promising future for my son. Now, with nowhere to turn, I don’t know what to do.”
While the Mtenga family mourns Clemence’s death, fellow Tanzanian student Joshua Mollel remains missing and his family have many unanswered questions about his safety and wellbeing.
Meanwhile the representative for Tanzania’s foreign ministry, Wilson Gwoma, says Tanzania will make sure the remaining Tanzanians in Israel are safe.
Dvora Yarkoni – the Deputy Ambassador of Israel in Kenya accredited to Tanzania – said Clemence’s loss was “painful”.
It’s estimated that around 1,200 people were killed on the first day of attack, with gunmen taking about 240 hostages. Israel’s foreign ministry had said that Clemence was one of two Tanzanians thought to be among this group.