Tanzania's hopes of avoiding controversy were dashed after Wangari Maathai the Nobel peace laureate, withdrew from the event. Maathai, a Kenyan environmentalist, had agreed to be a torchbearer on tomorrow's three-mile route through the commercial capital, after learning of Beijing's attempt to host a "green" Olympics. But yesterday she said the torch had become "a symbol of disunity".
"I have decided to show solidarity with other people on the issues of human rights in Sudan's Darfur region, Tibet and Burma."
The Tanzanian relay is the torch's only stop in Africa. So far there have been no suggestions from local activists that they will stage protests.
413渥京集会:集体乘巴士部分地址有变