In pictures: Tanzania torch relay

The Olympic Torch has been carried through the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam, with no sign of the pro-Tibet protests that affected earlier processions in Europe and North America.

There was a large police presence along the route and officials cut the procession from 25km (15 miles) to just 5km (3 miles), blaming heavy rain.

The torch was lit by Vice-President Ali Mohamed Shein and passed to minister Mohamed Seif Khatib, who led the team of about 80 athletes that also included a UN under-secretary general.

About 1,000 people marched alongside the runners, waving Olympic flags and chanting slogans of support. They were seemingly unperturbed by the weather.

One controversy was the withdrawal of Kenyan Nobel peace prize winner Wangari Maathai, who said the Olympic flame had now become a symbol of disunity.

Some also protested against the importation of counterfeit goods from China.

The Dar es Salaam leg was the only stop on the African continent for the torch as it heads to the Games' host city of Beijing.

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