Tanzanian MP John Malacela has warned that former army officers could be tempted to serve as mercenaries in neighbouring countries.

According to the Tanzanian Guardian newspaper, The Tanzanian, parliament was told on Tuesday that men are being employed by the DR Congo and Ugandan armies.

This was contained, the paper said, in a report from the Parliamentary Defence and Security Committee.

But Mr Malacela, who serves as the chairman of the committee, told the BBC's Focus on Africa that he did not tell parliament that Tanzanians were serving as mercenaries.

"I didn't make any allegations. All I said was that officers, senior army officers, should be looked after so they didn't get into temptation of being utilised elsewhere," he told the BBC programme.

Mr Malacela had been quoted by the Guardian as saying that if Tanzanians served as mercenaries then this could endanger Tanzania's own security.

But such a development could do more than that

Regional specialists believe that Tanzania's reputation as an honest broker and as a strictly neutral party in the conflicts afflicting its neighbours would be damaged by Tanzanian soldiers serving as mercenaries for forces outside the country.

Thousands of Burundians have fled the fighting

In recent weeks the Burundian foreign minister has accused Tanzania of allowing Burundi rebels to use its territory to launch attacks into Burundi.

The government in Bujumbura has often accused Tanzania of arming and training Hutu rebels.

And if any that Tanzanians are working as mercenaries in Africa this would shed a new light on the profile of the so-called "dogs of war".

The image of mercenaries in Africa over the last 40 years has been of white soldiers from former colonial powers - particularly Belgium France or Britain - fighting to support African dictators or rebel movements or, more recently, of former South African special forces soldiers being paid to fight in Angola and Sierra Leone.

Look after soldiers

Reporting his speech to parliament, the Guardian quoted John Malacela as saying: "It is very dangerous for Tanzania to simply let her retired soldiers to be recruited abroad and used as mercenaries".

The defence committee put forward the suggestion that the government should develop a policy for utilising the ex-army officers to Tanzania's benefit, employing the men either inside the country or for roles abroad.

Mr Malacela was questioned closely by Focus on what he told parliament. Asked if he had said Tanzanians were serving as mercenaries, he said: "No, I am not saying that." But he did not say that no Tanzanians were serving as mercenaries.

Asked again, he replied, "What I am saying is let us look after our retired soldiers well, so that they don't get into temptation of being utilised elsewhere as mercenaries.

"But I am not saying they are being used - no."

Artillery

The defence committee report also warned of the dangers to Tanzania of the continuing fighting in Burundi and in areas of DR Congo near to the Tanzanian border.

The upsurge in fighting in Burundi in recent weeks has led to strained relations between Burundi and Tanzania.

Are they being drilled by Tanzanian officers ?

Tanzania denies Burundian accusations of aiding the Hutu rebels.

But the BBC's John Ngahyoma in Dar es Salaam says that the accusations have become more serious as the rebels have started using heavier artillery weapons than previously.

Critical

The parliamentary report has taken people by surprise.

Ahmed Rajab of the London-based Africa Analysis told BBC Online that he was surprised by the idea of Tanzanians serving as mercenaries, although he was aware that Tanzania had been giving assistance with training the DR Congo armed forces.

In the past, Tanzania has been very critical of the use of mercenaries in Africa.

In June, it sent back to France 12 suspected mercenaries whose plane had landed in Dar es Salaam while on its way to Madagascar.

The Tanzanian Defence Minister, Professor Philemon Sarungi, is in Dodoma to attend parliament but has so far made no public comment on the report.