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Tanzanian Police Crackdown on Opposition Party Ahead of Elections

In a worrying sign for human rights in Tanzania, the country’s police have arrested 375 members and supporters of the main opposition party, the Party for Democracy and Progress (Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo, or Chadema), over the past week. The arrests took place ahead of the party’s planned International Youth Day celebration in the city of Mbeya.

Among those arrested were former presidential candidate Tundu Lissu, party chairman Freeman Mbowe, party youth wing leader John Pambalu, and several journalists. The police claimed they were banning the event because it was intended to “breach the peace,” citing a recent statement from a Chadema youth wing mobilization coordinator that referenced the recent youth-led protests in neighboring Kenya.

However, the authorities allowed another International Youth Day celebration organized by the ruling party to take place two days earlier in Zanzibar. The police later released Lissu, Mbowe, and other party leaders without criminal charges following questioning, but this clampdown is a bad sign as Tanzania prepares for local elections later this year and general elections in 2025.

The arrests are a setback for human rights in Tanzania, which had shown some improvement under President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who took office after President John Magufuli’s death in March 2021. However, progress has been inconsistent, with the government still failing to prosecute security force personnel for human rights abuses.

The rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly are safeguarded by the Tanzanian constitution and regional and international treaties that the country has ratified. The authorities should reverse this troubling trend and ensure that the political opposition and other critics of the government enjoy these fundamental rights.

As Tanzania prepares for elections, it is crucial that the government respects the rights of its citizens and allows for peaceful political activity. The international community should also hold the government accountable for upholding human rights and democratic principles.