Tensions rise in Tanzania as police crackdown on opposition protests over alleged killings: Video
Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, faced a heavy crackdown on Monday, September 23, as riot police were deployed across key areas of Dar es Salaam to prevent planned protests.
Despite an official ban on demonstrations, Chadema had vowed to proceed, citing grievances over the alleged kidnapping and killing of its members by security forces, as reported by AFP.
Freeman Mbowe, Chadema's chairman, and Tundu Lissu, the party's vice chairman, were both detained by police. Mbowe was arrested while addressing the media on Monday, while Lissu was taken into custody at his Dar es Salaam residence hours before the planned rally.
Journalists covering the protests were also reportedly detained, according to Tanzanian news outlet The Citizen.
In a statement released on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Chadema demanded the immediate release of its members, stating, “Protesting is not a crime.”
The opposition party has accused President Samia Suluhu Hassan's government of failing to protect its citizens and reverting to the repressive tactics of her predecessor, John Magufuli.
President Hassan, who assumed office in March 2021 following Magufuli's sudden death, initially appeared to usher in a more liberal era by lifting restrictions on opposition activities and the media.
However, Chadema claims that security forces are responsible for the recent disappearances of several of its members, including Ali Mohamed Kibao, a member of the party’s national secretariat, who was found dead after being beaten and doused in acid earlier this month, according to the party.
