Tanzanian police have detained opposition leaders and arrested at least 500 youth supporters as they halted a planned rally by the Chadema party in Mbeya. Former presidential candidate Tundu Lissu was among those arrested. The police claimed that violence was planned at the rally, which was meant to mark International Youth Day.
Opposition leader Freeman Mbowe condemned the arrests and called for the immediate and unconditional release of those detained. Critics argue that the arrests are evidence that democratic progress in Tanzania is stalling ahead of the 2025 elections. The opposition has been staging protests to address various issues, including controversial bills, high living costs, and the need for independent oversight of the electoral process.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who took office in 2021, has been praised for moving away from her predecessor’s hardline policies and initiating political reforms. In 2023, she lifted a ban on opposition rallies imposed by the late President John Magufuli in 2016. Lissu, who had been in exile following an assassination attempt in 2017, returned to Tanzania after the ban was lifted.
Chadema officials have called on President Hassan to intervene in the recent arrests. The youth wing had planned a gathering of about 10,000 youngsters, but the police banned it, accusing the party of planning violent demonstrations. The arrests have sparked concerns about the state of democracy in Tanzania and the treatment of opposition figures.
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