Tanzanian authorities have initiated a large-scale arrest campaign against prominent opposition figures following protests linked to last month’s presidential and parliamentary elections, which reportedly resulted in hundreds of deaths. The police have placed ten leaders of the Chadema opposition party on a wanted list, accusing them of planning violent acts that threaten public security.
Tanzanian authorities have launched a widespread arrest campaign against prominent opposition figures in connection with protests that accompanied last month’s presidential and parliamentary elections, which reportedly resulted in hundreds of deaths, according to the main opposition party and human rights organizations.
The Tanzanian police stated in a report that they have placed ten leaders of the Chadema opposition party on a wanted list, including the party’s secretary-general, John Mnyika, and his deputy, as well as the communications director. They are accused of “planning violent acts that threaten public security.”
The statement confirmed that “police forces, in collaboration with other defense and security agencies, continue a serious pursuit to locate all those who planned, coordinated, and executed this wicked act.”
This development follows a day after the public prosecutor’s office charged 145 individuals with “treason,” while judicial sources indicated that the number of defendants in cases related to the unrest has exceeded 250 in three separate files, including charges of “treason and conspiracy to commit treason.”
According to the charges, most of the detainees are accused of attempting to “disrupt the general elections of 2025” on the polling day, which is set for October 29, by committing “acts of intimidation against the executive authority.”
Hundreds appeared before a Dar es Salaam court yesterday, while defense attorney Peter Kibatala confirmed that authorities are seeking to “criminalize the opposition” and suppress any future protest movements.
The Chadema party stated that security forces killed more than 800 people during the crackdown on protests, while diplomatic and security sources suggested that the toll could be higher, reaching into the thousands.
The government described these figures as “exaggerated” and refrained from announcing an official death toll.
President Samia Suluhu officially won 98% of the votes after excluding her main rivals from the race, which the opposition deemed an “electoral farce.” Meanwhile, authorities blocked internet access for five consecutive days and prevented the circulation of images of the victims, before they spread widely on social media earlier this week.
The leader of the Chadema party, Tundu Lissu, who was excluded from the presidential race last April, had previously been charged with treason, and his exclusion, along with that of other competitors, is seen as the spark that ignited the recent wave of public anger in the country.
Tanzania has faced significant political unrest in recent years, particularly surrounding elections. The 2020 presidential election was marred by allegations of fraud and suppression of dissent, leading to widespread protests.
The government has been criticized for its heavy-handed approach to opposition, with reports of violence against protesters and arrests of political leaders. This ongoing tension reflects deeper issues within Tanzania’s political landscape, where opposition parties struggle against a dominant ruling party.
