Leaders of Tanzanian opposition released following mass arrests during a banned youth gathering

 

Following a series of arrests at a prohibited youth meeting in southwestern Tanzania, several leaders of the main opposition party, CHADEMA, along with hundreds of their supporters, were released on Tuesday. Over 500 CHADEMA supporters, including party Chairman Freeman Mbowe and Vice Chairman Tundu Lissu, were detained throughout Sunday and Monday.

Human rights organizations have condemned the arrests, with Amnesty International expressing concern that the crackdown was intended to intimidate the opposition ahead of upcoming local government elections later this year and national elections in 2025.

Authorities had banned the CHADEMA youth section's gathering in Mbeya, citing concerns it could "disturb the peace." Defending the arrests, Police Commissioner Awadh Haji stated, “We will not allow a small number of criminals to undermine peace by emulating the unrest occurring in neighboring countries,” referencing recent youth-led protests in Kenya that have sparked similar movements in Nigeria and Uganda.

John Mrema, a CHADEMA spokesperson, confirmed the release of the party's top leaders but noted that some youth wing members in Mbeya remain in detention.

These arrests in Tanzania occur within a broader regional context of political unrest. Protests against proposed tax hikes in Kenya in June led to widespread demonstrations and a temporary suspension of parliament. Despite President William Ruto's later reversal of the law, smaller protests have persisted.

On Monday, Sarah Jackson, Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa at Amnesty International, issued a statement urging Tanzanian authorities to “cease arbitrary arrests and detentions of political opposition figures and halt the increasing suppression of civic freedoms.”

While President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who took office in 2021, has made efforts to ease restrictions on the media and opposition, human rights activists remain concerned about the ongoing arbitrary detentions and repression of political freedoms in the country.

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