Amnesty International has accused Tanzanian authorities of intensifying human rights violations in the lead-up to the country’s presidential elections scheduled for October 29.
In a report released Monday, the rights group detailed “systematic human rights violations” under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration — a sharp reversal from her earlier reputation for loosening the tight controls imposed by her predecessor.
Between January 2024 and October 2025, Amnesty documented cases of enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings targeting opposition members and outspoken activists across the country. The findings were based on interviews with 43 witnesses, victims, relatives, lawyers, and NGOs, as well as verified images and publications.
Among the reported cases was the September 2024 abduction and killing of Ali Mohamed Kibao, a senior official of the opposition party Chadema, for which no progress has been reported in investigations. More recently, former ambassador and government critic Humphrey Hesron Polepole disappeared under unclear and troubling circumstances.
Authorities “have ramped up their clampdown on civic space and the right to participate freely in elections,” said Amnesty’s Tigere Chagutah.
The crackdown has also extended to political participation. Chadema, Tanzania’s main opposition party, was barred from the upcoming elections after refusing to sign the Electoral Code of Conduct, while its leader, Tundu Lissu, remains on trial for treason — a charge that carries the death penalty. Luhaga Mpina, the presidential candidate for ACT Wazalendo, the country’s third-largest party, was also disqualified.
Amnesty’s report paints a stark picture of democratic backsliding and growing repression, warning that Tanzania’s government appears increasingly intolerant of dissent and willing to flout international human rights norms as the elections approach.
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Source:Africa Publicity
