Tanzania's Repression of Dissent Intensifies Ahead of General Elections

Tanzanian authorities have dramatically escalated their repression of dissent, opposition leaders, journalists, civil society, and human rights defenders, using a range of tactics including assaults, arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and suppression of opposition voices. This campaign of repression has dashed hopes for reform and has been particularly evident in the lead-up to the country's general elections on October 29, as Amnesty International warned in a briefing ahead of the vote.

Key Takeaways:

• Tanzanian authorities have intensified their repression of dissent, opposition leaders, journalists, civil society, and human rights defenders, using tactics such as assaults, arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and the suppression of opposition voices.
• Amnesty International has documented 83 cases of people going missing under mysterious circumstances, as of August 9, 2024, according to the Tanganyika Law Society.
• Tundu Lissu, leader of the Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema), is on trial for treason and faces trumped-up charges for expressing his political views.
• The Tanzanian authorities have weaponized the criminal justice system against political opponents, using flawed laws and regulations to suppress civic space and the right to participate freely in elections.
• Opposition leaders and activists have faced severe restrictions on their freedom of movement, preventing them from conducting normal political activities.
• Amnesty International has called for prompt and rigorous investigations into reported abductions, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and attacks, and for those responsible to be brought to justice.
• The 2025 elections risk becoming a procedural exercise devoid of legitimacy, conducted in an environment where fear, violence, and exclusion have replaced open political participation.

Statistics:

• 83: The number of cases of people going missing under mysterious circumstances as of August 9, 2024, according to the Tanganyika Law Society.
• 43: The number of victims, witnesses, family members of victims, legal representatives, and members of civil society organizations that Amnesty International interviewed for the briefing.
• 2024: The year in which the Tanzanian authorities passed amendments to the Political Parties Affairs Laws Act and the Independent National Electoral Commission Act.
• 29 October: The date of Tanzania's general elections.

Sources:

1. Amnesty International, "Unopposed, unchecked, unjust: The disquiet beneath the 2025 Tanzania vote" briefing

2. Amnesty International, "Lawfare: Repression by Law ahead of Tanzania's General Elections"

3. Tanzanian authorities, amendments to the Political Parties Affairs Laws Act and the Independent National Electoral Commission Act

4. Tanganyika Law Society, reports of missing persons

5. Amnesty International, interviews with victims, witnesses, family members of victims, legal representatives, and members of civil society organizations.