DAR ES SALAAM: Tanzanian police have arrested prominent politician Tundu Lissu and two other officials from the opposition party Chadema, according to the party. The detentions occurred on Sunday in the southwestern town of Mbeya, just before a rally planned to celebrate World Youth Day.
These arrests come a year after President Samia Suluhu Hassan lifted a ban on opposition gatherings and pledged to restore competitive politics. However, the police banned the Chadema rally, alleging that it was intended to incite violence. They pointed to the party’s call for unity akin to the “youth in Kenya,” which they linked to recent anti-government protests in the neighboring country.
On Monday morning, a Chadema official informed the BBC that they were unaware of the whereabouts of the detained leaders, as the police had not made an official statement on the arrests. The BBC has reached out to the police for comment.
Chadema spokesman John Mrema reported that groups of youths traveling in hired buses were detained and sent back to their regions under armed escort. About 10,000 young people were expected to gather in Mbeya to mark Youth Day with the slogan “Take charge of your future,” according to the party’s youth wing.
The police have declared that no such gatherings will be permitted in Mbeya or elsewhere in the country. Chadema also shared images of approximately 100 party members detained in Iringa, a town near Mbeya, who were later released and escorted back to their points of origin.
The Chadema party has condemned the arrests, with party chairman Freeman Mbowe calling for the “immediate, unconditional release” of the detained leaders, members, and supporters.
Tundu Lissu, who survived an assassination attempt in 2017 after being shot 16 times, returned to Tanzania last year following a two-year exile in Belgium. His return came after President Samia lifted the 2016 ban on political rallies imposed by former President John Magufuli.
Despite President Samia’s efforts to distance her administration from Magufuli’s policies, the recent arrests have sparked criticism from some opposition figures who question her commitment to political reconciliation. Tanzania is scheduled to hold presidential and parliamentary elections late next year.
