Tanzania's opposition party, Chadema, reported that police arrested their top leaders, including Chairman Freeman Mbowe and Deputy Chairman Tundu Lissu, on Monday.
The arrests came as authorities tried to prevent a planned protest in Dar es Salaam despite an official ban. Chadema had pledged to proceed with the rally to protest the alleged abductions and killings of its members by security forces.
Riot police were deployed throughout the city to discourage public gatherings, and Mbowe, in a video shared online before his arrest, expressed disappointment over the heavy-handed police response, stating, "Demonstration is our constitutional right." He accused the government of using excessive force to stifle free speech.
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Chadema has accused President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration of employing repressive tactics reminiscent of her predecessor, John Magufuli, despite Hassan initially promising a more liberal approach when she took office in 2021.
Under her leadership, restrictions on opposition activities and media were initially relaxed, but Chadema claims recent events mark a return to authoritarian practices.
The party alleges security forces are responsible for the disappearance of several members and the killing of Ali Mohamed Kibao, a key figure in Chadema's national secretariat, whose body was discovered earlier this month.
Authorities had previously thwarted a youth rally organized by Chadema in August, arresting numerous leaders, including Mbowe and Lissu.
The escalating tensions have drawn international concern, with human rights organizations and Western governments, including the U.S., voicing worries over the government's crackdown ahead of local elections in November and the 2025 general elections.
Lissu, a long-time opposition figure who survived an assassination attempt in 2017, has been arrested multiple times and only returned to Tanzania last year after Hassan lifted the ban on opposition rallies.
Despite police claims that Chadema's protests would incite violence, Mbowe insisted the demonstrations were peaceful and urged supporters to continue the struggle for a freer Tanzania.
