Nairobi — The Tanzanian government should take urgent steps to reverse the deteriorating human rights situation in the country ahead of forthcoming local elections in mainland Tanzania on November 27, 2024, Human Rights Watch said today.
Since June, the authorities have arbitrarily arrested hundreds of opposition supporters, imposed restrictions on social media access, banned independent media, and have been implicated in the abduction and extrajudicial killing of at least eight government critics.
“The Tanzanian authorities have shown increasing intolerance for free speech by clamping down on their critics and the political opposition,” said Oryem Nyeko, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The government should urgently stem the tide of repression or risk escalating an already tense political environment.”
On June 23, four unidentified men in civilian clothes abducted Edgar Mwakabela, a social media commentator known as Sativa, in Dar es Salaam. Mwakabela said the abductors took him to Oysterbay Police Station in Dar es Salaam, where they interrogated him overnight while he was handcuffed about his role in mobilizing a traders’ boycott and his relationship with political opposition leaders.
The next day, the police drove Mwakabela to a police station in Arusha, where they beat him over several hours. Four days after abducting him, they shot him in the jaw and dumped him in a swamp in Katavi National Park, 1,000 kilometers away.
On July 15, police confirmed they had detained Kombo Mbwana, an official of the main opposition party, the Party for Democracy and Progress (Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo, Chadema), in Handeni district, Tanga region, after his disappearance on June 15. The authorities brought charges against him on July 16 for allegedly failing to provide sufficient information regarding his SIM card account, under section 126 of the Electronic and Postal Communications Act.
Mbwana’s detention without charge for 30 days after his family reported his disappearance far exceeds the 24-hour limit required by law, constituting an enforced disappearance. On September 5, a court denied Mbwana bail, and he remains in detention pending trial.
Chadema has reported the apparent enforced disappearance of at least two additional officials, including Dioniz Kipanya, an official in Sumbawanga district, Rukwa region, reported missing on July 26, and Deusdedith Soka, a youth leader whom a group of men reportedly abducted on August 18 alongside his secretary, Jacob Godwin Mlay, and Frank Mbise, a motorcycle taxi driver.
A week earlier, police had arrested and released Soka alongside hundreds of Chadema supporters and several journalists, ahead of an International Youth Day celebration organized by the party in Mbeya.
On August 2, Shadrack Chaula was reported missing by his family, one month after his conviction for “insulting” President Samia Suluhu Hassan and burning a photo of her in a video posted on his TikTok account. Chaula has been released on July 8 after paying the court-imposed fine.
On September 7, the body of Ali Mohamed Kibao, a Chadema party official who was reported missing a day earlier, was found beaten and doused with acid. President Suluhu Hassan ordered an investigation, but no arrests have been made.
The authorities have also cracked down on those raising concerns about these enforced disappearances, Human Rights Watch said.
In August, after Chadema announced a rally in Dar es Salaam to protest the government’s inaction following the abduction of its supporters, the police banned the demonstrations, threatening to “deal with” people who did not comply. On September 23, police arrested and later released on bail the party leaders Freeman Mbowe and Tundu Lissu, as well as other party members, ahead of the planned rally.
In early September, the monitoring organization Netblocks confirmed that Tanzania had restricted access to the social media platform X. The site was blocked as Tanzanians engaged in social media discussions around the disappearances.
On October 2, the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority suspended the online license of Mwananchi Communications Ltd, the publisher of Tanzania’s primary English and Swahili newspapers, after it published an animated video depicting President Suluhu Hassan watching news reports about the abductions. The authority claimed the video “threatens and is likely to affect and harm national unity and social peace” in Tanzania.
These oppressive measures mirror the pre-election climate ahead of the October 2020 general elections, when there was a marked deterioration in freedoms of expression and association and other human rights. The authorities arbitrarily arrested scores of opposition party leaders and supporters, suspended media outlets, censored mobile phone communications, and blocked social media.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
On the eve of those elections, police fired live ammunition into crowds in Zanzibar, killing at least nine people, while security forces, alongside a government-aligned militia, beat and harassed residents and arbitrarily arrested opposition supporters, detaining and torturing them for weeks. The next general elections are scheduled for late 2025.
President Suluhu Hassan, who assumed office following the death of President John Magufuli in March 2021, took some initial measures to respond to rights concerns and to open up the space for the political opposition and media. The Tanzanian authorities, however, have yet to seriously investigate or prosecute anyone for those abuses, especially in Zanzibar.
“At this critical time, the Tanzanian authorities should take urgent steps to uphold human rights and ensure that the forthcoming elections are free and fair,” Nyeko said. “President Samia Suluhu Hassan should ensure a prompt and impartial investigation into the disappearances of her critics and put an end to the ongoing clampdowns on her political opponents and independent media.”
Source: allafrica.com
Share this news
This Year's Most Read News Stories
Air Tanzania Banned From EU Airspace Due to Safety Concerns
Several airports have since locked Air Tanzania, dealing a severe blow to the Tanzanian national carrier that must now work overtime to regain its certification or go the wet lease way
The European Commission has announced the inclusion of Air Tanzania on the EU Air Safety List, effectively banning the airline from operating in European airspace.
The decision, made public on December 16, 2024, is based on safety concerns identified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which also led to the denial of Air Tanzania’s application for a Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation.
The Commission did not go into the specifics of the safety infringement but industry experts suggest it is possible that the airline could have flown its Airbus A220 well past its scheduled major checks, thus violating the airworthiness directives.
“The decision to include Air Tanzania in the EU Air Safety List underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards for passengers in Europe and worldwide,” said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.
“We strongly urge Air Tanzania to take swift and decisive action to address these safety issues. I have offered the Commission’s assistance to the Tanzanian authorities in enhancing Air Tanzania’s safety performance and achieving full compliance with international aviation standards.”
Air Tanzania has a mixed fleet of modern aircraft types including Boeing 787s, 737 Max jets, and Airbus A220s.
It has been flying the B787 Dreamliner to European destinations like Frankfurt in Germany and Athens in Greece and was looking to add London to its growing list with the A220.
But the ban not only scuppers the London dream but also has seen immediate ripple effect, with several airports – including regional like Kigali and continental – locking out Air Tanzania.
Tanzania operates KLM alongside the national carrier.
The European Commission said Air Tanzania may be permitted to exercise traffic rights by using wet-leased aircraft of an air carrier which is not subject to an operating ban, provided that the relevant safety standards are complied with.
A wet lease is where an airline pays to use an aircraft with a crew, fuel, and insurance all provided by the leasing company at a fee.
Two more to the list
The EU Air Safety List, maintained to ensure passenger safety, is updated periodically based on recommendations from the EU Air Safety Committee.
The latest revision, which followed a meeting of aviation safety experts in Brussels from November 19 to 21, 2024, now includes 129 airlines.
Of these, 100 are certified in 15 states where aviation oversight is deemed insufficient, and 29 are individual airlines with significant safety deficiencies.
Alongside Air Tanzania, other banned carriers include Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), Avior Airlines (Venezuela), and Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran).
Commenting on the broader implications of the list, Tzitzikostas stated, “Our priority remains the safety of every traveler who relies on air transport. We urge all affected airlines to take these bans seriously and work collaboratively with international bodies to resolve the identified issues.”
In a positive development, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been cleared to resume operations in the EU following a four-year suspension. The ban, which began in 2020, was lifted after substantial improvements in safety performance and oversight by PIA and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
“Since the TCO Authorisation was suspended, PIA and PCAA have made remarkable progress in enhancing safety standards,” noted Tzitzikostas. “This demonstrates that safety issues can be resolved through determination and cooperation.”
Another Pakistani airline, Airblue Limited, has also received EASA’s TCO authorisation.
Decisions to include or exclude airlines from the EU Air Safety List are based on rigorous evaluations of international safety standards, particularly those established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The process involves thorough review and consultation among EU Member State aviation safety experts, with oversight from the European Commission and support from EASA.
“Where an airline currently on the list believes it complies with the required safety standards, it can request a reassessment,” explained Tzitzikostas. “Our goal is not to penalize but to ensure safety compliance globally.”
Airlines listed on the EU Air Safety List face significant challenges to their international operations, as the bans highlight shortcomings in safety oversight by their home regulatory authorities.
For Air Tanzania, this inclusion signals an urgent need for reform within Tanzania’s aviation sector to address these deficiencies and align with global standards.
The path forward will require immediate and sustained efforts to rectify safety concerns and regain access to one of the world’s most critical aviation markets.
Source: allafrica.com
Ali Hassan Mwinyi, Former President of Tanzania, Dies at 98
Ali Hassan Mwinyi, a schoolteacher turned politician who led Tanzania as its second post-independence president and helped dismantle the doctrinaire socialism of his predecessor, Julius K. Nyerere, died on Thursday in Dar es Salaam, the country’s former capital. He was 98.Continue Reading
Tato faults Zanzibar mandatory insurance for arriving visitors
Tato chairman has dismissed the new policy is an unnecessary and duplicative burden on touristsContinue Reading
