Information
Amani Golugwa, the Deputy Secretary General of Tanzania’s main opposition party CHADEMA, was arrested at Julius Nyerere International Airport while attempting to travel to Brussels for a democracy conference hosted by the International Democracy Union (IDU). According to CHADEMA, Golugwa has been held at the central police station in Dar es Salaam since Monday. Tanzanian police confirmed his arrest, claiming he had a pattern of leaving and re-entering the country without following legal procedures. The incident has drawn condemnation from the IDU, which labeled the arrest as unlawful and a violation of democratic principles, calling for Golugwa’s immediate release and international pressure on Tanzania.
Golugwa’s detention adds to a growing pattern of state actions targeting opposition leaders ahead of Tanzania’s upcoming elections in October. President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration has faced criticism from human rights groups for suppressing dissent, despite claims of promoting human rights. In April, CHADEMA chairman Tundu Lissu was arrested and charged with treason, with authorities accusing him of inciting unrest while demanding electoral reforms. Human Rights Watch condemned Lissu’s arrest as based on fabricated charges and accused the government of using legal tactics to bar CHADEMA from elections.
Source: AFP, Reuters
So What
This is highly likely part of a growing trend of attacks on political freedom within Tanzania. It is unclear what the police mean by “leaving and entering the country without legal approval” but it seems likely that this is just an excuse given, possibly without the long-term intent of keeping him outside of stopping him from attending the event. With elections coming up, this arrest casts a dark shadow over what is possibly installed as they get closer.
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