Most leaders of Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, have been released following the arrest of around 520 individuals associated with the party, officials reported on Tuesday.
Chadema’s spokesperson, John Hrema, shared on the social media platform X that party chairman Freeman Mbowe and his deputy Tundu Lissu “have been returned to Dar es Salaam by police and have bailed themselves out.”
Yhe police chief of operationsAwadh Haji, said, “all the top Chadema leaders who were arrested, after interrogation and other procedures, have been returned to where they came from.”
However, Chadema has disputed the claim that all its officials have been released but did not specify any names.
The arrests occurred as young party supporters gathered for a rally to commemorate International Youth Day.
Rights groups and opposition members have raised concerns that these mass arrests could signal a resurgence of the repressive political environment seen during the late president John Magufuli’s tenure, particularly with national elections on the horizon in 2025.
Although President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who succeeded Magufuli, had pledged a shift towards “competitive politics” upon assuming office, including lifting a six-year ban on opposition gatherings in 2023 and easing press restrictions, Chadema leader Mbowe has continued to express deep skepticism towards her administration.
