Protect freedom of expression and protest in the wake of Tanzania’s general election
In Tanzania, at least two people have died after police fired shots and tear gas at protesters as they took to the streets to voice anger in the wake of Wednesday’s general election.
With the two main opposition parties disqualified and an escalating crack down on dissent ahead of polling day, President Samia Suluhu Hassan is set to claim victory. Critics cynically referred to the election as a ‘coronation’.
If the results were predictable, so too, perhaps, was the public response: by about 6pm, protests had broken out in Dar es Salaam, and the state broadcaster announced a curfew. Many defied the order, and human rights groups called for calm and demanded an immediate investigation into the violence and reported deaths. There was also news of nationwide internet shutdowns at a time when people so badly need access to reliable news and information.
Ahead of election day, our colleagues and partners across Eastern Africa had urged the government to restore opposition parties’ right to fully and equally participate in the political process without intimidation, harassment, or undue restrictions, and to uphold rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. Mugambi Kiai, ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa’s regional director, spoke of a ‘growing campaign of intimidation’ and a ‘pervasive climate of fear’.
In her inaugural speech to parliament in 2021, President Hassan pledged to defend democracy and fundamental freedoms. But instead, her government has cracked down on political dissent, protest, and civic space, with a notable escalation over the last year.
In addition to barring the Party for Democracy and Progress (CHADEMA) and the Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT)–Wazalendo party from running in the election, the government also dragged CHADEMA leader Tundu Lissu through the courts on charges of treason. And it targeted a solidarity movement across the region, banning activists from attending court hearings and entering the country, with the president warning against foreign ‘interference’ in Tanzania’s internal affairs.
‘In the aftermath of Tanzania’s general election, authorities must uphold the rights to free expression and political dissent, and ensure that all Tanzanians can speak, assemble, and seek accountability without fear of reprisal,’ said Mugambi Kiai.
We join partner organisations in calling on police across the country to exercise restraint and refrain from violence when engaging with protesters. And we urge authorities and tech companies to restore internet access nationwide with immediate effect.
We will continue to monitor events in Tanzania following the election, and to support the call for these freedoms to be restored.
