Leaders arrested following police chief’s warning of tough measures to block protest.Police have cracked down on a planned protest against the government organised by Tanzania’s main opposition party.
The leaders of Chadema were arrested on Monday, the party said. Further arrests were made on the streets of the Magomeni area of the capital Dar-es-Salaam where protesters were gathering for a rally against alleged killings and abductions of government critics.
The crackdown extends fears of renewed political repression in the East African country ahead of upcoming local elections and next year’s national vote.
Video footage posted on X by Chadema showed police arresting the party chairman, Freeman Mbowe, as he arrived “to lead a peaceful protest”.
A separate post showed police outside the home of deputy chairman Tundu Lissu before he was taken into custody.
Police said they had arrested 14 people, including Mbowe and Lissu, for defying a prohibition on the protests.
In advance of these arrests, the police were seen blockading the homes of both party leaders.
Lissu, who survived an assassination attempt in 2016 despite being shot 16 times, earlier wrote on social media platform X that three police vehicles full of officers in riot gear were outside his house.
“They’ve informed me I’m directed to be taken to the Regional Crimes Officer. I’m getting ready to go,” he said.
Over the weekend, Dar-es-Salaam police chief Jumanne Muliro had warned that the planned rally would breach the peace and that his officers would take strict action to preven …
