Tanzania Opposition Leader Arrested at Airport
Amani Golugwa was trying to travel to a political conference in Brussels when he was detained. The arrest is the latest incident involving members of CHADEMA, which accuses the government of using repressive tactics.
Tanzania detained a senior member of the country’s main opposition while he was trying to fly to Belgium for a democracy conference, the CHADEMA party said Tuesday.
Amani Golugwa, CHADEMA’s Deputy Secretary General, was detained at the Julius Nyerere International Airport late on Monday evening.
Golugwa has since been released on bail, his party said on X.
Golugwa was due to travel to Brussels to represent CHADEMA at the International Democracy Union conference (IDU), a gathering of center-right political parties.
The police confirmed the arrest in a statement posted on Instagram, alleging that Golugwa “has a trend of leaving and returning to the country without following legal procedures.”
“Dar es Salaam police special zone is continuing with the investigation on the matter in collaboration with other security organs,” the post added.
What is the situation in Tanzania?
The arrest is the latest to target the opposition party in the east African nation, which is gearing up for elections in October.
Human rights groups and critics have accused the Tanzanian government of Samia Suluhu Hassan — the country’s first female president who is expected to seek reelection — of repressing the opposition.
In April, CHADEMA chairman Tundu Lissu was arrested and charged with treason, while the party was barred from participating in the election.
Authorities accused Lissu of fomenting unrest and to disrupt the elections during his speeches, in which he and the party demanded major electoral reforms to a process they say favors the ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Lissu had been arrested on “fabricated charges.” HRW also accused Tanzanian authorities of using Chadema’s calls for electoral reform “to disqualify it from participating” in the October elections.
HRW said last month that while there have been some measures to improve the country’s human rights record, Tanzanian police have “continued to commit abuses with impunity and target critics of the government” under Hassan’s leadership.
Hassan has insisted that her government is committed to defending human rights.
What has been the reaction to Golugwa’s arrest?
In a post on X, the IDU said it “strongly condemns the unlawful arrest and assault” of Golugwa.
“Silencing opposition voices violates the core of democracy. We call for his immediate release and urge global pressure on Tanzania to uphold human rights,” the IDU said.
This article was updated on May 14 after Golugwa was released from jail.
Edited by: Louis Oelofse
Crédito: Link de origem