Dar Es Salaam — Senior opposition leaders in Tanzania, including prominent presidential candidate Freeman Mbowe, were released on bail on Tuesday after being arrested alongside more than 500 young activists.
The group had been detained during a government crackdown that thwarted a planned rally in commemoration of International Youth Day.
Freeman Mbowe, the leader of the opposition party Chadema, was among those taken into custody during the operation. The arrests have raised concerns about the Tanzanian government’s commitment to political freedoms, despite recent steps to ease restrictions on opposition activities.
The incident comes just months after President Samia Suluhu Hassan lifted a longstanding ban on political gatherings, a prohibition that had been in effect since 2016.
The president’s decision to allow opposition events had been widely regarded as a positive sign of her administration’s willingness to engage with political rivals.
However, on Monday, authorities in Tanzania blocked the opposition-led rally, citing recent youth-driven protests in neighboring Kenya as a potential threat to national security.
The demonstration, which was intended to celebrate youth empowerment, had drawn significant interest from young activists across the country.
“The situation in Kenya is a matter of concern, and we cannot allow similar unrest to spread here,” an official from the Ministry of Home Affairs stated, justifying the suppression of the rally.
Human rights organizations and international observers have expressed alarm over the arrests, calling for the Tanzanian government to respect the rights of its citizens to assemble and express their views peacefully.
In a statement released shortly after his release, Mbowe criticized the government’s actions, saying, ”
This is a clear attempt to silence the youth and prevent them from exercising their democratic rights. We will not be deterred.”
The situation remains tense as opposition leaders consider their next steps in response to what they describe as an increasingly repressive environment.
The government, meanwhile, has not ruled out further action to prevent what it sees as potential unrest.
As Tanzania continues to navigate its political future, the events of this week are likely to have a lasting impact on the country’s evolving democratic landscape.
