Tanzania - October 2024

On 2 October 2024, Tanzania’s communications regulator suspended the online license of Mwananchi Communications Limited, preventing its leading newspapers, including The Citizen, Mwananchi, and Mwanaspoti, from publishing any content online. The suspension followed the publication of an animated video portraying President Samia Suluhu Hassan watching reports about abductions. President Hassan has faced criticism over a rise in abductions in Tanzania, which has heightened public scrutiny. Authorities claimed the video threatened national unity and social peace. Media advocates criticized the 30-day ban as a blow to press freedom, urging the government to reverse the suspension and ensure a safer environment for independent journalism in Tanzania.

Sources: Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority, The Citizen, Committee to Protect Journalists, British Broadcasting Corporation, The Guardian