Tanzania - September 2024

On 8 September, a senior Tanzanian opposition leader was found dead after being brutally beaten and doused with acid. According to media reports, on 6 September, Mohamed Ali Kibao was forced off a bus by suspected security agents while travelling to his hometown, Tanga. Kibao, a retired military intelligence officer, joined the opposition party Chadema (Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo) in 2008 and was a member of its Secretariat. The killing has sparked outrage, with President Samia Suluhu Hassan condemning the murder and calling for a swift investigation. Chadema claims the attack was politically motivated, highlighting a troubling rise in tensions as opposition figures face growing instances of arbitrary arrests and detention ahead of local elections in December 2024 and the general elections set for next year.

Sources: BBC, The Citizen, U.S. Embassy in Tanzania, The East African, International IDEA