Tanzania
Tanzania exhibits mid-range performance across all four categories of the Global State of Democracy Framework. It is among the top 25 per cent of countries in Absence of Corruption but is among the bottom 25 per cent with regard to Civic Engagement. Over the last five years, it has experienced significant advances in Freedom of Association, Civil Liberties, Freedom of Expression, and Personal Integrity and Security. At the same time, Tanzania has experienced significant declines in Civic Engagement, Elected Government and Economic Equality. Tanzania has maintained one of Africa’s highest economic growth rates, driven by its strategic location as a key East African seaport hub, abundant natural resources and political stability. Despite this, the economy remains largely agrarian, with industry and services also playing important roles.
Tanzania’s coastal regions experienced waves of in-migration and trade with ancient civilizations—including Greece, Rome, Phoenicia, Arabia, Persia, and India—dating back as early as the 5th century BCE. In the late 19th century, the area was colonized, first by Germany and later by the United Kingdom. Tanzania gained independence in 1961. Its first president, Julius Nyerere, led the country from 1964 to 1985. Present-day Tanzania was formed in 1964 through a union between mainland Tanganyika and the islands of Zanzibar, which remains semi-autonomous with its own elected president. Unlike many African countries, ethnicity does not constitute a major cleavage in Tanzania—reflecting the success of Nyerere’s nation-building efforts, the unifying role of the Swahili language, and the country’s high ethnic diversity, which has disincentivized ethnic-based resource competition.
Although Tanzania has retreated from Nyerere’s socialist policies, his influence endures in the considerablepowers still vested in the presidency. The governing Chama cha Mapinduzi party has long dominated politics, and the country took an authoritarian turn under former president John Magufuli, who banned political rallies, arrested opposition leaders, and enacted new media restrictions. This has contributed to a strong publicappetite for democratic reform. After Magufuli’s death in 2021, his vice president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, assumed office and initially signaled a reformist agenda. However, recent developments point to renewed authoritarianism: opposition leaders have been arbitrary arrested and prosecuted, media outlets suspended, and reports of abductions and politically motivated violence have intensified, raising concerns about the state’s commitment to democratic governance.
Tanzania also faces challenges related to social identity. The LGBTQIA+ community is subject to intimidation and prosecution under colonial era-sodomy law. The country has the world’s largest population of people with albinism, who continue to face violent harassment and exclusion. Gender-based violence remains widespread, with 44 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 reporting physical abuse. Furthermore, the pastoralist Maasai community has suffered severe human rights abuses amid repeated and intensified forced evictions.
Looking ahead, key areas to monitor in the period surrounding the 2025 general elections include Free Political Parties, Freedom of the Press, Personal Integrity and Security, and Social Group Equality. The narrowing of civic space, including arrests and disqualifications of opposition figures, increasing media restrictions, and reports of politically motivated violence, raises concerns about the broader democratic environment. Continued forced evictions and human rights abuses against the Maasai community will also test the state’s commitment to equality and constitutional protections.
Last updated: June 2025
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
April 2025
Opposition leader charged with treason, party banned from polls
In April, authorities escalated a crackdown on the main opposition party Chadema (Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo) ahead of the October general elections. On 9 April, police arrested party chair Tundu Lissu after a rally, using tear gas and reportedly live ammunition to disperse supporters. Lissu was charged the next day with treason and publishing false information, accused of intending to incite public obstruction of the elections due to his calls for an electoral boycott. The charge stems from Chadema’s ‘No Reforms, No Election’ campaign and could carry the death penalty. People charged with this offense are not eligible for bail. On 24 April, police blocked access to Lissu’s hearing, arresting at least five senior Chadema members who were later released amid reports of torture. Meanwhile, on 12 April, the electoral commission disqualified Chadema from the upcoming elections, citing its failure to sign the electoral code of conduct. Chadema rejected the decision as unconstitutional and vowed to appeal.
Sources: The Citizen, Africa Confidential, Human Rights Watch, International Crisis Group, British Broadcast Corporation, Associated Press
October 2024
Popular media platforms suspended amid crackdown on press freedom
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
September 2024
Opposition official killed in acid attack, investigation launched
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
August 2024
Hundreds of opposition leaders arrested in the run-up to local elections
Tanzanian security forces arrested hundreds of supports of opposition movements and parties, including Party for Democracy and Progress (Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo, Chadema) Chairman Freeman Mbowe, former presidential candidate Tundu Lissu, as well as several journalists for violating a ban on holding a Youth Day rally. The arrests – which began on 11 August ahead of Chadema’s planned International Youth Day celebration in the city of Mbeya – signaled growing repression ahead of the local government elections in December 2024 and the 2025 presidential election. Authorities justified the banning of the event and the subsequent crackdown by claiming that Chadema was planning violent protests, ostensibly drawing parallels to unrest in neighboring Kenya. Human rights groups condemned the mass arrests and arbitrary detentions, with concerns mounting over President Samia Suluhu’s use of state power to suppress political opposition. Mbowe and Lissu were both released on 13 August after posting bail.
Sources: The Citizen, Africa Confidential, The New York Times, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International
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