Tanzania

In August, police arrested three prominent critics of a controversial deal struck by the Tanzanian government, under which the country’s ports are to be run by an Emirati company. Willibrod Slaa, a former parliamentarian and ambassador, Boniface Mwabukusi, a lawyer, and Mdube Nyagali, a political activist, were arrested between 12 and 13 August having publicly criticised the deal. According to their lawyers, the three face charges of treason, which carries the death sentence, although no official information about the specific charges has been released. The Tanzanian government stated that their arrest had nothing to do with their criticism of the port deal, but rather calls, it alleges they made, for the violent overthrow of the government. However, commentators say the arrests are part of a crackdown on the deal’s critics, with Human Rights Watch reporting that between June and August 2023 at least 22 critics (including protesters) were arbitrarily detained or threatened by authorities.    

Arbitrary Detention

On 3 January, President Samia Suluhu Hassan continued her incremental reform of Tanzania’s restrictive political system by lifting a ban on political rallies. The policy had been imposed in 2016 by Hassan’s predecessor, the late John Magufuli. The ban had resulted in frequent arrests of opposition politicians and clashes between their supporters and the police. By the end of January, Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, had held its first rally in six years and welcomed back from effective exile one of its most prominent leaders, Tundu Lissu, whose return to the country was prompted by the lifting of the ban.  

Samia Suluhu Hassan

Tanzania’s Minister for Information, Communication and Technology, Nape Nnauye, warned against the online distribution of pro-LGBTQIA+ material, which is illegal under Tanzania’s highly restrictive anti-pornography legislation. According to Nnauye, it is an issue the government is now taking seriously and called upon administrators of social media groups, such as those on WhatsApp, to remove offending content or risk arrest. The warning comes in response to what the Minister described as the use of cartoon-related content to promote same-sex relationships amongst children. Consensual same-sex conduct between adults is illegal in Tanzania and LGBTQIA+ people face discrimination.       

LGBTQIA+ Rights Nape Nnauye