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Tanzania

Monthly Event Reports

January 2024 | First political protest in years held peacefully

The first significant opposition protest in many years took place in Dar es Salaam on 24 January. In January 2023, President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced the termination of a ban on most political rallies that had been imposed by former president John Magufuli in 2016, but the government continued to repress protests, most notably in June 2023. In the event on 24 January, thousands of supporters of the opposition Party for Democracy and Progress (Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo, CHADEMA) peacefully rallied to call for reforms to the electoral laws and constitution that would decrease the power of the president, particularly relating to the independence of the electoral management body (EMB).

August 2023 | Prominent critics of government port deal arrested

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.    

January 2023 | President Hassan lifts six-year ban on political rallies

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.  

September 2022 | Government threatens arrests over sharing of pro-LGBTQIA+ content online
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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.       

Explore past monthly event reports

GSoD Indices Data 2013-2022

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Basic Information

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Population Tooltip
61 498 438
System of government
Presidential system
Head of government
President Samia Suluhu Hassan (since 2020)
Head of government party
Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM)
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
First Past the Post
Women in lower or single chamber
36.9%
Women in upper chamber
Not applicable
Last legislative election
2020
Effective number of political parties Tooltip
2.43
Head of state
President Samia Suluhu Hassan
Selection process for head of state
Direct election (two-round majority)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
05/11/2021
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
66.27%
Population Tooltip
61 498 438
System of government
Presidential system
Head of government
President Samia Suluhu Hassan (since 2020)
Head of government party
Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM)
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
First Past the Post
Women in lower or single chamber
36.9%
Women in upper chamber
Not applicable
Last legislative election
2020
Effective number of political parties Tooltip
2.43
Head of state
President Samia Suluhu Hassan
Selection process for head of state
Direct election (two-round majority)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
05/11/2021
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
66.27%
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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
No Action
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
No Action
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
Signatory
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
State Party
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
State Party
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
State Party
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
State Party
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
Regional Treaties
African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights
State Party
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Performance by category over the last 6 months

Representation neutral Representation
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Rights
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Rule of law
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Participation
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024

Global State of Democracy Indices

Hover over the trend lines to see the exact data points across the years

Explore the indices
Representation
Representation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rights
Rights
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Participation
Participation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Annual value

Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time

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