In Tanzania, opposition leader released on bail ahead of local and general elections

The leader of the main Tanzanian opposition party, Freeman Mbowe, was released on bail, his party announced on Saturday, November 23, after his arrest the day before, a few days before local elections. The Party of Democracy and Development (or Chadema, for Party for Democracy and Developmentin Swahili) had already protested earlier this week against the disqualification “unfair” of several of its candidates, on the eve of a vote in the towns and villages of the country. Wednesday's elections are expected as a barometer of the political landscape, before the presidential election, scheduled for October 2025 in the country.

“This night, the president of Chadema, Freeman Mbowe […] along with other leaders who were detained at the Vwawa police station were released on bail”declared the political party early Saturday on the social network

Mr. Mbowe was arrested on Friday with other officials after police dispersed a gathering “using tear gas”depending on the party. After his release around midnight local time (10 p.m. Friday in Paris), the opposition leader spoke to journalists, saying: “We have been accused of violating the campaign schedule but this is unfounded. » “I think this is a deliberate move to disrupt the campaigns we had planned”added Mr. Mbowe, according to whom the police are still detaining several members of Chadema.

“Ambush”

“Police ambushed a convoy in Halungu forest”in the west of the country, “and arrested the national president of the party, Freeman Mbowe, as well as several other leaders who accompanied him”announced Friday on X John Mrema, spokesperson for Chadema.

According to Mr. Mrema, Freeman Mbowe had been prevented by the police, before his arrest, from speaking at a rally of his supporters in Mlowo, in the south of the country. The police then intervened and “dispersed the gathered crowd using tear gas”according to the party.

The police then confirmed that they were detaining Mr. Mbowe and his colleagues, accusing them of having violated the calendar of rallies by trying to organize “a gathering in an area that was not planned for Chadema”.

“We are detaining them for questioning and investigations because some officers were injured by opposition supporters while dispersing the crowd”Songwe regional police chief Augustino Senga said in a video.

Return to authoritarian practices

Tanzania has experienced an intensification of political repression in recent months. Chadema accuses the security forces of being involved in the disappearances of several of its members and in the murder of Ali Mohamed Kibao, one of its leaders found dead on September 7. Mr. Mbowe was previously briefly arrested at the end of September alongside dozens of people, when Tanzanian police prevented a demonstration by their party in Dar es Salaam.

The local poll will be the first test for President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who took office following the sudden death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, in March 2021. M^me Hassan had shown signs of democratic openness when he came to power, by quickly reopening, for example, banned media outlets.

But the president has faced strong criticism in recent months, accusing her of returning to the authoritarian practices of her predecessor in the run-up to local elections in November and general elections at the end of 2025.

Chadema invited the international community to “witnessing the continued violations of democratic rights against opposition parties during these elections”.