Tanzania has suspended the online activities of The Citizen, a major English-language newspaper, after it released animated videos featuring President Samia Suluhu Hassan and referencing recent kidnappings and killings of dissidents.
One of the animations, published earlier this week, depicted President Hassan watching news about victims of state repression and opposition figures. Her administration has faced increasing criticism, both domestically and internationally, over allegations that security forces are responsible for the abductions and murders of political opponents.
Since August, Hassan’s government has banned two opposition rallies organized by the Chadema party and briefly detained its leaders.
In response to the suspension, The Citizen announced on Wednesday that its online publications would be halted for 30 days. The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority justified the suspension, accusing the newspaper of disseminating content that “undermines national unity, peace, and cohesion.”
Although The Citizen removed the videos, it stated the decision was due to “misinterpretation” of the content. President Hassan, who took office following the sudden death of her predecessor John Magufuli in 2021, initially gained praise for loosening restrictions on the media and opposition. However, human rights groups and Western governments, including the United States, have raised concerns over renewed government repression ahead of local elections in November and the general elections in 2025.
One of the cartoons featured the father of Shadrack Chaula, an artist sentenced to two years in prison for burning a picture of President Hassan. The father is heard in the video saying, “dead or alive… I want to see my child,” while the president is shown watching from her sofa.
