Tanzanian authorities have arrested a senior opposition figure as he prepared to travel to a political gathering in Belgium, raising concerns about increased political repression ahead of the country’s general elections in October.
Amani Golugwa, a top member of Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, was detained on Monday at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam. He was scheduled to attend a forum in Brussels hosted by the International Democracy Union (IDU), a global alliance of centre-right political parties.
Confirming the arrest via Instagram, Tanzanian police accused Golugwa of repeatedly leaving and re-entering the country without complying with legal procedures. “Investigations are ongoing in cooperation with other security agencies,” the police said.
The arrest has drawn criticism from CHADEMA and international partners. The IDU condemned the move as unlawful, stating on X (formerly Twitter), “Silencing opposition voices violates the core of democracy. We call for his immediate release.”
The government has not yet issued an official statement on the incident.
This arrest follows the recent detention of CHADEMA’s leader and presidential hopeful, Tundu Lissu, who is facing treason charges. Prosecutors allege Lissu incited rebellion with a speech challenging the legitimacy of the upcoming elections. The opposition has launched a campaign under the banner “No Reforms, No Election,” calling for sweeping changes to the electoral process, which they say is skewed in favour of the ruling party.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is seeking re-election, has pledged to uphold democratic values and human rights. However, recent events suggest a growing crackdown on dissent, prompting local and international concerns about the state of democracy in Tanzania.
