DAR ES SALAAM — Tanzania’s political landscape has deepened into crisis as authorities formally charged 61 people with terrorism-related offenses following thwarted anti-government demonstrations.
The main opposition party, Chadema, announced the development on Monday, noting that the majority of those facing the severe charges are party members. An additional 70 detainees arrested during the same security sweep remain in police custody without formal charges.
The mass arrests stem from a security crackdown surrounding a planned nationwide protest on July 7—a historic public holiday marking the founding of the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU). Activists and opposition groups had hoped to use the date to channel public grievances over democratic reforms and demand the release of imprisoned Chadema leader Tundu Lissu, who has been held on treason charges since April 2025.
Police thwarted the demonstrations through a heavy deployment of security forces across major commercial hubs. Authorities allege that the suspects plotted to incite violence, target police officers, and sabotage public infrastructure, including the national power grid.
Defense lawyers and party officials have vehemently rejected the allegations. Legal counsel Rugemeleza Nshala condemned the move, stating that criminalizing peaceful political participation poses an extreme danger to civic rights in Tanzania. Chadema leadership maintains that attempting to exercise freedom of assembly does not constitute acts of terror.
Heightened security in Dar es Salaam ahead of planned anti-government protests
This video provides visual context on the heavy police deployment and the security atmosphere in Dar es Salaam surrounding the July 7 demonstration dates.
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