Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, has reported that one of its senior officials was detained at the airport while attempting to fly to Belgium for a democracy conference, marking the latest crackdown on opposition figures ahead of the country’s October elections.
According to party spokesperson Brenda Rupia, Amani Golugwa, Chadema’s deputy secretary general, was arrested on Monday night at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam. He was en route to Brussels to attend the International Democracy Union (IDU) conference. Rupia confirmed that Golugwa was being held at the central police station but said the reasons for his arrest had not been disclosed.
The IDU, a global alliance of centre-right political parties, strongly condemned what it called the “unlawful arrest” on social media, demanding Golugwa’s immediate release. “Silencing opposition voices violates the core of democracy,” the group stated on X (formerly Twitter).
Golugwa’s detention is the latest in a series of incidents targeting Chadema members. The party, which has grown increasingly vocal in its criticism of the government, says that the administration of President Samia Suluhu Hassan is reverting to repressive tactics reminiscent of previous regimes.
Chadema chairman Tundu Lissu was recently arrested and charged with treason — a capital offence in Tanzania. The party has also been disqualified from contesting the upcoming national elections after refusing to sign what it called a biased electoral “code of conduct”.
Just days before his arrest, Golugwa had criticised police authorities for failing to provide answers over the reported abduction of a party supporter. The individual was allegedly seized by men identified as police officers, but authorities have yet to confirm the supporter’s whereabouts. Golugwa had given the police chief a 72-hour ultimatum to respond, citing concerns over a broader pattern of political disappearances.
Earlier this year, Chadema announced it would boycott the upcoming elections unless substantial electoral reforms were enacted. The party has demanded a more independent electoral commission and greater protections for candidates to prevent arbitrary removal from the ballot.
