Two leaders of Tanzania’s main opposition Chadema party are among 14 members arrested when police tried to block a banned demonstration in the capital Dar es Salaam.
Chadema said on X that its chairman, Freeman Mbowe, was arrested as he prepared to “lead a peaceful protest”.
According to Chadema, the police also went with a convoy of 11 vehicles to the house of the party’s deputy leader, Tundu Lissu, and arrested him.
Critics fear the arrests are a sign the country is returning to the more repressive rule of previous president John Magufuli.
Chadema had planned Monday’s demonstrations to protest against alleged recent killings and kidnappings of opposition leaders in the country.
Police declared the protests illegal, but the opposition vowed to ignore the ban.
Mbowe told journalists shortly before his arrest that “we are paying the full price for democracy… as opposition leaders we must show the way”.
On Monday morning, police blocked access to the homes of the two Chadema leaders in Dar es Salaam and questioned people whether they had attended the protest, the party said.
Riot police have been deployed on major roads in Dar es Salaam since Saturday.
Last year, President Samia Suluhu Hassan lifted a ban on opposition gatherings and promised to restore political competition. But for some, recent incidents suggest that the promise of greater political freedom has not been fulfilled.
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