Tanzania Tanzanian opposition politician and hundreds of supporters arrested

In the East African country of Tanzania, the police have arrested leading representatives of the Party for Democracy and Progress (Chadema) and hundreds of their supporters, according to opposition sources.

The deputy chairman and former presidential candidate Tundu Lissu was arrested on Sunday, the party leader Freeman Mbowe was arrested on Monday at Mbeya airport, as the deputy secretary general of the opposition party, Benson Kigaila, reported.

A youth event of the party with hundreds of visitors was to begin on Monday in the city in south-western Tanzania. The police had banned the event, fearing chaos and a disturbance of public peace. Speaking to journalists, Kigaila demanded the immediate release of the party leadership and its supporters.

Lissu had only returned to Tanzania last year after several years of exile. Shortly before, Tanzanian President Suluhu Hassan had announced an end to the ban on political demonstrations.

SDA