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Senior leaders of Tanzania’s main opposition Chadema party, including chairman Freeman Mbowe and deputy chairman Tundu Lissu, have been released on bail after being detained ahead of a youth rally.
About 520 people were arrested across the country in an attempt to stop Chadema from holding a march in the southwestern town of Mbeya on Monday.
Police said some of them remain in custody because they do not meet bail requirements.
The arrests have raised concerns that Tanzania could return to the rule of the late President John Magufuli, even though his successor, Samia Hassan, has lifted a ban on opposition gatherings and pledged to return to competitive politics.
Police banned the Chadema rally, saying it was aimed at provoking violence.
They cited the party’s call for people to unite as “Kenya youth” — an apparent reference to weeks of deadly anti-government demonstrations in the neighboring East African country.
The Chadma Youth League said it expected 10,000 people to attend the rally, which will be held under the slogan “Take control of your own future”.
On Tuesday, the party posted on X that its office in Mbeya “has been surrounded by police and people are not being allowed to enter”.
John Mrema, a spokesman for the African People’s Party, confirmed the release of several party leaders, including Mr Mbowe and Mr Lissu, but said several others were still in detention.
However, the police said that “all the arrested senior Chadema leaders have been returned to their places of origin after interrogation and other procedures”.
Chidema said Mr Lissu was arrested on Sunday and Mr Mbowe was arrested on Monday when he arrived at Mbeya airport to bail the party chairman and two other officials, including the party’s youth wing leader John Pambalu.
Mr. Lissu survived an assassination attempt in 2017, being shot 16 times. He returned to Tanzania in 2023 after two years in exile in Belgium.
President Samia, who came to power following Magufuli’s sudden death in 2021, has been praised for moving away from many of her predecessor’s policies.
But she has been criticised by some opposition politicians following the arrests, questioning her commitment to political reconciliation.
Tanzania will hold presidential and parliamentary elections late next year.
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