According to party chairman Freeman Mbowe, a member of Tanzania’s opposition party, Chadema, was allegedly kidnapped, assaulted, and sprayed with acid before being discovered dead.
A member of Chadema’s national secretariat named Ali Mohamed Kibao was kidnapped and forced at gunpoint on Friday while taking a bus from Dar es Salaam to Tanga. Party officials think the kidnapping was carried out by security personnel. The next evening, his body was found in the Ununio coastal district of Dar es Salaam.
This terrible episode raises concerns about Tanzania’s declining democratic space as it comes after a spate of detentions involving leaders of the Chadema.
“We cannot allow our people to continue disappearing or dying in this way,” Mbowe declared. “Chadema leaders’ lives are in danger right now.”
President of Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan expressed her condolences for Kibao’s passing, vowed to conduct a thorough inquiry, and said that such acts of cruelty would not be accepted.
Kibao, a 69-year-old veteran military intelligence officer, joined Chadema in 2008 after having previously worked for the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) as well as opposition groups.
With a promise to hold those accountable, police are pledging to carry out their probe. Ahead of the municipal and national elections, this death has increased concerns about a return to oppressive policies.
