Calls for anti-government protests in Tanzania on Tuesday appear unlikely to translate into large-scale demonstrations, as many citizens remain fearful of a renewed security crackdown and haunted by memories of deadly violence during last year’s elections.
The planned protests were intended to highlight concerns over what critics describe as growing political repression under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration. However, a heavy security presence and warnings from government officials have discouraged many from taking part.
In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s commercial capital, riot police and armoured vehicles were deployed across key areas ahead of July 7 commemorations, a day traditionally marked by celebrations of the African Union of Tanganyika, the political movement that played a leading role in the country’s path to independence.
While authorities described the deployment as part of routine security operations, it comes amid a government ban on political gatherings and weeks of official statements warning against unauthorized protests.
For many Tanzanians, the security measures have revived painful memories of the violence that followed the October 2025 elections, when protests erupted over the exclusion of opposition candidates and allegations of enforced disappearances and politically motivated killings.
Human rights groups and opposition parties have accused security forces of killing thousands of people during the unrest, while the government has acknowledged that 518 people died but has not specified who was responsible for the deaths.
Among those still grappling with the aftermath is 32-year-old Teresia, who says she lost her younger brother during the unrest. According to witnesses, the 24-year-old, who worked at a butcher’s shop near a protest hotspot, was accused of participating in demonstrations and was shot dead.
With no public accountability for the violence, Teresia says many Tanzanians have little faith that renewed protests would lead to change.
Others share similar concerns. Elick, a 35-year-old hospitality worker, recalled witnessing the aftermath of the election violence.
“I remember bodies scattered in the streets, abandoned, or transported on wooden carts,” he said.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan initially gained international praise after taking office in 2021 for easing restrictions on political activity and the media following the death of former President John Magufuli. However, critics argue that political freedoms have deteriorated in recent years.
Dorothy Semu, leader of the ACT-Wazalendo party, described the government’s decision to ban political rallies as “shameful and unconstitutional,” arguing that the country requires reconciliation rather than further restrictions.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders continue to report heightened surveillance and intimidation. John Heche, deputy leader of the opposition Chadema party, said party officials remain under constant monitoring by security agents.
The opposition has faced sustained pressure in recent years. Chadema leader Tundu Lissu has remained in detention on treason charges since April 2025, while several government critics and opposition figures have reportedly been abducted, assaulted or disappeared.
Critics also note that the government’s promised report into the violence surrounding the October elections has yet to be released, further deepening public mistrust and uncertainty over the country’s political future.
