Demand accountability in Tanzania

Under President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzanian authorities have been deliberately silencing dissent by targeting government critics, journalists, civil society, human rights defenders, and opposition voices. Tanzania is facing a deepening human rights crisis. Call the African Union and the Africa Commission (AUC) Chairperson H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf to take urgent action.

What’s the problem?

People in Tanzania have been facing a wave of fear and repression that started long before the 2025 general elections. On 29 October, President Samia Suluhu Hassan ran for her second term in an election where the two main opposition candidates were disqualified as part of a crackdown on the political opposition.  

On election day, protests erupted across Tanzania in response to ongoing violations. The authorities responded to the protests with lethal force, tear gas, and other less lethal weapons. On the same day, they put in place a nationwide internet shutdown that lasted 6 days. Away from public view, the authorities committed grave human rights violations that include unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, unlawful detentions 

These actions are part of a coordinated campaign to suppress dissent and silence political opposition. Without an accountable government, justice for these violations remains out of reach. They will persist unless regional and international actors, including the African Union, take decisive action. 

Right now, we must make a choice, either allow repression to erode the fundamental rights and freedoms of people in Tanzania or resist it by standing in solidarity with them. 

What you can do to help?

Sign this petition today and call on the AUC Chairperson, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, to mandate independent investigations into the human rights violations committed before, during and after the 29 October general elections in Tanzania, with a view to ensuring full accountability. Together, we can help bring justice and restore hope for the people of Tanzania.