Queen of Quiet Terror: Samia Suluhu’s Media Mirage, Secret Cells, and Tanzania’s Rule-of Law Rupture
by admin on | 2025-06-02 13:12:01 Last Updated by admin on 2025-06-04 19:14:02
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This article critically examines the worsening human rights situation in Tanzania under President Samia Suluhu Hassan by focusing on the suppression of dissent, erosion of civil liberties, enforced disappearances, and the crackdown on opposition leaders and civil society actors. Using recent high-profile incidents, including the deportation of former Kenyan Justice Minister Martha Karua and the detention of former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, the author highlights a pattern of state-sanctioned repression that contradicts Tanzania’s obligations under international and regional human rights instruments. The article further critiques the silence and inaction of the East African Community, the African Union, and the international community, arguing that their failure to respond effectively is enabling authoritarian entrenchment and setting a dangerous precedent for the region. Introduction On 18 May 2025, a disturbing incident reignited scrutiny over the state of human rights in Tanzania. Martha Karua, a prominent Kenyan figure known for her tenure as Justice Minister and her longstanding commitment to constitutionalism and social justice, was denied entry into Tanzania alongside two human rights lawyers, Lynn Ngugi and Gloria Kimani.1 The three had traveled to the country in a show of solidarity with Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who was scheduled to appear in court to answer treason charges. Rather than being allowed entry, however, they were swiftly detained, interrogated, and deported back to Kenya without clear justification from Tanzanian authorities...read more
