Tanzania heads to the polls with President Samia Suluhu Hassan seeking her first direct mandate since taking office in 2021 following John Magufuli’s death. But the elections come under a cloud of fear, with widespread reports of abductions, arrests, and killings of opposition members. Major opposition leaders, including Tundu Lissu, have been barred or jailed, leaving the field largely uncontested for Hassan and her ruling CCM party. Rights groups accuse her government of intensifying the same repressive tactics seen under Magufuli. Early voting in Zanzibar has also raised concerns over irregularities, deepening tensions ahead of the main election day.
