Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, said on Friday that it could not locate its leader, Tundu Lissu. He had been detained since April 9 on treason charges but reportedly vanished from Keko Prison in Dar es Salaam.
Party officials, lawyers, and family members attempted to visit Lissu several times on Friday. However, they found no trace of him and received no clear information.
“We want the Prisons Service and government agencies to explain where Lissu is,” CHADEMA stated.
The Tanzania Prisons Service dismissed the claim. Spokesperson Elizabeth Mbezi said Lissu remained in Keko Prison and was safe. She called the reports “false and misleading.”
Lissu ran against President Samia Suluhu Hassan in the 2020 election and finished second. Authorities arrested him last week, accusing him of calling for a public rebellion and disrupting the election process. The court did not allow him to respond to the treason charge.
The Tundu Lissu disappearance increases scrutiny on President Hassan’s leadership. Human rights groups have raised concerns about rising arrests and mysterious abductions of political figures.
Last weekend, Tanzania’s election commission announced plans to disqualify CHADEMA from October’s elections. The reason? The party refused to sign a government-mandated code of conduct while calling for electoral reforms.
President Hassan initially received praise for easing political restrictions after taking office in 2021. She succeeded John Magufuli, who had a reputation for repressing dissent.
But that goodwill is fading. Rights groups now accuse her administration of continuing abuses, including arrests and killings of critics. Hassan has denied the claims and promised to investigate reports of abductions.
Still, opposition leaders and civil society remain skeptical. CHADEMA continues to demand transparency, insisting that Lissu’s detention must follow due process.
As elections approach, the government faces growing pressure to respect rights and ensure the safety of political opponents.
