File Photo - Source: A screencap from a video at the official X account of Tundu Lissu
Charge against Tundu Lissu carries death penalty
Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu was formally charged with treason Thursday following his arrest after holding a political rally in the southwestern region of Ruvuma, which carries the death penalty.
Authorities accuse Lissu, who is the chairperson of the main opposition party Chadema, of making inflammatory remarks that allegedly incited rebellion and called for disruption of general elections scheduled for October.
Lissu, who ran against President John Magufuli in the 2020 presidential elections, appeared before the Kisutu Magistrate's Court in Dar es Salaam. He was not allowed to enter a plea on the treason charge, which is handled by a higher court. However, he pleaded not guilty to a separate charge of publishing false information.
According to the charge sheet, Lissu told a rally in Dar es Salaam on April 3: "It is true we say we will prevent the election. We will inspire rebellion. That is the way to get change," a statement that prosecutors claim undermines state authority.
His lawyer, Rugemeleza Nshala, dismissed the charges as being politically motivated.
“This is purely political. My client was speaking to his party supporters and explaining the party’s position on electoral reforms,” he told reporters outside the court.
The arrest has sparked condemnation from civil society organizations and opposition figures, who accuse the government of clamping down on dissent ahead of the elections. The government has denied the allegations, saying the charges are based solely on legal grounds.
Lissu survived an assassination attempt in 2017 when he was shot multiple times by unknown assailants. He had been living in exile in Belgium until his return to Tanzania in 2023, following President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s decision to lift a ban on political rallies that had been in place since 2016.
Chadema has continued to press for major electoral reforms, including the creation of an independent electoral commission. The party has warned that it may boycott the elections if the reforms are not enacted.
The treason case comes at a time of growing political tension in Tanzania, with observers warning that it could further strain the country's democratic process as it prepares for a crucial vote.
Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu was formally charged with treason Thursday following his arrest after holding a political rally in the southwestern region of Ruvuma, which carries the death penalty.
Authorities accuse Lissu, who is the chairperson of the main opposition party Chadema, of making inflammatory remarks that allegedly incited rebellion and called for disruption of general elections scheduled for October.
Lissu, who ran against President John Magufuli in the 2020 presidential elections, appeared before the Kisutu Magistrate's Court in Dar es Salaam. He was not allowed to enter a plea on the treason charge, which is handled by a higher court. However, he pleaded not guilty to a separate charge of publishing false information.
According to the charge sheet, Lissu told a rally in Dar es Salaam on April 3: "It is true we say we will prevent the election. We will inspire rebellion. That is the way to get change," a statement that prosecutors claim undermines state authority.
His lawyer, Rugemeleza Nshala, dismissed the charges as being politically motivated.
“This is purely political. My client was speaking to his party supporters and explaining the party’s position on electoral reforms,” he told reporters outside the court.
The arrest has sparked condemnation from civil society organizations and opposition figures, who accuse the government of clamping down on dissent ahead of the elections. The government has denied the allegations, saying the charges are based solely on legal grounds.
Lissu survived an assassination attempt in 2017 when he was shot multiple times by unknown assailants. He had been living in exile in Belgium until his return to Tanzania in 2023, following President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s decision to lift a ban on political rallies that had been in place since 2016.
Chadema has continued to press for major electoral reforms, including the creation of an independent electoral commission. The party has warned that it may boycott the elections if the reforms are not enacted.
The treason case comes at a time of growing political tension in Tanzania, with observers warning that it could further strain the country's democratic process as it prepares for a crucial vote. Anadolu Agency
Pan-African operator AXIAN Telecom has secured a $100 million financing package from the European Investment Bank (EIB Global) to expand mobile broadband infrastructure across Tanzania and Madagascar.
The investment, backed by a European Commission budgetary guarantee under the EU's Global Gateway initiative, will support the expansion of 4G networks and continue the rollout of 5G coverage in both countries.
Tanzania will receive $60 million of the funding, while $40 million will be allocated to Madagascar.
“This new large-scale network investment will pave the way for socio-economic growth, digital inclusion, and better opportunities,” said Hassan Jaber, CEO of AXIAN Telecom.
AXIAN Telecom, which operates under the Yas brand in both countries, serves more than 44 million subscribers across nine Sub-Saharan African markets, with its primary operations in Tanzania, Madagascar, Senegal, Togo, and Comoros.
The operator has been expanding through acquisitions and network investments since 2015 and recently unified its mobile operations in five countries under its Yas brand.
Ambroise Fayolle, VP of the European Investment Bank, said the investment into digital connectivity in Tanzania and Madagascar “opens doors for education, business, healthcare and social inclusion”.
“The EU believes that in the area of connectivity, reinforcing public-private partnerships is crucial for a human-centric model of digital transformation to ensure that no one is left behind,” said Christine Grau, the bloc’s Ambassador to Tanzania.
The financing is the latest in the EU's Digital4Development initiative and contributes to the Global Gateway strategy for Africa, which aims to mobilise up to €150 billion by 2030 for physical and digital infrastructure development across the continent. By Ben Wodecki, Capacity Media
President William Ruto’s lawyer has withdrawn from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) race amid controversy on six names added to the list of interviewees.
Katwa Kigen, who was scheduled to appeal before the Selection Panel on Thursday afternoon, said he had shelved his ambition by "avoiding unnecessary diversion" from the commission’s role.
Panel Chairman, Nelson Makanda said they had received his communication. “Yes, he withdrew. He was supposed to have come today but he withdrew. He sent a letter to withdraw. So, he is not coming and we acknowledge that,” said Dr Makanda.
On the controversy on the six additional names above the initial 105 listed for the commissioner position, the panel is yet to explain the circumstances.
Those added to the list are Hassan Noor Hassan, Jibril Maalim Mohamed, Michaels Ben Oliewo, Charles Kipyegon Mutai, Stephen Kibet and Joel Mwita Daniel.
On day 13, Bishop Joseph Kyavoa, Joseph Kipng’etich Magutt, Jonathan Ltipalei Lodompui, John Kilonzo Muthama and Joyce Kemunto appeared before the panel.
The process continues against the controversy as two sides of the political protagonists clash over how the polls body should be reconstituted.
Wiper, DAP-K and People’s Liberation Party leaders, Kalonzo, Eugene Wamalwa and Martha Karua claimed Kenya Kwanza and ODM were determined to control the recruitment.
But ODM Secretary General, Edwin Sifuna, termed their remarks as unfounded, saying the process is being conducted in compliance with the National Dialogue Committee report.
The exercise is behind schedule with IEBC having missed crucial constitutional deadlines. Sifuna said blamed the Kalonzo party for the delay, saying Wiper had failed to resolve a dispute on its nomination to the Selection Panel.
“In fact one of the candidates shortlisted for membership in the commission is Kalonzo’s advisor, and this is fully within the candidates’ constitutional right,” he said.
MPs from across the political divide agreed to give the panel enough time to complete the vetting process.
“This nefarious exercise, we believe, is intended to rig the next General Election to perpetuate the continuation of the Kenya Kwanza regime that has clearly lost the trust and confidence of the people of Kenya,” said Karua last month. By Irene Githinji,The Standard
Nearly 25 million people, half of Sudan’s population, face extreme hunger, while people are dying in famine-hit areas in western Darfur [GETTY]
A nearly two-year-old war has engulfed Sudan in the world’s largest humanitarian crisis and led the African country to become the only nation experiencing famine, a senior UN official said Thursday.
Nearly 25 million people, half of Sudan’s population, face extreme hunger, while people are dying in famine-hit areas in western Darfur, said Shaun Hughes, the World Food Program’s emergency coordinator for Sudan and the region.
Sudan plunged into conflict on 15 April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between its military and paramilitary leaders broke out in the capital, Khartoum, and spread to other regions, including the vast western Darfur region.
Since then, at least 20,000 people have been tallied as being killed, though the number is likely far higher.
“By any metric, this is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis,” Hughes told UN reporters, pointing to over 8 million people displaced within Sudan and 4 million who have fled across borders to seven countries that also face hunger and need humanitarian aid.
Famine was initially confirmed last August in Zamzam camp in North Darfur, where about 500,000 people sought refuge, but Hughes said it has since spread to 10 other areas in Darfur and Kordofan. He said 17 other areas are at risk of famine in the coming months.
“The scale of what is unfolding in Sudan threatens to dwarf anything we have seen in decades,” Hughes said.
He warned in a video press conference from Nairobi that “tens of thousands more people will die in Sudan during a third year of war unless WFP and other humanitarian agencies have the access and the resources to reach those in need.”
Late last month, the Sudanese military regained control over Khartoum, a major symbolic victory in the war. However, the rival Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group still controls most of Darfur and some other areas.
Hughes said what’s happening in Zamzam camp, which is caught in the conflict, is “horrific”, as is the situation in North Darfur’s capital, El-Fashir, which has been besieged by the RSF since May 2024. It is the only capital in Darfur that the RSF does not hold.
Hughes said WFP receives daily reports from its humanitarian partners and contacts on the ground in North Darfur “that excess mortality is occurring as a result of the famine.”
While WFP has not been able to reach Zamzam with a convoy since October, he said the agency has been able to help some 400,000 people there, in El Fasher and other camps, by transferring cash digitally into people’s bank accounts so they can buy food and other items. However, this is only possible where markets exist.
Hughes said WFP’s assistance to Sudanese people in need has tripled since mid-2024 and that the agency is now reaching over 3 million per month, mainly through a surge in the use of digital cash transfers.
WFP said it wants to help 7 million people in Sudan in the next six months but needs $650 million.
Hughes was asked whether Trump administration funding cuts were responsible for any of that needed amount. He replied: “All allocations that the US government has made to Sudan remain effective, for which we are grateful.”
WFP said it needs an additional $150 million to help people who have fled to Chad, South Sudan, Central African Republic and elsewhere.
“Without funding we either cut the number of people receiving assistance, or cut the amount of assistance we provide people,” Hughes said. “That’s already happening.” The New Arab Staff & Agencies
Tanzanian police surround a vehicle belonging to opposition leader Tundu Lissu moments before his arrest in Mbinga district on April 9, 2025.
Senior Counsel and People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has condemned the recent arrest of Tanzania's opposition leader, Tundu Lissu, describing it as unfortunate, unacceptable, and a form of repression against political competition, particularly in a general election year.
''Release Tundu Lissu. This is an unacceptable repression of competition in an election year,'' Karua wrote.
According to Chadema, Tanzania's main opposition party, Lissu was arrested on Wednesday shortly after he concluded addressing a public rally.
People's Liberation Party leader Martha Karua during a past event.
Following the arrest, human rights campaigners accused President Samia Suluhu's government of targeting opposition figures ahead of the national elections set for later this year.
Lissu was charged with treason a day after his arrest, with the charges connected to his nationwide campaign pushing for electoral reform under the slogan "No Reforms, No Election".
In the "No Reforms, No Election" campaign, Lissu has been demanding that the election body in the country be reconstituted to exclude people who were selected by President Suluhu.
The government is, however, against this campaign, accusing the party leader of rallying people against the elections expected to take place in October, when Lissu is expected to challenge President Suluhu.
This is not the first time Lissu has faced challenges in his campaigns; he survived being shot 16 times during an assassination attempt in 2017.
Lissu has been involved in Tanzanian politics for decades. He first gained prominence in the 1990s as a legal advocate, working on environmental and human rights issues.
Throughout his career, he has been a vocal critic of alleged government corruption and mismanagement, often clashing with authorities.
Following his arrest, the Tanzanian government has been accused of abuse of power and a lack of political tolerance by the country's lawyers' association. The opposition leader's treason case has been adjourned until April 24. By Christine Opanda, Kenyans.co.ke
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