Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has warned activists from neighbouring Kenya that she will not allow them to “meddle” in her country’s affairs and cause “chaos”.
Her comments came after prominent Kenyan lawyers and rights campaigners were deported, preventing them from attending the court case of an opposition leader charged with treason.
“If they have been contained in their country, let them not come here to meddle. Let’s not give them a chance. They have already created chaos in their own country,” Samia said.
Human rights groups are concerned that the Tanzanian government is increasingly cracking down on the opposition ahead of elections in October.
On Monday, main opposition leader, Tundu Lissu, appeared in a magistrate’s court after being arrested last month.
He raised his fist in a gesture of defiance and told his supporters: “You will be fine. You should not fear.”
There was a heavy deployment of security officers at the court in Dar es Salaam, the country’s largest city.
This did not deter Lissu’s supporters, hundreds of whom had gathered outside where the hearing was taking place.
The court had previously attempted to conduct proceedings virtually, but Lissu and his legal team opposed this, citing the need for transparency.
The Chadema party leader was arrested on 9 April following his rallying call for “no reforms, no election” – telling supporters that the general election due in October should not go ahead unless there are electoral reforms.
He has since been charged with treason and publishing false information online, which allegedly incited rebellion and accused police of electoral misconduct.
He denies the charges. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
Lissu’s team also raised concerns over the heavy police presence around the court, which the judges acknowledged, saying there would be consultations on whether this was justified.
The case, which Lissu has described as politically motivated, has heightened concerns over the state of democracy in the country.
President Samia’s administration has been accused by human rights activists of using heavy-handed tactics targeting the opposition in the lead up to country going to the polls.
But the government denies these claims, saying the peace of the country will not be compromised ahead of the vote.
On Sunday, Kenya’s former Justice Minister Martha Karua said she had been deported from Tanzania along with her two colleagues to prevent them from attending the trial.
The Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition said it was shocked by the “arbitrary arrests”.
Hours later, former Kenyan chief justice Willy Mutunga and other prominent rights activists said they had been stopped and held at the airport.
Speaking during the launch of Tanzania’s new foreign policy in Dar es Salaam on Monday, Samia stressed that she would not tolerate external efforts to undermine her country’s peace and stability.
“If there is a country that has people who have peace and are safe, it is here… We will not give a chance to anyone to come and destroy us, whether it comes from within or without our borders,” she said.
She instructed the Tanzanian authorities not to allow “those who have spoiled their countries to cross over to Tanzania… and spread their indiscipline here.
“I have seen several clips saying I am biased, but what I am doing is protecting my country which is the key mandate I was given,” the president said.
Recent events in Tanzania, including the arrest of other opposition figures and a wave of abductions and killings targeting government critics, have sparked condemnation and calls for an end to political repression.
The Chadema party has been disqualified from this year’s general election after demanding electoral reforms and refusing to comply with the electoral commission’s requirement to sign a code of conduct.
On Monday, the prosecution said that investigations into the treason charges were still ongoing, with Lissu’s lawyers questioning the delay.
Another former Kenyan chief justice, David Maraga, was in court and said that he hoped “the legal process ahead will be fair, just, and expeditious”.
The court has urged the prosecution to hasten the process and the case will be heard again on 2 June.
Source: BBC
