Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has condemned the brutal murder of a leading member of the main opposition Chadema party, who was abducted, beaten and doused in acid.
On Friday, Mohamed Ali Kibao, 69, was forced off a bus by suspected security agents as he travelled from the country’s largest city, Dar es Salaam, to his hometown of Tanga. His body was found in Ununio, Dar es Salaam’s waterfront district, local media reported.
The autopsy showed that Kibao had been “severely beaten and had acid poured on his face,” party chairman Freeman Mbowe told AFP.
President Samia condemned the “brutal acts” and called for an investigation into the killing.
“I have instructed the investigating authorities to provide me with detailed information about this terrible incident and other similar incidents as soon as possible,” she wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“Our country is a democracy and every citizen has the right to live,” she added.
Kibao’s killing follows concerns from the opposition and human rights groups over restrictions on political activities.
“We cannot allow our people to continue to disappear or be killed in this way. The lives of Chadema leaders are currently in danger,” Mbowe told AFP.
Mr Kibao was a retired military intelligence officer who joined Chadema in 2008. He will be buried on Monday in the Darigube district of Tanga city.
Mr Kibao’s killing sparked widespread outrage across Tanzania, with many calling on the government to take action following reports that more people had been abducted and killed.
Last month, key Chadema leaders, Mr Mbowe and his deputy Tundu Lissu, were arrested after they attempted to hold a youth rally.
The police banned the demonstration because they said it was intended to cause violence.
In July, an artist was accused of setting fire to a statue of President Samia and sentenced to two years in prison.
Many fear that Tanzania is returning to the repressive rule of late President John Magufuli, despite his successor, Ms Samia, lifting a ban on opposition gatherings and promising to restore political competition.
In August, Human Rights Watch said the increase in arrests of opposition activists was a “bad sign” as the 2025 presidential election looms.
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