Chadema demands judicial inquiry into abductions, killings
Friday August 23 2024
Chadema Chairperson Freeman Mbowe in Dar es Salaam on August 22, 2024. PHOTO | THE CITIZEN
Tanzania's main opposition party, Chadema, has called for a judicial inquiry into the alleged abductions and killings that have gripped the country.
Speaking at a press conference on August 22, Chairperson Freeman Mbowe said the matter should be addressed urgently.
Mr Mbowe said that of all the reported cases of missing persons and abductions across the country, over 60 percent took place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's largest city.
He also claimed that some of the victims were senior Chadema leaders, raising concerns about targeted political violence.
"These are not isolated incidents," said Mbowe. "What we're seeing is a disturbing pattern of enforced disappearances, with a significant number occurring right here in Dar es Salaam."
The Chadema leader went on to accuse state security agencies of involvement in the disappearances.
According to Mr Mbowe, the party's investigations have uncovered information from various sources, including insiders within the police force.
"What we've found is alarming," he said. “There is a task force initially set up to combat armed robbery that seems to have shifted its focus. This group now appears to be involved in these abductions, operating outside the formal legal framework.”
He claimed that more than 200 people have disappeared under suspicious circumstances, many of them reportedly tortured by this security task force.
The implications, he said, are serious not only for those directly affected, but for Tanzanian society as a whole.
"This is not just about the missing people," Mbowe warned. "It is about the fear and uncertainty that is spreading throughout the country. Tanzanians are living in fear and this is unacceptable."
Read: Tanzania police release Chadema leaders after assembly stand-off
The Citizen tried to contact the police spokesperson, but the calls went unanswered. He had not responded by press time.
Mr Mbowe said the police could not be trusted to investigate themselves.
Instead, he called on President Samia Suluhu Hassan to use her powers under the Inquiries Act to set up a judicial commission of inquiry.
"The police force is compromised," he said. "The only way to get to the truth is through an independent judicial commission of inquiry. We urge the President to take this step to restore peace, unity and stability."
He also called on the President to disband the Security Task Force, which he said was acting on personal whims rather than the law.
“The President, as Commander-in-Chief, must intervene,” Mr Mbowe stated. “This task force has overstepped its boundaries and must be held accountable.”
Chadema is also pushing for the repeal of Section 4(iii) of the Tanzania Intelligence and Security Services Amendment Act of 2023.
This section, Mr Mbowe argues, gives excessive powers to national intelligence officers, allowing them to arrest people without due process.
"This law is being abused," Mr Mbowe argued. "It gives too much power to security officers, and we've seen how that power is being abused."
In the capital, Dodoma, Tanzania's Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance announced it was conducting its own investigation into more than 80 cases of disappearances reported between 2020 and 2024.
Retired judge Mathew Mwaimu, who chairs the commission, said these cases span 15 regions, with most incidents occurring between 2020 and 2024.
He acknowledged that other disappearances have been reported since 2016, but said the commission's focus is on the recent cases because of their prevalence and the public anxiety they have caused.
"We are seeing a disturbing trend," said Judge Mwaimu.
"These disappearances are not confined to one area, but are happening across the country. Our investigation is aimed at uncovering the truth behind these incidents".
The regions under investigation include Dar es Salaam, Singida, Mara, Shinyanga, Mwanza, Kagera, Geita, Kigoma, Tanga, Mbeya, Iringa, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Ruvuma and Rukwa.
Judge Mwaimu assured the public that the commission was taking the investigation seriously. He noted that steps have already been taken, including the identification and analysis of incidents based on various sources of information.
"Our work is ongoing," he said. "We are visiting 30 locations over the next few weeks to gather evidence. Once we have completed our investigation, we will present our findings to the public."