In a statement issued on August 13, 2024, the US Embassy in Tanzania said that it welcomed the news regarding the release of political party leaders, youth, journalists, and lawyers who were detained by the police. The embassy emphasized that the US strongly supports fundamental rights, including freedom of expression and peaceful assembly for all.
“The United States of America strongly supports the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly for all as enshrined in both of our countries’ constitutions and which are vital for all democracies,” the statement read.
“We call on the government, all political parties, civil society, and citizens to uphold and respect these rights, and to work together to ensure a free, fair, peaceful, inclusive, and transparent electoral process that reflects the will of the Tanzanian people.”
The statement comes at a time when there is a huge debate in Tanzania regarding the country’s democratic direction, with many citizens sharing concerns about the future following the massive arrest over the weekend.
Police arrested about 520 CHADEMA party members on August 11, in the largest police crackdown against the planned Youth Day celebration on August 12, 2024. Police said CHADEMA was planning to emulate Kenya’s Gen Z protest at their celebration, a claim that has left many Tanzanians unconvinced.
Following the release of the US Embassy statement, many people on various platforms such as X and WhatsApp showed that they were not impressed by the statement due to the timing of its release and the language of the statement.
“You are failing, showing up late with a bite-and-sip melody. You should have just stayed quiet,” commented lawyer Tito Magoti. “Too late, if it were a killing, we would be saying goodbye to the bodies by now,” said Onesmo Mushi.
“You’re messing around, by the way… it’s been like 72 hours, and you’re coming with some half-baked statement,” said another X user with the user name Kingston_Kappa.
Frustration shared by netizens on the US Embassy post was earlier shared by journalist Erick Kabendera who believed that the international community had a role in spearheading tangible democratic reforms in Tanzania but fell short.
“My problem is that as long as diplomats have access to government officials, they have limited interest in supporting reforms that prioritize the needs of the citizens,” argued Kabendera. However, other analysts have a different perspective and believe that Tanzanians were failing themselves and it was up to them to change their country’s direction.
The statement from the US Embassy follows a day after Amnesty International condemned the arrest of CHADEMA supporters. Various civil society and human rights organizations including LHRC, TLS, and THRDC have denounced the action by authorities in Tanzania.
