Dar es Salaam. The Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) on Monday expressed concern over the authorities’ prolonged silence regarding the fate of several missing Tanzanians—some of whom have been disappeared for over eight years, urging law enforcement agencies to provide updates to the families of the missing and to end the practice of enforced disappearances.
LHRC, a Tanzanian non-governmental organisation advocating for human rights and good governance, made the call in its 23rd human rights report, released today, May 5, which assesses Tanzania’s human rights situation in 2024. The police have claimed to be investigating the incidents, promising to share their findings once the investigations are complete.
According to the LHRC, among the missing Tanzanians whose fate remains unknown is journalist Azory Gwanda, who disappeared in 2017. In 2024 alone, the organisation documented 63 disappearances across the country. These include the case of 41-year-old Enock Chambala, a Tanga-based businessperson who reportedly went missing in July 2024.
Other documented cases include Lenga Masunga, a 38-year-old health worker at KCMC Hospital in Kilimanjaro; Shadrack Chaula, a 24-year-old from Mbeya; and CHADEMA leaders Dioniz Kipanya and Deusdedith Soka, who disappeared along with Jacob Godwin Mlay and Frank Mbise. None of these individuals have been accounted for.
In its report, the LHRC warns that these mysterious disappearances pose a grave threat to the right to life and demands an immediate, thorough police investigation. The organisation calls for urgent government action to prevent further occurrences.
READ MORE: It’s About Time Authorities Come Out Clean on Enforced Disappearances in Tanzania
“[These incidents] have also caused fear and uncertainty among citizens and infringe enjoyment of the right to equality before the law, freedom from torture, and the right to liberty and personal security guaranteed under the Constitution,” LHRC states in its report.
The LHRC has urged the government to implement the presidential commission’s recommendation on criminal justice reform by enacting specific legislation to regulate private investigations in Tanzania.
The organisation maintains that such a law would help address public concerns about perceived police delays in resolving cases of missing persons.
Overall, the LHRC found that Tanzania’s human rights situation experienced a slight deterioration in 2024 compared to 2023. This decline was primarily driven by violations of civil and political rights, particularly regarding: the right to life; freedom from violence; liberty and personal security; and equality before the law.
According to the LHRC, children remained the largest group among victims of documented human rights violations at 41 per cent, followed by women (29 per cent), men (15 per cent), the elderly (11 per cent), and persons with disabilities (4 per cent)
The proportion of child victims declined slightly from 45 per cent in 2023 to 41 per cent in 2024, while reported cases involving women decreased by one percentage point. Conversely, the shares among men, elderly individuals, and persons with disabilities rose by five, one, and one percentage points, respectively
LHRC notes that the most violated human rights in 2024 were the right to life, freedom from violence, right to liberty and personal security, right to equality before the law, and right to participate in governance.
