Tanzania’s leading opposition party, CHADEMA, has announced the death of Ali Kibao, a key official who disappeared last week. His body was discovered with signs of severe beatings and acid burns on his face.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, known for easing restrictions on the opposition, condemned the killing in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), asserting that her administration does not tolerate such acts.
Kibao, a secretariat member of CHADEMA, was abducted by armed men while traveling from Dar es Salaam to Tanga on Friday. His body was found on Saturday, according to CHADEMA leader Freeman Mbowe.
Mbowe urged the president to establish a commission to investigate the killing and revealed that an autopsy would take place on Monday. President Hassan has requested a thorough investigation by relevant agencies.
However, the opposition is calling for an independent inquiry. “It is impossible for the same police, who are suspects in this case, to investigate it,” Mbowe told mourners on Monday.
Although acid attacks are rare in Tanzania, physical assaults and attacks on opposition figures have occurred in the past. Recently, Mbowe and other opposition members were briefly detained as they organized a political rally, an event previously banned under former administrations but permitted under Hassan’s leadership.
Tanzania is set to hold its next presidential election next year.
