
The United States has urged an investigation into the killing of Tanzanian opposition figure Ali Mohamed Kibao, found dead over the weekend.
Kibao, a member of the Chadema opposition party and a retired military officer, was reportedly forced off a bus at gunpoint by suspected security agents on Friday.
His body was discovered in Dar es Salaam on Saturday.
The U.S. Embassy in Tanzania condemned the killing and called for a transparent investigation, warning against the growing threat to democracy.
They highlighted that such acts, along with recent detentions and beatings of opposition members, should not occur in a democracy.
Kibao’s death comes just a month after other Chadema members were briefly detained in a mass roundup, sparking concerns about the return of political repression ahead of Tanzania’s local and general elections.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who had been seen as easing some of the authoritarian policies of her predecessor, has called for a full investigation, describing the murder as “extremely grave.”
Rights groups fear the incident signals a reemergence of the oppressive tactics seen during former president John Magufuli’s rule. Authorities are investigating the case.