A key Tanzanian police social media account with over 468,000 followers has gone silent, with its last update posted on Saturday, May 17, 2025, raising questions as political tensions escalate in the country.
The account, which has historically been used to communicate updates on criminal investigations, public safety advisories, and law enforcement initiatives, has remained inactive during a period of growing national and international scrutiny.
Authorities have not issued any official statement regarding the pause in activity.
The silence comes amid a growing political standoff between President Samia Suluhu Hassan and opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is currently facing treason charges.
The highly charged legal proceedings have drawn attention both regionally and internationally, with rights groups expressing concern over the handling of the trial and the broader implications for political freedoms in Tanzania.
In a televised address on Monday, President Suluhu responded forcefully to what she described as foreign interference, after several international activists attempted to attend Lissu’s court proceedings.
“We have started to observe a trend in which activists from within our region are attempting to intrude and interfere in our affairs,” President Suluhu said during the launch of Tanzania’s new foreign policy in Dar es Salaam.
She added that the country’s security and defence agencies had been instructed to guard against foreign influence, particularly from neighboring nations.
“Let us not give them the chance; they have already destabilised their countries, and the only remaining peaceful nation is Tanzania,” she said, in a thinly veiled reference to Kenya, whose activists were reportedly deported on Monday after being denied entry into Tanzania.
“If they have been controlled in their country, let them not come to disrupt us,” Suluhu added.
The president’s comments have drawn concern from civil society actors across East Africa, many of whom view the response as an attempt to shield the trial from public scrutiny and clamp down on regional solidarity with Tanzanian opposition movements.
Meanwhile, questions remain about the status of the police’s digital communication channels, with observers speculating that the pause in social media activity could be part of a broader strategy to control information during this politically sensitive period.
The Tanzanian government has previously been accused of restricting media freedoms and limiting digital platforms during elections or national crises.
Analysts suggest that if the police account remains inactive, it could signal heightened efforts to manage narratives and limit public engagement on politically charged issues.
The trial of Tundu Lissu, a prominent opposition figure who survived an assassination attempt in 2017 and returned from exile last year, is expected to continue under tight security.
His supporters have maintained that the charges are politically motivated.
As the legal proceedings unfold and pressure from rights groups intensifies, the Tanzanian government faces growing scrutiny over its commitment to transparency, democratic norms, and freedom of expression.
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