Key Highlights:
Tanzania’s electoral authority have warned against and called on the country’s police force to investigate the issue of political parties in the country training political militia groups.
The fears emerge a few weeks to the country’s general elections to be held on October 25 which is most hotly contested elections in the East African country’s history.
The fears have been preceded by travel advisory by the United States to her citizens living and or visiting Tanzania to exercise caution during and after the election.
Assessment:
Concerns have emerged in the Tanzanian political scene with the country’s electoral authorities expressing fears of political parties training political militia groups ahead of the October 25th national polls.
According to electoral commission president, it received intelligence that some political parties were preparing to give military training to over 1500 youth with the intentions of using them to disrupt the elections.
The call by the electoral body upon the police to investigate is also fueled by the recent travel advisory by the United States on Tanzania. The US advised her citizen residing and or visiting Tanzania to exercise caution during the election period and shortly after.
The forthcoming elections is the most hotly and closely contested elections in Tanzania’s history with the ruling party’s candidate John Magufuli Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) against all the opposition parties rallying behind ex-prime minister Edward Lowassa who defected from CCM.
Isolated case of violence and clashes have been reported in the recent past with one case causing the death of one person after CCM and Chadema Party (leading opposition party) supporters clashed.
Conclusion:
The concerns of the possible training of political militia groups in Tanzania is worrying seeing as it has become quite a trend in African countries with the such like groups causing violence and destabilizing countries.
Tanzania has historically is the most stable and less violence-prone country in the East African region and rumors of militia groups is very worrying as it could be a lethal political weapon for the involve parties.
In the past, in countries like Burundi, DR Congo, Central Africa Republic, South Sudan among other countries, such militia groups have been used ouster leaders or forceful instill leaders unconstitutionally.
