Tanzanian police say they are investigating reports that former ambassador Humphrey Polepole, now a prominent government critic, was kidnapped from his Dar es Salaam home early Monday.
Polepole, who resigned as ambassador to Cuba in July and has since launched frequent online attacks on the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), went missing after assailants allegedly forced entry, his brother Godfrey told Reuters. “The main door and bedroom door were broken,” he said, adding there were bloodstains from the sitting room to the gate.
Police spokesperson David Misime said the force had seen relatives’ claims on social media and had begun work “to ascertain the truth.” Government spokesperson Gerson Msigwa did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Opposition parties say several critics of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government have disappeared since last year, alleging a pattern of abductions ahead of the Oct. 29 election. Hassan, lauded in 2021 for easing a broader crackdown under her predecessor, ordered an inquiry into such allegations last year, but no findings have been made public. On Sept. 29, the government rejected a Human Rights Watch report alleging a pre-election clampdown and said abduction claims were “a major source of concern” for authorities.
After stepping down from his diplomatic post, Polepole accused CCM of violating party rules by selecting Hassan as its presidential candidate, engaging in corruption, and abducting critics.
The government also faces scrutiny over the April arrest of main opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who went on trial Monday for treason over a speech prosecutors say urged public rebellion. Lissu has pleaded not guilty and says the case is politically motivated.