Tanzanian Police Detain Chadema Official Amid Election Protest Crackdown

Tanzanian authorities have detained a senior official from the main opposition party, Chadema, amid a spate of arrests in connection to deadly protests during elections last week. The deputy secretary general of Chadema, Amani Golugwa, was arrested by police on Saturday, according to the party. The Tanzanian government has charged more than 200 people with treason after last week's protests, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 people, according to Chadema and human rights bodies. The government has disputed these figures, but has not provided its own tally. The protests were sparked by allegations of electoral irregularities and the exclusion of rival candidates from the presidential election. The Tanzanian government claimed the elections were free and fair, but Chadema and other opposition parties disputed this, citing the absence of key opponents from the ballot. The opposition parties have called the election of incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan fraudulent. The arrests and charges have been widely condemned by human rights groups and opposition parties, who accuse the government of using excessive force and stifling dissent. The government has maintained that it took necessary measures to maintain law and order during the protests. In the aftermath of the protests, the government has imposed a curfew and deployed security forces to major cities. The opposition parties have called for calm and an investigation into the deaths and injuries sustained during the protests. The international community has been watching the situation in Tanzania closely, with several countries and organizations expressing concern over the human rights situation and the conduct of the elections. The European Union has called for an investigation into the allegations of electoral irregularities and human rights abuses. As the situation continues to unfold, the opposition parties have vowed to continue their protests and demands for electoral reform. The government has promised to address the concerns of the opposition, but has not provided a clear timeline for reforms.