Tanzania Opposition Leader to End Exile

Tanzania’s opposition leader and former presidential candidate Tundu Lissu has said he will return home this month from exile in Europe to “write a new chapter” after the government’s decision to lift a ban on political rallies.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan lifted the six-and-a-half-year ban on political rallies last week, part of her reconciliation strategy after taking over the presidency in March 2021 following the death of her predecessor John Magufuli.

The ban, imposed by Magufuli in 2016, allowed elected politicians to conduct rallies in their constituencies but barred other political rallies and protests.

“With the lifting of the illegal ban on political activity, it’s now time to return home and get back to work,” Lissu said on Twitter on Friday, saying he would arrive on January 25.

In a speech streamed live on YouTube and carried on local channels in Tanzania, Lissu said “we cannot continue to endlessly live in exile.”

“I am optimistic that we will write a new chapter this year … 2023 is an important year in the history of our country,” he said.

Aljazeera /Shakirat Sadiq