Tanzanian opposition leader found dead after abduction; face doused with acid

ZIMSPHERE 

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania – A senior member of Tanzania’s Chadema opposition party was found dead on the outskirts of the capital, Dar es Salaam, after being abducted and brutally attacked. Mohamed Ali Kibao, 69, was kidnapped by armed men while traveling by bus from the capital to his hometown of Tanga.

Tanzania's Ali Mohamed Kibao was a retired military intelligence officer who had worked with other opposition parties as well as the ruling CCM party.  [Image: Chadema party]

Kibao's body was discovered in Ununio, a waterfront district of Dar es Salaam. Local media reports and Chadema officials confirmed that he had been severely beaten and his face doused with acid. 

Party chairman Freeman Mbowe stated that a preliminary post-mortem indicated the extent of the injuries, with a full autopsy report expected on Monday.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan condemned the killing as a "brutal act" and has called for an independent investigation. 

"Our country is democratic, and every citizen has the right to live. The government I lead does not tolerate such brutal acts," she wrote on X. She has since ordered investigative agencies to provide detailed information on this incident and similar cases promptly.

Police are currently investigating the "tragic incident," while Mbowe has urged the president to establish a judicial commission to examine abductions and Kibao's killing, alleging police involvement in the case.

The murder of Kibao, a member of the opposition party's secretariat and a retired military intelligence officer who joined Chadema in 2008, may challenge President Hassan’s reformist image. 

Since succeeding John Magafuli, who died in office three years ago, she has attempted to alleviate repression.

Kibao's death follows the recent arrest and brief detention of over 500 Chadema supporters, including top leadership, as they gathered for a youth wing meeting in the southwest. 

Despite some easing of media and opposition restrictions under Hassan, rights groups report continued arbitrary detentions.

The U.S. Embassy denounced Kibao's killing as a method to "disenfranchise citizens" ahead of the 2025 presidential elections, stating that such actions "should have no place in a democracy."