Tanzania’s opp. leader seeks refuge in German ambassador's residence following death threats
Tanzania’s opposition leader has sought political asylum subsequent to taking refuge in the German ambassador's residence in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam, mentioning he had received death threats following a disputed election late last month.
Tundu Lissu, the head of leading opposition party CHADEMA
and the main rival of President John Magufuli in the October 28 election, told reporters
on Saturday that had received death threats immediately after the vote, which made
him enter the residence of German Ambassador Regine Hess in Dar es Salaam.
"I received two unknown calls whose callers told me
they will deal with me once and for all," Lissu said.
"I had to move from my home last Sunday to a friend's
home and then on Monday I went to the German residence seeking a temporary
refuge for security reasons. Before entering the residence, I was arrested and
questioned temporarily before they released me," he added.
"We are now waiting for the embassy to negotiate with
the government for us to leave to go abroad. I cannot leave in a normal way
without security assurance," he stated.
Speaking from the German ambassador’s residence, he also made
the claim that he had been pursued by Tanzanian police officers and that an
order to “murder” him had already been issued.
Magufuli was declared on October 30 the winner of the
presidential election in Tanzania with 84 percent of the vote, in comparison to
Lissu’s 13 percent, with observers stating that the polls were marred by
widespread irregularities.
Lissu and other opposition leaders, including CHADEMA
chairman Freeman Mbowe, were briefly taken into custody this week after calling
for nationwide protests against the vote results and asking for a re-run of the
election.
Lissu survived an assassination attempt back in 2017, when
he was shot 16 times in his car in what still remains an unsolved case. The
52-year-old returned to Tanzania in July subsequent to having spent three years
in exile in Belgium.
Magufuli, who was sworn in on Thursday for his final
five-year term, has vowed to work with his rivals and peacefully deal with the
opposition parties in the east African country.
Magufuli has been praised by many for pushing through
big-impact infrastructure projects and a sweeping anti-corruption campaign.
His critics accuse the government of intolerance and
authoritarianism, including (but not limited to) a crackdown on critical
voices, closure of some media outlets and prevention of opposition rallies. The
government has adamantly denied such allegations.
007
