NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Tanzania’s most prominent opposition party has reported that an official who went missing last week has been found dead with signs of beatings and acid poured on his face.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who has previously loosened restrictions on the opposition in the East African nation, swiftly condemned the killing in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) and said her administration does not condone such acts.
Ali Kibao, a secretariat member of the CHADEMA party, was abducted by armed men from a bus traveling from the commercial hub of Dar es Salaam to the port city of Tanga on Friday. His body was discovered on Saturday, according to opposition leader Freeman Mbowe, who made the announcement late Sunday.
Mbowe stated that an autopsy is scheduled for Monday and called on the president to establish a commission to investigate Kibao’s death. In her statement, President Hassan said she has requested an in-depth report from investigating agencies.
The opposition is demanding an independent investigation.
“It is impossible for the same police who are the suspects to investigate this matter,” Mbowe told mourners on Monday.
Acid attacks are rare in Tanzania, although some opposition figures in the past have been physically assaulted or even shot.
In recent days, Mbowe and other opposition figures have been detained and released without charge while planning a political rally—an act that was banned by the previous administration but later permitted by Hassan.
Tanzania is expected to hold its next presidential election next year.
