Amnesty International raised concern Wednesday over the disappearance of prominent government critic Humphrey Polepole, in light of a pattern of suspicious disappearances throughout the state. The group stated: “The Tanzanian government must put every effort into locating him and bringing him back to safety. They must hold his abductors accountable.”

On October 6, Polepole’s residence was forcibly entered, with police finding a broken door, cut electrical wires, and blood on the scene. The police also seized his safe and printer during the investigation. Concerned that he was seized by the government, Pole Pole’s lawyer initiated a habeas corpus application, a judicial petition to evaluate the legitimacy of government detention. Pole Pole’s sister also disappeared earlier in the month, an act Pole Pole believes to have been politically motivated.

Polepole had previously worked with the ruling party, Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM), but broke with it following what he called an erosion of the party’s constitutional values. The CCM has been in power since the end of the colonial era, and long maintained strong popularity with the Tanzanian populace. However, the party has become subject to growing criticism in recent years, with charges that President John Magufuli is seeking to transform Tanzania into a “one-man state.” Magufuli’s inner circle is increasingly accused of using undemocratic means, such as restricting media access, limiting transparency in the 2020 election result tallying, and pressuring prominent financiers into supporting the party.

Concerns over undemocratic coercion reached a boiling point following a string of 200 disappearances of opposition leaders and critics within the state. Notably, in May, foreign journalists Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire “disappeared” following their arrests by plain-clothes police officers.  Both journalists were reportedly beaten while being improperly detained for several days, and Atuhaire was allegedly sexually assaulted.

Tanzania is bound by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which forbids torture and prohibits extrajudicial arrests under Articles 7 and 9. It is also signatory to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Forced Disappearances, which both forbids forced disappearances for any reason and obliges states to take reasonable steps to prevent their occurrence.