Tundu Lissu, the leader of Tanzania’s main opposition party, the Party for Democracy and Progress (CHADEMA), has ended a hunger strike after prison authorities relented and allowed him a private consultation with his legal team. The standoff at the prison where he is being held highlights the ongoing political tensions in the East African nation following a contentious election cycle.
Lissu, who survived a 2017 assassination attempt and finished second in the 2020 presidential election, began refusing food earlier this week after his lawyers were repeatedly denied entry to the facility. The strike was a response to being blocked from his constitutionally protected right to legal counsel as he prepares for a critical court judgment.
Accounts of the protest’s duration have varied. CHADEMA spokesperson Brenda Rupia reported that the hunger strike began on Monday, noting that Lissu had refused all meals, including tea, breakfast, and lunch. However, his lawyer, Rugemeleza Nshala, stated the refusal of food officially began on Tuesday morning after promised private consultations failed to materialize. Nshala confirmed that Lissu ended the strike late Tuesday afternoon after he was finally permitted to meet with both his legal team and his brother.
In contrast, Tanzania’s prison service has publicly disputed that any protest occurred. Officials told local media that Lissu was safe and had not engaged in a hunger strike, though the party maintained that the strike was both real and necessary to secure legal access. Nshala had previously expressed grave concerns regarding the leader’s health, noting that Lissu requires regular medication following the 2017 shooting in which he was struck by 16 bullets.
Lissu’s current legal jeopardy began in April 2025 when he was arrested after addressing a rally focused on electoral reforms. Prosecutors charged him with treason, alleging that his speech urged the public to rebel and disrupt the general election. Lissu has pleaded not guilty, and his defense team characterizes the charges as a politically motivated effort to sideline him. A judgment on the case is expected on November 6.
The detention comes amid heightening international scrutiny of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s human rights record. While Hassan won the 2025 election, her administration has faced increasing allegations involving the abduction of government critics. While the government has ordered investigations into these reports and maintains it is committed to human rights, no official findings have been made public, and critics argue that abuses remain widespread.
As Lissu remains in custody, CHADEMA has announced a seven-day period of mourning from Thursday through November 4. The event is intended to mark the anniversary of the October 29 election and honor those killed in the subsequent violence. The scale of that violence remains a point of contention; a government-appointed inquiry reported 518 deaths, while CHADEMA claims approximately 2,000 people were killed. The United Nations has stated that it cannot verify the party’s higher figure.
