Who is Tundu Lissu, Tanzania opposition leader accused of treason?

Tundu Lissu, the opposition leader in Tanzania, survived 16 gunshot wounds in 2017 and has been detained several times; however, he now confronts a more serious issue after being accused of treason, a punishable by death, due to his demands for electoral reform.

Lissu, 57, a vocal opponent of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration, leads the primary opposition party, CHADEMA, which has been promoting the motto “No Reforms, No Election” in anticipation of national elections scheduled for later this year.

That unwavering stance has led to Lissu, a past presidential contender, being arrested multiple times and encountering allegations like sedition. Analysts suggest that it has also led to divisions within CHADEMA, which may spell trouble for the party as it prepares for the elections.

Lissu’s attorney stated that the charges of treason were motivated by politics. He has been held in custody and has not yet submitted a plea. Prosecutors claim he is inciting insurrection and aims to interfere with the election.

Educated as an attorney in Tanzania and the UK, Lissu became involved in politics in 1995, when the East African country conducted its inaugural multi-party elections following years of single-party governance.

He was unsuccessful in his attempt to secure a parliamentary position, but his prominence increased as he engaged in legal inquiries regarding human rights violations while employed at a non-profit organization in Tanzania.

In 2010, he was elected as a member of parliament representing CHADEMA and progressed to the position of vice chairman of the party before reaching the top position this year following a contentious leadership election.

Before the assassination attempt in 2017 that led to his exile, Lissu experienced eight arrests that year and faced incitement charges, along with other supposed crimes, under the administration of president John Magufuli. He went back to Tanzania in 2020 to run against Magufuli in an election, but departed the nation again after getting death threats .