Tanzania opposition urges exiled members to return home

Tanzania's main opposition party has urged its exiled members to come home, telling them not to fear for their lives after the government offered security guarantees to returnees.

The government's assurances come as President Samia Suluhu Hassan seeks to break with some of the policies of her hardline predecessor John Magufuli, whose uncompromising leadership style earned him the nickname "the Bulldozer".

"As a political party, we call upon our members to come back after the government assured (us) of security," Chadema secretary general John Mnyika said Thursday.

Earlier this week Minister for Home Affairs Hamad Masauni told lawmakers: "I assure Parliament and Tanzanians that Tanzania is safe and those who went abroad for security fears should now come back so that we build our nation together."

Since coming to power last year following Magufuli's death, Hassan has made attempts to reach out to the opposition and reopen banned media outlets, meeting Chadema's deputy chairman Tundu Lissu in Brussels in February.

Lissu was the party's candidate in the 2020 presidential election, which was marred by allegations of fraud. He lives in exile in Belgium following an attempt on his life in 2017.

"We will communicate with our members and leaders like deputy chairperson Tundu Lissu... and others on returning home," Mnyika said.

The arrest of Chadema's chairman Freeman Mbowe on terrorism charges last July had sparked concern that Hassan would do little to turn the page on the Magufuli era, despite her promises to defend democracy.

But a surprise decision by prosecutors to drop the charges in March stirred cautious hopes, with Hassan meeting Mbowe hours after his release and the pair vowing to heal political rifts.