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Tanzania abruptly cut access to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) late Tuesday, May 20, just hours after hackers took control of the country’s police force account and posted false claims that President Samia Suluhu Hassan had died.
The blackout, which affected multiple internet service providers including Airtel, Vodacom, Liquid Telecom, Halotel, and Habari Node, was confirmed by London-based internet watchdog NetBlocks, which tracks global internet freedom in real time.
“This disruption appears deliberate,” the organization said in a late-night Mastodon update, noting that connectivity to X had simultaneously collapsed across all major Tanzanian ISPs.
But the platform shutdown was just one layer in a deepening crisis for Tanzania’s leadership, which has been facing mounting regional backlash over its harsh treatment of foreign legal observers and human rights activists in recent days.
A Politically Sensitive Moment
Earlier in the day, the official X account of the Tanzania Police Force was hijacked and used to disseminate alarming disinformation, including a live-streamed false announcement of the president’s death. With over 470,000 followers, the account’s breach sent shockwaves through the online community, prompting urgent efforts by authorities to reclaim control and reassure the public. The identity of the hackers remains unknown, but the government has since vowed to pursue them relentlessly.
The cyberattack hit at a precarious time for President Suluhu’s administration. On Monday, several prominent East African lawyers and democracy activists were detained or deported after arriving in Tanzania to observe the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who faces treason charges. Their presence appears to have triggered the government’s ire.
Among those apprehended were Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan journalist Agather Atuhaire, who were reportedly arrested in Dar es Salaam by plainclothes men believed to be linked to the military. Their whereabouts remained unknown as of Tuesday evening. Although Tanzanian lawyers representing the two said they were told the pair would be deported, no official documentation has been made public.
Suluhu’s Warning
These arrests followed the earlier detention and swift deportation of a high-profile Kenyan delegation that included former Justice Minister Martha Karua, ex-Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, Law Society of Kenya officials Gloria Kimani and Lynn Ngugi, and activists Hanifa Adan, and Hussein Khalid. All had landed in Dar es Salaam over the weekend to attend the politically charged court session but were barred entry and forced onto return flights.
President Suluhu, once seen as a moderate reformer compared to her hardline predecessor John Magufuli, has grown visibly combative toward foreign critics. In a televised address on Monday during the unveiling of Tanzania’s new foreign policy, she accused neighboring activists of trying to meddle in internal matters.
“We are witnessing a growing pattern where regional actors attempt to interfere in our domestic affairs,” she warned, directing security and intelligence agencies to remain alert. “We will not allow anyone to cross the line.”
Suluhu, who became East Africa’s first female head of state in 2021 after Magufuli’s unexpected death, initially won applause for restoring civil liberties and opening dialogue with opposition parties. But that goodwill has steadily eroded. Her government’s recent actions, including arrests, deportations, and social media clampdowns, have renewed fears of a return to the repressive tactics that characterized the late Magufuli’s rule.
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