Chadema, Tanzania’s major opposition party, has demanded a judicial investigation into the alleged kidnappings and murders that have shaken the nation.

At a news conference on Friday, Chairperson Freeman Mbowe stated that the issue needed to be resolved right away.

According to Mr Mbowe, more than 60% of all documented occurrences of kidnappings and missing persons nationwide occurred in Tanzania’s biggest city, Dar es Salaam.

He also raised fears about targeted political violence by claiming that senior Chadema leaders were among the victims.

“These are not isolated incidents,” said Mbowe. “What we’re seeing is a disturbing pattern of enforced disappearances, with a significant number occurring right here in Dar es Salaam.”

The leader of Chadema continued by alleging that state security forces were complicit in the disappearances.

Mr Mbowe claims that the party’s investigations have turned up material from insiders in the police department among other sources.

“What we’ve found is alarming,” he said. “There is a task force initially set up to combat armed robbery that seems to have shifted its focus. This group now appears to be involved in these abductions, operating outside the formal legal framework.”

He asserted that over 200 individuals had vanished under questionable circumstances, with several reports of them being subjected to torture by the security task force.

He noted that there are major ramifications for Tanzanian society as a whole as well as for the individuals who are directly impacted.

“This is not just about the missing people,” Mbowe warned. “It is about the fear and uncertainty that is spreading throughout the country. Tanzanians are living in fear and this is unacceptable.”

According to Mr. Mbowe, one cannot rely on the police to do their own investigation. Rather, he urged President Samia Suluhu Hassan to establish a judicial committee of investigation by using her authority under the Enquiries Act.

“The police force is compromised,” he said. “The only way to get to the truth is through an independent judicial commission of inquiry. We urge the President to take this step to restore peace, unity and stability.”