Families in Tanzania are asking for answers. In the wake of the country's recent elections, loved ones of those detained or disappeared are speaking directly to the BBC, calling for information about what happened and financial support to help them cope with what comes next.
Amnesty International has accused the Tanzanian government of weaponising counterterrorism laws to silence dissent in the post-election period. According to the human rights organisation, the crackdown is not over. Activists, opposition figures, and ordinary citizens are reportedly still being caught up in a dragnet that uses national security framing to justify detentions.
For the families left behind, the legal language matters less than the human reality: people are missing, resources are stretched, and official explanations are scarce. Their calls for justice are growing louder, even as the government's response remains unclear.
What happens next in Tanzania could set a serious precedent for how counterterrorism frameworks are used across the continent during politically sensitive moments. The world is watching, and so are Tanzania's neighbours.
Originally published by BBC Africa.