Tanzania's Jailed Opposition Leader Calls Off Hunger Strike After Prison Meeting

Tanzania's jailed opposition leader Tundu Lissu has called off his hunger strike after being granted a private meeting with his younger brother in prison.

Lissu's lead lawyer, Rugemeleza Nshala, confirmed that the opposition leader had been planning to start the hunger strike on Monday to protest restrictions on confidential legal consultations. However, he chose to postpone it when prison authorities promised to allow private access for these meetings. The meeting did not materialize on Monday as planned.

Lissu has a history of facing threats to his life and survived an assassination attempt in 2017 that left him with 16 gunshot wounds. He leads the main opposition party, Chadema, in Tanzania and has been detained for over 18 months while awaiting trial on treason charges that carry a possible death sentence. The final judgment in his case is scheduled for November 6.

Lissu began refusing food on Tuesday morning after being denied access to private consultations with his lawyers as promised by prison authorities.

Lissu refused food on Tuesday morning after being denied access to private consultations with his lawyers as promised by prison authorities. The absence of tea, breakfast, and lunch marked a continuation of his hunger strike, which had been ongoing since the previous day.

Prison authorities remained silent about Lissu's actions, issuing no public statements regarding the hunger strike. In some instances, even access to Lissu himself was restricted by prison officials, raising concerns about the adverse health effects of such deprivation. Nshala highlighted that Lissu relies on medication and expressed worry about the implications of a prolonged hunger strike.

The incident is part of a larger context of electoral disputes in Tanzania, where opposition leaders have faced significant challenges. Chadema announced seven days of mourning ahead of the anniversary of the violence surrounding the October 2025 election, which was marred by the exclusion of presidential candidates from the two main opposition parties.

The opposition party Chadema has announced a seven-day mourning period ahead of the anniversary of the 2025 election violence, which will be marked by flying party flags at half-mast from Thursday to November 4.

An independent investigation into the election violence is being called for, with Secretary-General John Mnyika urging international bodies and independent Tanzanian stakeholders to participate. This comes after an inquiry found that at least 518 people lost their lives in the violence, although the actual number could be higher due to some families burying relatives without reporting it.

The United Nations had previously expressed concern over the killings and reports of police removing bodies from mortuaries to undisclosed locations. Chadema estimates that around 2,000 people died in the election-related violence, a figure that the UN is unable to verify due to security concerns and an internet shutdown during the time.