Tanzania marked its 60th independence anniversary on Thursday, with President Samia Suluhu Hassan hailing the country’s progress even as fears grow over the precarious state of political freedoms in the East African nation.
The former British colony known as Tanganyika won independence in 1961, officially becoming Tanzania after merging with Zanzibar three years later, and adopting a system of multi-party democracy in 1992.
But in recent years, threats to basic freedoms have increased in the country, particularly under the rule of Hassan’s late predecessor, John Magufuli, who presided over a crackdown on the media, activists and free speech.
In an address to the nation on the eve of the anniversary, Hassan said: “The success we have recorded during the last 60 years of independence was powered by democratic administration and rule of law.”
“Our country has… a system that allows citizens to exercise their freedom of expression without any disturbance,” she said,…
Source: Guardian Newspaper
