European Union to review relations with Tanzania
Tuesday November 06 2018
The European Union has said it will review its ties with Tanzania over concerns on rights violations.
In a statement released Monday, the EU said it "regrets the deterioration of the human rights and rule of law in the country and will be conducting a broader review of its relations with Tanzania."
The announcement comes after EU recalled its head of delegation in the country, Mr Roeland van de Geer, on Saturday "to discuss the situation in Tanzania".
In September, the EU expressed concerns over allegations of human rights violations in Tanzania, citing arbitrary arrests of rights activists, journalists, bloggers and Members of Parliament.
The Tanzania government has restricted political rallies and live broadcast of parliamentary sessions, while arbitrary arrests of opposition leaders deny them the opportunity to address their voters. Politicians are only allowed to hold rallies within their constituencies but under strict police supervision.
Rights activists claim that since President John Magufuli came to power in 2015, there has been a crack down on dissent and freedom of expression.