Tanzania has suspended the online operations of The Citizen, a leading English-language newspaper, for 30 days after it published animated videos featuring President Samia Suluhu Hassan and addressing recent allegations of abductions and killings of dissenters.
The clips depicted Hassan watching news broadcasts about dissidents and victims of state repression, which have sparked mounting domestic and international criticism against her government.
The suspension, issued by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority, cited that the content presented “negative interpretations for the nation,” undermining national unity, peace, and cohesion. The Citizen later removed the animations, explaining that they had generated misinterpretations.
Since taking office in 2021 following the sudden death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, Hassan initially received praise for lifting restrictions on opposition rallies and media. However, rights groups and Western governments, including the United States, have criticized her administration for a perceived return to repression ahead of upcoming local elections in November and a general election scheduled for late 2025.
In recent months, Hassan’s government has banned major rallies organized by the opposition Chadema party and briefly detained its leaders. One of the figures featured in The Citizen’s animated videos was the father of Shadrack Chaula, an artist sentenced to two years in prison for burning a picture of the president. In the video, the father is heard pleading, “dead or alive… I want to see my child,” while Hassan watches from a sofa.
