Tanzania Pre-Election Crisis: Ex-Ambassador Polepole Abducted as UN Documents 200+ Enforced Disappearances | Intelligence Analysis
Ujasusi Blog’s East Africa Monitoring Team | 07 October 2025 | 0110 BST
Humphrey Herson Polepole, Tanzania’s former ambassador to Cuba and outspoken government critic, was allegedly abducted from his Dar es Salaam residence in the early hours of October 6, 2025—just 23 days before national elections. His brother Godfrey Polepole discovered a broken door, cut electric wires, and blood at the scene. Police confirmed they are investigating but questioned the incident’s authenticity, noting Polepole had failed to comply with a criminal summons. The disappearance fits a documented pattern of over 200 enforced disappearances since 2019 targeting opposition figures and critics, occurring as Tanzania’s main opposition party faces a total ban from elections and its leader stands trial on capital treason charges. The incident represents the latest escalation in what UN experts and human rights organisations describe as systematic pre-election repression that has transformed Tanzania from “Partly Free” to “Not Free” in Freedom House’s 2025 assessment.