DAR ES SALAAM, TANANIA — Tanzania has reportedly restricted access to the social media platform X, internet monitoring organization NetBlocks announced on Tuesday. This development occurred hours after the Tanzania Police Force’s official X account was compromised.
Data from NetBlocks indicated that X became inaccessible across major Tanzanian internet service providers, including Halotel, Airtel, Liquid Telecom, Habari Node, and Vodacom.
“Live metrics show X (formerly Twitter) has become unreachable on major internet providers in Tanzania; the incident comes as a compromised police account posts claims [sic] the President has died, angering the country’s leadership,” NetBlocks stated in a Mastodon update shortly after 9 p.m. East Africa Time.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Tanzania Police Force’s X handle (@tanpol), which has over 470,000 followers and had even hosted a live broadcast, was hacked. The compromised account posted false information, including claims regarding the death of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Authorities later regained control of the account and announced they were investigating the perpetrators.
This hacking incident coincides with ongoing controversy surrounding President Suluhu’s administration following the deportation and arrest of several East African activists and lawyers who had traveled to Tanzania to observe the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu on Monday.
Kenyan activist and journalist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire were reportedly arrested in Dar es Salaam on Monday by individuals believed to be military officers, and their current whereabouts remain unknown.
Amnesty International reported that their Tanzanian lawyers had been informed the two were to be deported.
Their arrests followed the earlier detention and deportation of PLP Kenya leader and former Justice Minister Martha Karua, former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Council member Gloria Kimani, as well as activists Lynn Ngugi, Hanifa Adan, and Hussein Khalid.
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These individuals were detained upon arrival at the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam on Sunday and Monday, respectively, as they sought to attend Lissu’s court hearing.
On Monday, President Suluhu stated that foreign activists would “not be allowed” to “interfere” in Tanzania’s affairs.
“We have started to observe a trend in which activists from within our region are attempting to intrude and interfere in our affairs,” President Hassan said in a televised address during the launch of the country’s new foreign policy.
President Suluhu, who has faced criticism for allegedly reverting to the authoritarian style of her predecessor, John Magufuli, urged security and defense organs “not to allow ill-mannered individuals from other countries to cross the line here.”
