In a resounding show of international concern, the European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly to freeze a key funding package for Tanzania, citing severe human rights abuses and electoral irregularities following the country’s October 2025 general elections.
The resolution, passed with a 539-0 vote, puts on hold the Tanzania Annual Action Plan 2025, worth an estimated €156 million, until credible reforms are implemented.
The move comes amid reports of widespread violence, including killings of protesters, abductions, and the arbitrary detention of opposition figures.
European Commissioner for International Partnerships Maria Luís Albuquerque addressed the parliament, stating that the gravity of the situation made “business as usual” impossible.
“We have put on hold the adoption of the Implementation Decision for the Tanzania Annual Action Plan 2025,” she said, emphasizing the need for independent investigations into post-election killings, internet shutdowns, and the shrinking civic space.
MEPs highlighted specific atrocities during the debate, including the violent crackdown on demonstrators and the imprisonment of nearly all major opposition leaders.
Particular attention was drawn to the case of Tundu Lissu, a prominent opposition figure and former presidential candidate, who remains detained on charges widely viewed as politically motivated. Activists from neighboring Kenya and Uganda, who were observing Lissu’s trial, reported being beaten and tortured.
The resolution also addressed long-standing grievances from Tanzania’s Maasai community, who have faced years of repression, forced evictions, and exclusion from voter rolls. Representatives warned that these issues are tied to land-grabbing for tourism and resource extraction projects, exacerbating ethnic tensions.
The parliament’s resolution calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, including Tundu Lissu, an end to arbitrary arrests, torture, and intimidation of activists, journalists, and opposition supporters, independent probes into reported killings, abductions, and mass graves, suspension of EU funds to state bodies implicated in abuses, and strict democratic conditions for any future EU-Tanzania cooperation.
The October 29 elections were marred by allegations of irregularities, low voter turnout, and deadly violence, with an uncounted number of fatalities attributed to security forces.
The EU’s action builds on earlier concerns raised by individual MEPs about threats to activists and the silencing of critics, shifting from rhetoric to tangible measures.
Tanzania’s government has pushed back strongly against the resolution, labeling it as unwarranted foreign interference in its internal affairs. In a statement, officials cautioned the EU against what they described as a “rising wave of political meddling,” arguing that the parliament’s actions undermine Tanzania’s sovereignty.
This freeze represents a significant escalation in the EU’s response to democratic backsliding in Africa, potentially impacting sectors like infrastructure and development where European investments have been substantial.
Analysts suggest it could pressure President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration to address the crisis, especially as other international partners, including the U.S. and U.K., have voiced similar concerns.
However, it also risks straining bilateral relations and affecting aid-dependent programs that benefit ordinary Tanzanians.
As the dust settles from the elections, the parliament’s stance underscores a broader message: Tanzanians deserve justice, truth, and the full protection of their rights, and silence in the face of such abuses equates to complicity.
