Tanzania Opposition Leader Plans Hunger Strike

Rugemeleza Nshala told journalists in Dar es Salaam on Saturday that Tundu Lissu will begin a hunger strike Monday, October 26, 2026. Nshala said Lissu told him during a prison meeting. The step follows Chadema's account that Ukonga Prison has not implemented an October 16 High Court order for private lawyer meetings with officers kept out of hearing range. Lissu, 58, Chadema chair, has been detained since April 9, 2025 after a rally for electoral reforms and faces a treason charge carrying a possible death penalty. Judgment is due November 6, 2026. Nshala warned of health risks given Lissu's reliance on medication and said he was prepared to stop taking it. Nshala quoted him: "I am ready to face the consequences, but I will fight for the rule of law." John Mnyika said Lissu fears for his life because prison officials defy judicial orders and questions whether their food can be trusted. What's contested: An official inquiry put post-election deaths at least at 518; Chadema claimed a higher toll the UN could not verify. Chadema was barred from the 2025 election that President Samia Suluhu Hassan won with 98 percent. Access before the November 6 ruling remains unresolved.