Tanzania

President Samia Suluhu Hassan became Tanzania’s first female president in March 19, 2021, following the death of President John Pombe Magufuli. Despite President Hassan’s pledge to remove existing restrictions on the media, Tanzanian authorities continued to restrict the right to free expression, including through arbitrary arrests of journalists and critics of the government. Tanzanian authorities also failed to protect refugees’ rights. The government has forcibly relocated pastoral Maasai communities, despite protests by community members, local groups, and the international community. The authorities have not conducted meaningful investigations into serious abuses that marred the 2020 elections.