Commonwealth Ministers Ask Tanzania to Address Rights, Justice and Accountability Concerns

Tanzania will remain on the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group’s (CMAG) formal agenda after the body said further work is needed to strengthen political freedoms, due process, accountability and compensation for people affected by political conflicts.

The decision was made on September 20, 2026, during CMAG’s 74th meeting, held in New York on the margins of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

CMAG said it recognised progress in some areas but stressed that important constitutional, human rights and democratic issues still require further action.

The group specifically called for continued progress towards an inclusive and credible inter-party political process, protection of civic, political and media freedoms, fair and transparent legal procedures in outstanding cases, and trusted mechanisms for accountability, redress and appropriate compensation for those affected.

The latest position follows earlier action by CMAG, which placed Tanzania on its formal agenda in December 2025 and subsequently established time-bound expectations during its July 2026 meeting.

In July, CMAG had called for steps addressing the detention of opposition leader Tundu Lissu and other people held for exercising their rights peacefully, restoration of full access to digital platforms, an end to intimidation of media and free-expression advocates, and an inclusive inter-party forum on electoral reform, political competition, detainees and accountability.

At its latest meeting, however, CMAG did not remove Tanzania from its formal agenda.

Instead, the group acknowledged areas where progress had been made while maintaining that more work was necessary.

CMAG also encouraged the Tanzanian government to agree on an early date for a visit by Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey. The proposed visit would involve meetings with President Samia Suluhu Hassan and other political and national stakeholders.

The Commonwealth said Tanzania’s cooperation with its Special Envoy, recent engagement with political parties and steps towards political reconciliation in Zanzibar provided a constructive basis for further progress.

The Special Envoy, former Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, had previously held meetings with the Tanzanian government, political parties, civil society organisations, media representatives and other stakeholders during his mission to the country.

The renewed Commonwealth scrutiny comes amid continuing debate over Tanzania’s political environment following the October 2025 general election and the subsequent disputes, arrests and allegations surrounding the handling of political opposition and civil liberties.

CMAG’s latest statement does not make a finding that all allegations raised by political actors or civil society groups have been established. Instead, it identifies areas where the Commonwealth believes additional progress is required and keeps Tanzania under formal monitoring.

The group also observed a minute of silence at the beginning of its meeting in honour of Hafidh Ameir Hassan, the husband of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who died on September 7, 2026.

The 74th CMAG meeting was chaired by Malta’s Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Chris Fearne, with ministers and representatives from Antigua and Barbuda, Botswana, Canada, Grenada, Malaysia, Mauritius, Samoa and Zambia also participating.

CMAG reaffirmed its commitment to the political values contained in the Commonwealth Charter and to the Secretary-General’s Good Offices as a mechanism for supporting those principles while respecting the sovereignty of member states.

For Tanzania, the immediate significance of the decision is that its engagement with the Commonwealth’s political oversight mechanism will continue.

CMAG’s next regular meeting is expected to take place in November 2026 in Antigua and Barbuda, alongside the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, where the group will also consider its biennial report to Commonwealth leaders.