On 21. Feb. 2018, 110 Tanzanian Civil Society (CSOs) organisations published a brief report on the Human Rights situation in Tanzania, listing some shootings and disappearances as examples as well as other occurrences: “These incidents includes armed attacks, atrocious killings, injuries, enforced disappearance, brutality, arrests, malicious prosecutions targeting human rights defenders (HRDs), journalists, politicians and even normal civilians of this nation.”
On 16 Feb. 2018, university student, Ms. Akwilina Baftah, was shot dead by police in Dar es Salaam when police dispersed a crowd; she was in a bus and not even part of the crowd when she was hit.
While CSOs issued a statement voicing their concerns about Ms Baftah’s killing and disseminated it, an additional killing took place on the evening of 22nd Feb. 2018:
“Human Rights Defender Mr. Godfrey Luena. Mr Luena was working on the promotion and protection of land rights in Morogoro region. He was killed yesterday 22nd of February 2018 in the evening at his home in Morogoro.”
Mr. Godfrey Luena has been a Diwani (elected councillor) of Namawala municipality in Morogoro Region.
He is the second opposition politician who died by violence within a fortnight: On February 13, Daniel John, a Chadema official .. in Dar es Salaam, was found dead with machete wounds at a beach where he had been dumped.”