Today, Morgan, Les, Amy, and Andy discuss the recent political violence in Tanzania, where President Samia Suluhu Hassan claimed victory with 98% of the vote in an election widely condemned as neither free nor fair. Opposition candidates were arrested, protests have been violently suppressed, and Tundu Lissu, leader of the banned Chadema party, faces treason charges for calling for election reform. Once seen as one of East Africa’s more stable democracies, this marks a sharp and troubling turn for Tanzania.

What does this mean for democratic backsliding across Africa—and beyond? Could instability in Tanzania open new opportunities for China and Russia to expand their influence in the region? And as the United States continues to pull back from Africa, can Washington afford to keep treating the continent as an afterthought while authoritarian powers move in?

@morganlroach

@lestermunson

@amykmitchell

@andykeiser

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