Tanzania’s government has launched a fierce attack on CNN and its Nairobi-based Africa correspondent Larry Madowo, accusing the network of publishing “biased and unverified” reports designed to intimidate the authorities after deadly protests in October.
Government spokesman Gerson Msigwa told journalists that Mr Madowo’s recent story relied heavily on mobile-phone footage without seeking an official response, contrary to the journalist’s claim that a right of reply had been requested.
“Larry CNN cannot frighten Tanzania,” Mr Msigwa declared, insisting the coverage served foreign interests rather than the truth.
He urged CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera and Deutsche Welle to follow basic rules of fairness and accuracy, warning that broadcasting graphic images without context could undermine an independent commission of inquiry now investigating the violence that followed local elections on 29 October.
The commission, chaired by retired chief justice Mohamed Chande Othman and sworn in last month, has been dismissed by the main opposition party Chadema as a government “washing machine” meant to clean its reputation rather than deliver justice.
Mr Msigwa refused to give an official death toll, saying only that the inquiry would establish the true figure. Human rights groups and opposition politicians claim dozens were killed by security forces; the government has so far acknowledged far fewer fatalities.
Seventeen Western embassies, including Britain and France, this week demanded the immediate release of victims’ bodies to their families, citing credible evidence of extrajudicial killings, disappearances and arbitrary arrests. Tanzania responded by pointing to the new commission as the proper channel for answers.
While insisting foreign media remain welcome, the government spokesman said journalists should focus on “development journalism” and contact official sources for balance. He added that President Samia Suluhu Hassan fully backed efforts to support local reporters covering the unrest.
