QUEEN OF QUIET TERROR ? Inside President Samia Suluhu’s Shadow Force Striking Fear Across Tanzania Ahead of Elections

Mwanza, Tanzania — At first glance, they look like nothing more than young joggers. Dressed in matching tracksuits with red flags tied around their necks, they run in formation at dawn, accompanied by armed soldiers. To the untrained eye, it could pass as a youth fitness program. But beneath the surface, something far more sinister is unfolding.

Across the country, reports are emerging of a state-backed youth movement, trained, mobilized, and unleashed district by district.

These groups, now widely referred to as the Red Flag Army, are not part of the civil defense force or any known public program. Instead, they appear to be part of a covert strategy to tighten political control as the October 28th 2025 general election approaches.

From Jogging to intimidation

Their presence is no longer surprising. What’s shocking is their purpose. These young men, some barely out of school, jog through towns in military-like drills, flanked by officers from the Tanzania People’s Defence Force (JWTZ). In neighborhoods from Mbeya to Morogoro, they instill fear, not discipline.

In Mwanza just days ago, an elderly man was violently pulled from his car and beaten after unknowingly overtaking one of these units on the road. Witnesses described a brutal, unprovoked attack.

“They didn’t ask. They didn’t warn. They just attacked him like wild animals,” said one onlooker. “People were too scared to intervene. The police were right there and did nothing.”

 Brainwashed and promised power 

According to a former recruit who has since fled the program, the Red Flag Army isn’t being trained to serve the public,they’re being conditioned to protect the ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), at all costs.

“They told us our job is to defend the party and silence its enemies,” he revealed. “We were promised jobs if we helped ‘secure’ the election. We were taught how to control crowds, intimidate opposition, and beat without hesitation.”

Recruits are reportedly undergoing physical and ideological training, where loyalty to the party is placed above all else even the law.

Where is the opposition 

As this youth force gains ground, a troubling trend is taking shape. Opposition figures, student activists, and outspoken critics of President Samia Suluhu Hassan are vanishing without a trace. Families report late-night knocks on the door, vehicles with no license plates, and loved ones who never return.

In city after city, the silence is deafening.

There is no official acknowledgment. No public investigation. Just fear and the growing realization that dissent may now be punishable by disappearance.

From dove to iron fist

President Samia entered office as a beacon of hope. After the authoritarian era of the late John Magufuli, many hoped she would steer Tanzania back toward democracy, transparency, and peace.

But behind the carefully crafted image of diplomacy, a harder reality is emerging. Whether under pressure from party hardliners or by design, her administration now presides over a country where fear is policy, and opposition is a liability.

This isn’t just about politics,it’s about power, and how far a state will go to keep it.

A nation on edge  

In the towns and cities where the Red Flag Army now marches, fear follows their every step. What was once symbolic of patriotism is now seen as a threat. The red flag no longer represents unity, it represents silence, force, and loyalty to something other than the people.

With the 2025 elections looming, Tanzanians find themselves facing a new reality. It’s not just the ballot box at stake. It’s the freedom to speak, to organize, to simply exist without fear of a jogger’s fist or a soldier’s shadow.

People’s pulse calls on  

Independent observers and international rights groups to investigate the use of youth militias in political suppression.

Civil society and opposition leaders to document abuses, protect their members, and demand transparency and the Tanzanian public to remain vigilant, alert, and united against fear.