A group of activists on  Wednesday May 6, came out strongly following President William Ruto’s recent visit to Tanzania, calling for an apology over remarks made by President Samia Suluhu on handling activists and Gen Z protesters.

In a joint statement released on May 6, the Pan African Solidarity Network accused President Samia Suluhu Hassan of promoting a dangerous approach to dissent, warning that it could open the door to abuse of power across the region.

“This autocratic alliance tries to paint young people as a threat and make state violence seem normal,” the group said. They added that such thinking goes against the law and the basic agreement between governments and citizens. “Young people do not need anyone’s permission to claim their rights. Not from Suluhu, not from Ruto. These rights are theirs.”

The activists also demanded that both leaders withdraw their remarks and assure the public that similar statements will not be repeated. “We demand that Suluhu and Ruto publicly apologize, retract their statements, and guarantee non-repetition of their utterances that advocated the mass murder of innocent civilians .”

The reaction follows Ruto’s two-day State visit to Tanzania on May 5–6, where he held talks with President Samia aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries. The visit saw the signing of several agreements in trade, energy, transport and security, with both sides also agreeing to remove trade barriers by June 30.

However, the visit drew attention after President Samia called for firm action against what she described as “ill-mannered” activists, saying Kenya and Tanzania should work together in dealing with them.

The activists say that kind of approach risks targeting people who are simply demanding accountability. “Calling them violent is dangerous, and we will not accept it,” the statement reads. They also pointed to past incidents in the region, including arrests, disappearances and use of force against activists, warning that such actions should not be repeated.