Prominent Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu was arrested Wednesday after addressing a political rally. In a statement on X his party called the Chadema party said: “So far, the exact reasons for his arrest have not been made clear.

Party leaders are closely monitoring the situation to determine the reasons for his arrest and his current whereabouts.” Recent months have seen a spike in attacks on opposition figures. The rally in Mbinga was one of many across the country aimed at mobilizing voters and demanding reform ahead of the upcoming general election.

As tensions rise ahead of the vote, human rights groups and critics are questioning the government’s commitment to political freedoms. Many fear that without significant reforms, Tanzania’s elections may not be free or fair, undermining the legitimacy of the entire process.

The meeting of 11 heads of state and 20 representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean, a bloc known as the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, was marked by a call to put aside differences in the face of global tensions. “Today more than ever is a good time to recognize that Latin America and the Caribbean require unity and solidarity,” President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico said during the summit.

Trump on Wednesday suspended his global tariffs for 90 days on most countries other than China, which was hit with increased 125% tariffs, another escalation in the trade war between the two countries.

Even with the pause in tariffs, resentment still simmers among many trading partners and U.S. allies, which have started to look for other reliable trade alternatives in the face of uncertainty under the Trump administration. Adding to the economic turmoil are also larger frustrations over Trump’s deportation tactics, increasingly the subject of legal scrutiny and human rights criticisms, and moves by his administration that some say infringe on the sovereignty of foreign nations.

Through a video message, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who did not attend the summit, condemned the persecution of Venezuelan migrants by the U.S. administration. Sheinbaum insisted on the need for cooperation, reiterated that the structural causes must be addressed and rejected “the criminalization of brothers and sisters of our continent who for some reason have had the need to migrate north.”

South Sudan’s opposition movement is deeply divided.

Following the arrest of longtime leader Riek Machar, the political branch of the movement, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), declared Stephen Kuol Par interim party chairman on Wednesday.

Par was minister for peacebuilding in the South Sudanese government, although he was suspended from his function and his own party following the nomination as interim chair by the SPLM-IO.

The decision to replace Machar, who is under house arrest since end of March, at the helm of the opposition was firmly contested by the armed branch of the movement (SPLA-IO), mostly loyal to Machar.

Some members of the SPLM-IO also loyal to their arrested leader reportedly skipped the meeting.

Riek Machar was detained two weeks ago, after South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir had accused him of instigating an outbreak of deadly violence against government forces in the north of the country.

According to some analysts, the troubles in the main opposition party could further threaten the fragile peace the country has lived in since 2018, when a peace agreement ended five years of civil war.

South Sudan has been slow to implement its peace process and has never held a presidential election.

Its transitional period has been extended four times since 2018.

After the most recent episode of fighting and notorious political instability, experts have warned that South Sudan could once again be on the brink of civil war.