Tanzanians have been urged to safeguard national unity and resist attempts to use social media platforms to spread hatred and division, amid growing concerns that digital spaces can be exploited to destabilise societies.
Security analyst Richard Mabele made the remarks during a youth dialogue on peace, where he called on citizens to remain patriotic and defend the country against individuals or groups that promote personal interests while inciting hostility among Tanzanians.
He cautioned that while social media has become an important platform for communication and information sharing, it has also been used in various parts of the world to fuel anger, misinformation and conflict.
According to him, such misuse has contributed to political instability and social unrest in several countries.
Mabele said Tanzania must learn from international experiences where digital platforms were used to manipulate public sentiment and mobilise citizens toward confrontational actions that later destabilised their countries.
“There are many nations where regimes were weakened after social media was used to spread misinformation and hateful narratives that triggered public anger,” he said.
He pointed to the example of Libya, where political turmoil followed the removal of former leader Muammar Gaddafi, noting that many citizens later regretted the circumstances that led to the country’s instability.
“When I was studying security and investigations, I had classmates from Libya. Many of them expressed regret about what happened in their country,” Mabele said. “Their nation is still struggling today, and many Libyans feel they lost years of development after being influenced by narratives that mobilised them to challenge the government without fully understanding the consequences.”
The analyst stressed that protecting peace should be the responsibility of every citizen, urging Tanzanians to remain vigilant against individuals or groups whose actions could threaten the country’s stability.
He warned that some actors may attempt to exploit internal divisions to pursue personal or economic interests, including gaining access to national resources.
“Every Tanzanian must stand firm in defending the peace of our country,” he said. “We should reject anyone who shows signs of undermining national stability because there are people with personal interests who believe they can only benefit if they divide citizens and disrupt the country’s peace.”
Mabele’s remarks come at a time when discussions around responsible use of digital platforms are intensifying globally, with governments and civil society groups increasingly emphasising the need to balance freedom of expression with efforts to prevent misinformation and hate speech.
Promoting digital literacy and responsible engagement on social media will be essential in ensuring that online platforms contribute positively to national development rather than becoming tools for conflict and division.