Tanzania has lost the hosting rights for the 30th East Africa Law Society (EALS) Annual Conference and General Meeting, with the event now set to take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, due to safety concerns.

In a statement issued on Monday, EALS President Ramadhan Abubakar said the decision to move the regional legal gathering from Zanzibar was reached after assessing recent developments in Tanzania, including the upcoming general elections.

“While Zanzibar had initially been selected as the host, recent developments—including the upcoming general elections in the United Republic of Tanzania scheduled around the same period—have necessitated a reconsideration,” the EALS statement read.

The conference, which was to mark the 30th anniversary of the EALS, had been highly anticipated across East Africa. The society brings together more than 45,000 members, including lawyers from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and Tanzania.

According to the statement, the EALS Governing Council held a meeting on June 16, 2025, where the decision was made to relocate the event in the absence of firm safety guarantees for delegates.

“After careful deliberation and in the absence of firm guarantees to delegates who will be attending the event, the EALS Governing Council in its meeting on June 16, 2025, considered alternative venues for the 30th East Africa Law Society Annual Conference and General Meeting,” the communiqué stated.

Though the EALS avoided directly criticising Tanzanian authorities, the decision comes amid growing attention on the country’s political environment, its human rights record, and its engagement with civil society groups.