Three of Tanzania's leading newspapers have been banned from publishing their online editions after they ran an animation deemed critical of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

The Citizen, Mwananchi and Mwanaspoti newspapers have had their online licences suspended for 30 days over the viral animated clip, which has since been removed.

The clip, just over a minute long, published by the Citizen on social media highlighted the increasing cases of abductions and disappearances in the country.

The media regulator said the content "threatens and is likely to affect and harm national unity and social peace of the United Republic of Tanzania".

Rights groups have accused President Samia's government of stifling dissent and targeting opponents ahead of next year's general elections.

It follows a recent wave of abductions, arrests and the brutal killing of an opposition official in the country.

Wednesday's ban affects all websites, social media and YouTube platforms of the three newspapers, all run by Mwananchi Communication Limited (MCL).

The viral animation by the Citizen, which authorities said violated the country's online communication laws, was published on Tuesday.

It depicted a female cartoon character who resembled Samia with her signature hijab.

It showed the character switching between different TV stations. On each one there was someone complaining about the killing, abduction or disappearance of a family member. At the end, the character appears upset by all the complaints.

Mpoki Thomson, the Citizen's managing editor, said the animation depicted "events that raised concerns regarding the safety and security of individuals in Tanzania".

The animation was taken down a few hours later due to what the newspaper termed "misinterpretation" by the public.

"Our decision to take down the animation stems from the misinterpretation it has generated, which diverges from our original intent,” Mr Thomson said in a statement.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) said the audio-visual content violated the Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations of 2020].

"Following the publication of content which contravenes the law, TCRA suspends online media services licences for The Citizen, Mwananchi Digital, Mwananchi and Mwanaspoti for a period of 30 days," it added.

The suspension prevents the outlets from publishing any content online, "while further regulatory actions are under review."

The media company has assured its audience that it would continue to serve them through its daily print editions and noted that it would engage with the authorities to resolve the matter.

Rights groups and opposition parties have condemned the ban, describing it as a move to muzzle the media in the country.

It comes two years after the lifting of a ban on four newspapers that had been barred from publishing since 2016 and 2017 for exposing alleged corruption and human rights violations.

The four newspapers, Daima, Mawio, Mwanahalisi and Mseto, were banned from publishing for various offences under the restrictive Media Services Act, which came into force in 2016, under the late President John Magufuli.

When Samia succeeded Magufuli after his death in 2021, there were hopes that she would allow the media more freedom.