DODOMA, Nov. 27 -- TANZANIA is facing a quiet but intensifying campaign of external political pressure, delivered not through invasions or sanctions but through diplomats, foreign-funded NGOs, religious actors, media networks and powerful Western politicians who present their interventions as “defending human rights” and “promoting good governance.”

Analysts warn that beneath the language of reform lies an attempt to steer Tanzanias internal politics and shape its future according to outside interests, a pattern increasingly recognized across Africa.

The latest tensions follow opposition campaigns, disputes around constitutional reforms and incidents of violence in which local authorities say foreign-funded activ...