Copyright timesnownews
At least 10 people have been killed and hundreds injured as clashes erupted between protesters and security forces in Tanzania following Wednesday’s disputed general election. The United Nations said it had received “credible reports” of fatalities in Dar es Salaam, Shinyanga, and Morogoro, as unrest spread across the country after opposition parties alleged widespread electoral fraud, reports AP. Unrest Erupts After Contentious Vote Protests broke out Wednesday afternoon after two major opposition candidates were barred from contesting the presidential election. Demonstrators took to the streets in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam and other cities, accusing the government of suppressing dissent and manipulating results in favor of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, which has ruled Tanzania since independence in 1961. Witnesses reported police using tear gas and live ammunition to disperse crowds. Several vehicles, police stations, and a gas station were set on fire. Authorities have since imposed an overnight curfew, shut down internet access, and deployed the military to restore order. Government Tightens Security, Curfew Imposed The government said Friday it was working to restore calm after what it called “isolated incidents” of violence. “Owing to isolated incidents of breaching law and order, the Government has heightened security and taken several other precautionary measures. The security measures in place are temporary but necessary and normalcy will return shortly,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a message broadcast on state television. Military and police units have been patrolling major cities, preventing people from moving around without valid reasons. Civil servants have been ordered to work from home as part of precautionary steps to contain the violence. Opposition Claims Hundreds Dead Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, which was barred from contesting the election after refusing to sign an electoral code of conduct, alleged that nearly 700 people had been killed since Wednesday, reports Reuters. John Kitoka, a spokesperson for the party, said the estimate was based on information from health workers. “We are calling for the protests to continue until our demands for electoral reforms are made,” Kitoka told Reuters. The opposition also claimed “massive fraud” in the Zanzibar vote, where the electoral commission announced that incumbent President Hussein Mwinyi won 78.8% of the ballots. UN, Amnesty Urge Restraint Seif Magango, spokesperson for the UN human rights office, condemned the use of excessive force by Tanzanian authorities. “We call on the security forces to refrain from using unnecessary or disproportionate force, including lethal weapons, against protesters, and to make every effort to deescalate tensions. Protesters should demonstrate peacefully,” Magango said during a briefing in Geneva. He also urged the government to restore internet access, saying the shutdown “will only further undermine public trust in the electoral process.” Amnesty International reported at least two deaths during the initial wave of protests, while witnesses said police fired gunshots to break up demonstrations in several areas. Hassan’s Leadership Faces Major Test President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who succeeded the late John Magufuli in 2021, has been praised for initially easing restrictions on the opposition and media. However, critics now accuse her of returning to an authoritarian approach. The election marks a key test for Hassan’s leadership as Tanzania struggles with political polarisation. The electoral commission has begun releasing provisional results showing Hassan with commanding leads in multiple constituencies. In a statement, European lawmakers called the elections a “fraud” that unfolded “in an atmosphere of repression, intimidation, and fear.” The government has not released any casualty figures or commented on reports of deaths. Tanzanians in the diaspora have been hosting daily X Spaces to analyze the protests and discuss ways of financially supporting the demonstrators.
