Staff Reporter

Post-election unrest has plunged Tanzania into its worst political crisis in decades, as  hundreds of fatalities and thousands injuries were recorded following violent clashes between security forces and protesters demonstrating against the results of the October 29 general election.

 

The turmoil followed the declaration of incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan as the winner with an overwhelming 98% of the vote, extending the six-decade rule of her Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.

 

Reports and claims from opposition figures suggest the number of fatalities may exceed 1,000.

 

The main opposition party, Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), which boycotted the polls, has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the United Nations to investigate the mass killings.

 

Families in major cities, including Dar es Salaam, Arusha, and Mwanza, have reported relatives missing, predominantly young men, since the violence erupted on polling day.

 

Police Spokesperson David Misime attributed the chaos to foreign instigators.

 

However, eyewitnesses and civic groups accuse security forces of using excessive force to suppress demonstrations, including in major regional hubs like Mbeya and Songwe.

 

The landslide victory has been met with scepticism regarding the independence of electoral institutions, which observers say was compromised in the run-up to the poll.

 

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) observer team, led by former Malawi Speaker Richard Msowoya, concluded the elections fell short of regional standards, citing intimidation and obstruction of monitors whose credentials were confiscated.

 

The European Union (EU) and the European Parliament described the vote as neither free nor fair.

“The fraud did not begin at the ballot box, it has been unfolding for months.”

Their statement referenced intimidation, abductions, and media restrictions.

 

President Hassan was sworn in for her new term in a low-key ceremony on Saturday at the Chamwino Military Parade Grounds in Dodoma.

In her victory speech, she defended the process as free and democratic while condemning protesters as unpatriotic.

 

“The incidents that occurred were neither civil nor patriotic.

Patriotism is about building the nation, not destroying it.” She said.

 

The government responded to the unrest by deploying the military, imposing curfews in several cities, and restricting access to social media platforms, though police have since warned citizens against sharing graphic videos of the violence.