Tanzanian authorities are under intense scrutiny following widespread allegations of violence and killings during and after last week’s contentious election. The largest opposition party, Chadema, accused security forces of secretly disposing of hundreds of bodies to conceal the true scale of the fatalities. Protests erupted across the country after the election, with demonstrators in Dar es Salaam and other cities decrying what they perceived as an unfair electoral process. Security forces responded with live ammunition and tear gas, prompting a nationwide curfew. President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner with over 97% of the vote, a result critics argue lacks credibility due to the suppression of opposition candidates and low voter turnout. Human Rights Watch condemned the violent crackdown, urging accountability for security forces. International observers, including the U.K., Norway, and Canada, have expressed concern over credible reports of significant casualties. The Catholic Church also reported hundreds of deaths, though exact figures remain unverified. Amid the turmoil, Hassan was inaugurated as Tanzania’s first female president, acknowledging the loss of life and calling for a return to normalcy. Authorities have warned against sharing unverified images of the violence, threatening treason charges for those who spread panic. As the internet was restored after a six-day shutdown, life in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma began to slowly return to normal, with businesses reopening and public transport resuming.
Tanzanian opposition claims security forces are secretly dumping bodies after election violence
