Assalamualaikum - Opposition reports ‘hundreds’ killed in Tanzania after disputed election
Assalamualaikum - Young people have taken to the streets to protest against limited electoral choices and the harassment of opposition leaders.
Tanzania’s main opposition party is claiming that about 700 people have died in demonstrations after this week’s contested elections, according to party spokespeople.
A Chadema spokesperson said roughly 350 deaths were reported in Dar-es-Salaam and more than 200 in Mwanza, and that visits to hospitals around the country led them to an approximate total of 700. A security source gave a similar figure to news agencies. Independent verification of the full toll has not been possible yet.
The opposition’s numbers differ sharply from the United Nations’ estimate. In Geneva, a UN human rights spokesperson said “credible sources” pointed to at least 10 deaths caused by security forces so far, and urged the security services to avoid unnecessary or disproportionate force, including lethal weapons, and to seek ways to de-escalate tensions.
Protests began on Wednesday in Dar-es-Salaam, where people reacted angrily to what they see as restricted ballot choices and harassment of those who speak up. Several vehicles, a petrol station and police stations were set on fire during unrest.
Hundreds of demonstrators faced police for a third day, calling for the electoral commission to stop declaring results. The government deployed the military and imposed an internet shutdown. In some neighbourhoods where protesters ignored a curfew, security forces used tear gas and there were reports of gunfire.
State media broadcast results showing the long-ruling CCM party seeking to keep control. Two prominent challengers were excluded from running, which has angered citizens and rights groups already alarmed by a tightening crackdown on opposition figures, activists and journalists.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who succeeded the late John Magufuli in 2021, has faced criticism from international bodies over a pattern of actions against critics, including allegations of disappearances and torture.
This election is one of several in the region this month that have sparked strong public anger over leaders trying to extend their rule. Only minor opposition candidates were allowed to stand after the national electoral commission disqualified the main party for not signing an electoral code of conduct. One opposition leader was arrested at a rally and later charged, and another leading candidate was barred following an objection by the attorney general.
Local and international monitors have warned for months about repression and election-related violence. UN experts and rights groups have documented disappearances, assaults, and heavy restrictions on media and civil society, and urged the government to stop silencing dissent and to pursue meaningful reforms for free and credible elections.
Zanzibar’s vote remained calm under a strong military presence, with the incumbent declared the winner; the opposition there alleges widespread fraud and says it will announce next steps.
Protests have spread nationwide and the government has postponed the reopening of colleges and universities. The military chief condemned the violence and said the armed forces will work with other agencies to restore order.
May Allah protect the innocent and guide those in authority to act with justice and mercy. Please keep the affected families in your duas.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news