Hundreds Feared Dead in Tanzania Post-Election Protests as Opposition, UN Clash With Government Over Death Toll
Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, has claimed that hundreds of people have been killed in violent protests following this week’s disputed general elections, while the United Nations says it has “credible reports” of at least 10 deaths.
Chadema spokesperson John Kitoka told AFP on Friday that the party’s internal assessment put the number of deaths at roughly 700 nationwide, including around 350 in Dar-es-Salaam and more than 200 in Mwanza. The opposition said it based its figures on visits to hospitals across the country. A security source and a diplomat in the capital also confirmed that deaths were “in the hundreds.”
The Tanzanian government has rejected the opposition’s claims. Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo denied that excessive force had been used by security agencies and insisted the government had “no official figures” of protesters killed. “I’ve not seen these 700 anywhere … there’s no number until now of any protesters killed,” Kombo said, adding that “pockets of violence and vandalism” had occurred, with government offices and vehicles attacked and electricity facilities set ablaze.
The UN Human Rights Office, however, expressed alarm over reports of killings by security forces. Spokesperson Seif Magango called on Tanzanian authorities to refrain from using lethal force against demonstrators and to “make every effort to de-escalate tensions.” Later on Friday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged a full investigation into the allegations, citing “deep concern” over reports of disappearances and detentions ahead of the polls.
Protests erupted on Wednesday in Dar-es-Salaam and other cities following elections marred by allegations of fraud and the exclusion of key opposition candidates. Witnesses reported clashes between demonstrators and police, with several vehicles, police stations, and a petrol station set on fire. The government deployed the military to the streets and imposed an internet shutdown to quell unrest.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who assumed office in 2021 after the death of John Magufuli, faced the election without her two main challengers, Tundu Lissu of Chadema and Luhaga Mpina of ACT-Wazalendo. Both were barred by the electoral commission under controversial circumstances that opposition groups and rights organizations have condemned as politically motivated.
The UN and human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch (HRW), have long warned of rising repression, disappearances, and violence against opposition figures in Tanzania. HRW recently documented multiple cases of abduction, torture, and intimidation of activists and journalists, warning that the October elections were at “great risk.”
Meanwhile, in the semi-autonomous Zanzibar archipelago, the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party claimed victory, with incumbent President Hussein Mwinyi declared winner with nearly 79% of the vote. Opposition parties rejected the results, alleging “massive fraud,” as soldiers patrolled the streets amid growing unrest.
As demonstrations spread nationwide, the government postponed the reopening of colleges and universities and vowed to restore order. The army chief, Jacob John Mkunda, condemned the violence and pledged that the military would work with police “to contain the situation.”
