Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan is set to be inaugurated on Monday amid an ongoing internet blackout and growing outrage from the opposition, which claims that hundreds of people were killed during post-election violence. The electoral commission announced that Hassan won 98 percent of the vote, a result the main opposition party, Chadema, has rejected as illegitimate.
Chadema, which was barred from participating in the election, described last Wednesday’s vote as a “sham” and has called for new elections. The inauguration will take place inside the State House in Dodoma instead of a public stadium, with state television confirming that the public will not be allowed to attend.
What is happening in Tanzania after the election?
Since election day, Tanzania has experienced a total internet blackout, leaving little verified information available. A diplomatic source told AFP that there were credible reports of “hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of deaths registered at hospitals and health clinics around Tanzania.” Chadema reported recording “no less than 800” deaths by Saturday, though the figures remain unverified.
Authorities have not commented on any fatalities, denying allegations that security forces used “excessive force.” Schools and colleges remain closed, and public transport services have been suspended as tension continues across the country.
Reports from Dar es Salaam and other cities indicate a near-total lockdown, with police stopping residents, checking identification cards and bags, and restricting shop operations to the afternoons. On Zanzibar, AFP journalists observed masked, armed men without visible insignia patrolling streets in the days following the election.
How are global leaders and rights groups responding?
A Kenyan rights organization released disturbing footage allegedly showing bodies piled in the streets, though these images have not been independently verified. Pope Leo XIV called for peace and prayers, urging Tanzanians “to avoid all forms of violence and to pursue the path of dialogue.”
Hassan, who rose to the presidency after the death of John Magufuli in 2021, reportedly sought a dominant win to strengthen her political standing and silence critics within her party. However, human rights groups accuse her administration of running a “wave of terror” before the election, including alleged abductions of opposition figures.
Despite the heavy security presence, violence broke out nationwide as citizens tore down campaign posters and clashed with police, prompting the government to enforce a curfew and shut down the internet. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned” about reports of deaths and injuries during the demonstrations, calling for calm and respect for human rights.
By Lucky Anyanje
