Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in on Monday amid an ongoing internet blackout following violent post-election protests. The opposition claims that hundreds of people were killed by security forces.
The country’s electoral commission reported that Hassan won 98 percent of the vote. However, the main opposition party, Chadema—barred from participating—rejected the results and called for fresh elections, labeling last Wednesday’s vote a “sham.”
State television showed officials and foreign dignitaries observing the inauguration from stands at the State House in Dodoma rather than a public stadium, with citizens barred from attending.
Since election day, the government has imposed a total internet blackout, limiting independent verification of reports from across the country. A diplomatic source said hospitals and clinics have registered hundreds, possibly thousands, of deaths. Chadema claimed at least 800 fatalities by Saturday, though these figures could not be independently confirmed. The government has not commented on deaths but has denied using “excessive force.”
Schools and colleges remained closed on Monday, public transport was halted, and some church services did not take place over the weekend. Security forces reportedly used the blackout to identify opposition members and protesters who might have recorded evidence of the unrest.
AFP journalists in Dar es Salaam observed a near-total lockdown, with police checking IDs and bags and allowing shops to open only in the afternoons. On Zanzibar, which experienced fewer protests, masked armed men patrolled without visible insignia. A Kenyan rights group released footage it claimed showed bodies in Tanzanian streets, though the images could not be independently verified.
Pope Leo XIV called for prayers for Tanzania, describing the post-election violence as resulting in “numerous victims” and urging dialogue to prevent further conflict.
Hassan, who became president after the sudden death of her predecessor John Magufuli in 2021, sought a decisive electoral victory to strengthen her position. Rights groups reported a “wave of terror” leading up to the vote, including high-profile abductions. Election day erupted into chaos, with crowds destroying posters and clashing with police, prompting the internet shutdown and a curfew. Turnout was officially reported at 87 percent despite largely empty polling stations observed by AFP journalists.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern over the violence and reported casualties. International reactions have been mixed: Kenyan President William Ruto and Democratic Republic of Congo leader Felix Tshisekedi congratulated Hassan on her victory and called for peace and adherence to the rule of law.
AFP
