Dar es Salaam, Tanzania — Tanzania’s opposition says more than 700 people have been killed during three days of violent unrest following the country’s disputed national elections, as the government enforces a sweeping internet blackout and curfew.
According to John Kitoka, spokesperson for the opposition party Chadema, the bloodshed has been most severe in Dar es Salaam and Mwanza, where hundreds of protesters are believed to have been shot or beaten to death by security forces.
“The figure for deaths in Dar is around 350, and in Mwanza more than 200,” Kitoka told reporters on Friday. “Across the country, the toll is nearing 700 — and it could be higher. Killings continue under the cover of the nighttime curfew.”
The protests erupted after President Samia Suluhu Hassan declared victory in an election widely condemned as one-sided. Major opposition parties, including Chadema, were barred from participating or saw their leaders jailed in the weeks leading up to the vote.
Chaos and Information Blackout
The unrest began on Wednesday as crowds flooded the streets of Dar es Salaam, tearing down campaign posters and clashing with police outside polling stations. In response, authorities shut down internet access nationwide and imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew, now in its third day.
Foreign media have been largely barred from covering the election, and local journalists say they are unable to verify reports due to restrictions and fear of reprisals. Hospitals and clinics have refused to comment, reportedly under pressure from the security services.
A security source told AFP that the real number of deaths could be closer to 700 or even 800 nationwide, while Amnesty International confirmed receiving credible reports of at least 100 fatalities.
So far, the government has remained silent. President Hassan has not issued a statement, and the only official comment came from Army Chief Jacob Mkunda, who labeled the protesters “criminals.”
Zanzibar Tensions Boil Over
In the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar, tensions have also flared after Hassan’s ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), was swiftly declared the winner of the local elections.
The opposition group ACT-Wazalendo rejected the result, alleging widespread fraud — including ballot-stuffing, multiple voting without identification, and the expulsion of opposition observers from counting centers.
“They have robbed the people of Zanzibar of their voice,” ACT-Wazalendo said in a statement. “The only path to justice is a new election.”
At opposition gathering points, residents spoke of fear and despair.
“There has never been a fair election since 1995,” said one elderly voter, who declined to give his name. “We are afraid to speak — they might come to our homes and take us away.”
A Government Under Pressure
President Hassan, who took office after the death of John Magufuli in 2021, has struggled to unify her party and consolidate her authority. Analysts say she sought a decisive electoral victory to silence rivals within the ruling elite and military.
In the months before the vote, human rights groups warned of a “wave of terror” — including abductions, intimidation, and arbitrary arrests of activists and journalists.
Much of the public anger has centered on Hassan’s son, Abdul Halim Hafidh Ameir, who has been accused by opposition groups of directing the ongoing crackdown.
While ACT-Wazalendo was allowed to participate in Zanzibar’s local elections, its mainland presidential candidate was barred from running, effectively leaving Hassan unopposed.
As protests and repression continue, the true scale of Tanzania’s post-election crisis remains unknown — hidden behind a government-imposed wall of silence and digital darkness.
