Tanzania’s commercial hub, Dar es Salaam, turned volatile Friday as hundreds of protesters clashed with police, demanding that the electoral commission halt the release of results from Wednesday’s disputed vote.
The unrest prompted an internet blackout and the deployment of soldiers to key streets and government buildings.
The United Nations said it had received credible reports that at least 10 people were killed in the protests. “We call on the security forces to refrain from using unnecessary or disproportionate force, including lethal weapons, against protesters, and to make every effort to deescalate tensions. Protesters should demonstrate peacefully,” said Seif Magango, spokesman for the U.N. human rights office, during a briefing in Geneva.
READ ALSO: Tanzanians defy curfew as protests over disputed election continue
Magango also urged the government to restore internet access, warning that “curtailment of communication will only further undermine public trust in the electoral process.”
State television continued airing results showing the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party leading comfortably, extending its grip on power since independence in 1961. Opposition candidates accused the government of manipulating the process, claiming they were effectively excluded from the presidential race. Major opposition parties saw their leaders barred from contesting, leaving President Samia Suluhu Hassan to face 16 little-known challengers who barely campaigned.
Analysts say the tightening political space marks a new phase in Tanzania’s history. While past leaders maintained dominance through CCM’s political machinery, they tolerated limited dissent. Hassan’s critics now accuse her of adopting a hardened stance that dismisses reform and mirrors authoritarian trends emerging elsewhere in the region.
READ ALSO: Military deployed and curfew imposed as Tanzanians protest on election day
The situation in Zanzibar remained tense but relatively calm Friday under heavy military patrols, AP reported. The electoral body there declared President Hussein Mwinyi the winner with 78.8 percent of votes, a result the opposition denounced as “massive fraud” and vowed to challenge.
Violence first broke out Wednesday after reports of opposition harassment spread online. Young demonstrators took to the streets in several cities, torching vehicles, a fuel station, and police posts. Amnesty International confirmed at least two deaths that day, while the government has yet to comment on casualties or property damage.
Authorities have since postponed the reopening of colleges and universities, citing security concerns. The army chief, Gen. Jacob John Mkunda, addressed the nation Thursday, condemning the violence and pledging to “work with other security agencies to contain the situation.”
Meanwhile, Tanzanians abroad have taken to social media, particularly X (formerly Twitter), organizing daily online discussions to dissect the protests and raise funds for those on the ground.
READ ALSO: Rights abuses and political crackdown cast shadow over Tanzania’s election
