After weeks of silence following Tanzania’s most turbulent election period in decades, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has publicly addressed the six-day internet blackout imposed during postelection unrest, acknowledging its impact on diplomats and foreign residents while defending her government’s actions.
Speaking on Thursday in Dodoma to ambassadors, high commissioners and representatives of international organizations, Hassan said her administration regretted the disruption experienced by the diplomatic community and pledged that such measures would not be repeated. She described the shutdown and other restrictions as extraordinary steps taken at a moment of crisis.
“To our partners in the diplomatic community and foreigners residing here in Tanzania, I express my sincere sympathy for the uncertainty, service restrictions and internet shutdowns you experienced,” she said.
READ ALSO: Tanzanian president claims election violence risks cutting off international funding
The president used the meeting to reassure envoys that their safety remains a priority, stressing that authorities would remain alert to prevent a return of the violence that followed the October polls. “I assure you that we will remain vigilant to ensure your safety and prevent any recurrence of such experiences,” she told the diplomats.
Hassan secured more than 97 percent of the vote in the disputed election after candidates from the two largest opposition parties were barred from contesting. The country’s main opposition leader was also in custody at the time, facing treason charges. Foreign election observers later said the vote fell short of democratic standards.
Clashes occurred on election day and continued for several days as security forces moved in and internet access was cut nationwide. Rights groups say the crackdown left hundreds of people dead, marking the worst political violence in Tanzania in decades.
The president has attributed the unrest partly to foreign influence and said many young people involved were acting under peer pressure. She announced pardons for hundreds who were arrested during the chaos.
Defending her administration’s response, Hassan reportedly said the restrictions were intended to protect citizens and preserve constitutional order. In the weeks since the vote, the government has established a commission of inquiry to investigate the violence and assess the destruction of property worth millions of shillings in a country long regarded as relatively stable.
