Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan has secured a landslide victory with 98% of the vote, according to the country’s electoral commission. However, her re-election has been overshadowed by widespread allegations of electoral fraud, a national internet blackout, and reports of deadly violence following protests across the nation.
Opposition parties, civil society groups, and international observers have raised serious concerns about the integrity of the election, describing it as one of the most turbulent in Tanzania’s recent history.
The Tanzania president’s inauguration was held on Monday at the State House in Dodoma under highly unusual circumstances. Unlike previous inaugurations, which drew large public crowds at stadiums, the event took place behind closed doors with no public attendance.
State television broadcast the ceremony live, showing a subdued atmosphere in the capital. Outside, the situation remained tense as the country continued to experience a total internet blackout that has been in place since election day.
The internet shutdown, according to analysts, has severely limited the flow of verifiable information from inside the country. Human rights groups say the blackout may be part of a broader effort by authorities to suppress evidence of alleged violence and human rights abuses committed during and after the vote.
Tanzania President Inaugurated Amid Internet Blackout
The main opposition party, Chadema, has rejected the official results, branding last Wednesday’s election a “sham.” The party claims it was effectively barred from contesting after many of its candidates were disqualified or detained before the vote.
Chadema has demanded a rerun of the elections, accusing the Tanzania president and her ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party of orchestrating a deeply flawed electoral process.
A party spokesperson told AFP that by Saturday, they had recorded “no less than 800” deaths linked to clashes between protesters and security forces. While these figures remain unverified, multiple diplomatic sources have confirmed that hospitals and clinics across the country have registered unusually high numbers of deaths and injuries since the protests began.
Several eyewitness accounts and foreign diplomatic reports describe the situation in Tanzania as dire. A diplomatic source cited “credible reports” that hundreds — possibly thousands — of people had been killed during post-election crackdowns.
According to the same source, police and security forces were using the internet blackout to locate and arrest opposition members and protesters believed to have captured footage of the alleged atrocities.
Tanzania President- In the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, police checkpoints were set up across the city. Officers were reportedly stopping pedestrians, inspecting identification documents and bags, and allowing businesses to operate only during limited hours.
On the semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar, which saw relatively fewer protests, journalists from AFP observed armed men in plain clothes patrolling without insignia. Reports also surfaced of masked operatives detaining activists and community leaders linked to opposition movements.
Global leaders and human rights organizations have expressed alarm over the situation in Tanzania. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned” about reports of violence and deaths following the elections. His office called for restraint, transparency, and accountability from Tanzanian authorities.
Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV on Sunday urged the international community to pray for Tanzania, condemning the post-election violence that he said had resulted in “numerous victims.” “I urge everyone to avoid all forms of violence and to pursue the path of dialogue,” the Pope stated.
A rights group based in neighboring Kenya released graphic footage allegedly smuggled out of Tanzania, showing piles of bodies in the streets. However, due to the ongoing internet blackout, the authenticity of these images could not be independently verified.
Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who first rose to power following the sudden death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, in 2021, has faced mounting criticism for her leadership style.
While Tanzania President initially presented herself as a reformist who aimed to restore democratic freedoms and rebuild international ties, rights groups say her government has increasingly used intimidation tactics to silence critics. Reports of abductions, harassment, and arbitrary arrests surged in the months leading up to the election.
Analysts believe Tanzania President sought an emphatic election win to cement her authority within the ruling CCM party and quell internal dissent. However, the heavy-handed security measures and the subsequent unrest have left her legitimacy in question both domestically and abroad.
As the Tanzania president begins her new term, the nation remains in crisis. Schools and colleges were closed on Monday, and public transportation remained largely suspended. The streets of major cities were eerily quiet under a near-total lockdown.
Observers warn that without urgent dialogue and accountability, Tanzania risks sliding further into political instability. For many citizens, the hope for democratic renewal now depends on whether the government will heed calls for transparency, lift the internet blackout, and allow independent investigations into the alleged killings.
The coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether President Samia Suluhu Hassan can restore calm and credibility — or whether Tanzania’s democracy will face its most significant test yet.
Source- EWN
