Disputed elections sparked mass unrest across Tanzania. (@Globupdate/X)
Tanzania’s 2025 general elections have triggered outrage and mourning after violent clashes between protesters and security forces left hundreds dead and thousands injured in what observers describe as the country’s worst post-election unrest in decades.
Authorities have not released an official death toll, but unconfirmed reports suggest the number of fatalities could exceed 1 000.
Families across major cities have reported missing relatives — mostly young men — since violence erupted on October 29 during polling.
The situation has returned to normal in different parts of the country after President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s inauguration on Saturday, with military presence in the streets visible.
Police spokesperson David Misime blamed “foreign instigators” for the chaos.
However, eyewitnesses and civic groups have accused the security forces of using excessive force to suppress post-election demonstrations.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Suluhu, 65, the winner with 97.66% of the vote, extending the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party’s unbroken rule since independence in 1961.
The landslide win, coupled with widespread allegations of fraud, has fuelled scepticism about the vote’s credibility and the independence of electoral institutions.
In her victory speech on Saturday, Samia defended the process, calling it “free and democratic,” while condemning protesters as “unpatriotic”.
“The incidents that occurred in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, Mbeya, and Songwe were neither civil nor patriotic. Patriotism is about building the nation, not destroying it,” she said in Dodoma, vowing that security agencies would “investigate and examine in detail what happened”.
But rights groups and regional observer missions painted a starkly different picture. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) observer team, led by former Malawi Speaker Richard Msowoya, concluded that the elections “fell short of regional standards,” citing widespread intimidation and obstruction of monitors.
The mission documented instances where officials confiscated observer credentials and restricted access to polling centres.
Similar criticisms came from the European Union (EU) and the European Parliament, which described the elections as “neither free nor fair.”
In a joint statement, the EU said, “The fraud did not begin at the ballot box — it has been unfolding for months,” referring to intimidation of opposition figures, abductions, disappearances, and media restrictions.
Ahead of the polls, the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS) had confirmed at least 83 abductions since Hassan took office in 2021, with another 20 reported in the weeks leading up to the vote.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Tundu Lissu continues to face treason charges — an ongoing case the European Parliament called “a demonstration of the collapse of democratic values and judicial independence”.
The main opposition party, Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), which boycotted the polls, has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the United Nations to investigate what it termed “mass killings” during and after the elections.
The unrest paralysed businesses, disrupted transport, and prompted authorities to impose curfews in several cities.
The government also restricted access to social media platforms, which were later flooded with graphic videos of the violence once services were restored. Police have since warned citizens against sharing such footage.
Samia was sworn in on 3 November in a low-key ceremony at the Chamwino Military Parade Grounds in Dodoma. She dismissed international criticism as “distortions” aimed at undermining Tanzania’s sovereignty, urging citizens to remain calm and respect the outcome.
Out of 18 registered political parties, 17 fielded presidential candidates. The Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT-Wazalendo) boycotted the race after its candidate, Luhaga Mpina, was disqualified.
Analysts warn that the government’s heavy-handed response risks deepening political polarisation and eroding public trust in democratic institutions.