DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — At least ten people have been killed in post-election protests across Tanzania, the United Nations said on Friday, as demonstrators defied warnings from the military and continued to challenge the credibility of Wednesday’s vote.
The protests, now in their third day, have swept through several major cities, including Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, and Mwanza, with mostly young demonstrators accusing the government of rigging the election in favour of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
“We are alarmed by the deaths and injuries that have occurred in the ongoing election-related protests,” UN human rights spokesperson Seif Magango said, citing “credible sources” that reported at least ten fatalities.
An internet shutdown has made it difficult to verify the extent of the violence, and hospitals are reportedly refusing to release information about casualties.
The authorities have also extended a nationwide curfew, saying it is meant to “restore order.”
Army Warning and Growing Tension
On Thursday, army chief Gen. Jacob John Mkunda warned protesters to leave the streets immediately, describing them as “criminals” and vowing that the military would act to “contain the situation.”
Despite the warning, demonstrators again gathered in the commercial capital, demanding a rerun of the vote and the release of jailed opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is facing treason charges he denies.
Disputed Election
Preliminary results from more than half of Tanzania’s 100 constituencies show President Samia’s ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party heading for a decisive win. Official results are expected on Saturday.
In the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar, CCM candidate Hussein Mwinyi has already been declared the winner with nearly 80% of the vote, a result dismissed by opposition groups as “massive fraud.”
President Samia, Tanzania’s first female leader, came to power in 2021 after the death of John Magufuli.
While initially praised for easing political tensions, her administration has increasingly faced accusations of repression, arrests, and censorship of critics.
