DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — Amnesty International has called on the Tanzanian government to make public a report into killings linked to the October 29, 2025, general elections, warning that secrecy risks undermining accountability.
The demand follows the presentation of findings by a Commission of Inquiry chaired by retired Chief Justice Mohammed Chande Othman, which found that at least 518 people died during and after the polls.
The report, presented to President Samia Suluhu Hassan at State House in Dar es Salaam, indicates that most of the victims were men, while dozens of women were also among the dead.
It further notes that many deaths were classified as unnatural, including cases involving gunshot wounds and severe injuries.
However, the commission acknowledged that the figure may be incomplete, citing unreported deaths, bodies buried without post-mortem examination, and at least 39 individuals still unaccounted for despite being identified in mortuaries.
Reacting to the findings, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Flavia Mwangovya, said the scale of fatalities demands urgent and transparent investigations.
“The report’s findings that at least 518 died of unnatural causes, including gunshot injuries, should not be taken lightly. These are lives lost at the hands of security forces,” she said.
Amnesty criticised the authorities for failing to publicly release the full report, arguing that victims’ families and the public must be allowed to scrutinise the findings.
“To withhold the Commission of Inquiry report from the public is a blow to transparency… and heaps further injustice on the families of those unlawfully killed,” Mwangovya added.
The commission did not identify specific perpetrators, instead recommending further investigations by state agencies.
It also concluded that violence was concentrated in at least 212 locations, including Arusha and Mwanga, and suggested that some protests were organised and facilitated by actors who did not directly participate.
Human rights groups, however, have consistently raised concerns over the conduct of security forces during the unrest, citing the use of live ammunition, tear gas, and alleged mistreatment of civilians.
“Authorities must reveal under what circumstances these people were killed or injured and who was responsible,” Amnesty said, urging the government to ensure that any limitations on disclosure are narrowly applied and do not shield perpetrators from accountability.
The unrest followed a disputed election in which President Samia was declared the winner with nearly 98 P.c of the vote after key opposition figures were excluded, triggering widespread protests and international scrutiny.
In response to mounting pressure, the government established the Commission of Inquiry on November 14, 2025, to investigate the violence.
