President Hassan sworn in following deadly Tanzania election

Samia Suluhu Hassan won a landslide ballot past week, prompting deadly protests crossed Tanzania.

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been sworn successful for a 2nd term, pursuing a landslide triumph successful a disputed predetermination that prompted deadly protests crossed the country.

Hassan took the oath of bureau during a ceremonial connected Monday astatine a subject basal successful the capital, Dodoma. The lawsuit was closed to the nationalist pursuing the unit that accompanied a ballot successful which the 2 main absorption challengers were barred from running.

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After coming to powerfulness successful 2021 pursuing the decease successful bureau of her predecessor, Hassan was declared the victor of the October 29 predetermination with astir 98% of the vote, aft moving against candidates lone from insignificant absorption parties.

State tv showed officials and overseas dignitaries successful stands overlooking parade grounds successful the State House successful the capital, Dodoma, alternatively than astatine a stadium arsenic usual, arsenic Hassan was sworn in.

Tension remained precocious successful the commercialized capital, Dar-es-Salaam, pursuing 3 days of predetermination protests. Shops were shuttered on astir bare streets, with astir radical remaining astatine home.

A full net blackout has been successful spot since the protests broke retired connected predetermination day.

‘Excessive force’

Chadema, Tanzania’s main absorption party, which was barred from running, has rejected the results, branding the ballot a “sham” and calling for caller elections.

“These results person nary ground successful reality, arsenic the information is that nary genuine predetermination took spot successful Tanzania,” the party’s connection read.

The choler implicit the predetermination persists, arsenic good arsenic the resulting violence.

Chadema asserted precocious past week that hundreds of radical had been killed aft demonstrators clashed with police, which reportedly fired teardrop state and unrecorded ammunition arsenic authorities buildings were acceptable connected fire.

The enactment suggested connected Saturday that arsenic galore arsenic 800 radical had been killed crossed the country.

A diplomatic root told the AFP quality bureau determination were credible reports of hundreds – possibly adjacent thousands – of deaths registered astatine hospitals and wellness clinics astir Tanzania.

The root added that determination were “concerning reports” that constabulary were utilizing the net blackout to bargain clip arsenic they “hunt down absorption members and protesters who mightiness person videos” of atrocities committed past week.

Al Jazeera has been incapable to independently verify the fig of deaths.

The United Nations quality rights bureau said credible reports indicated astatine slightest 10 radical were killed successful 3 cities.

Tanzania’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo denied that “excessive force” has been used, telling Al Jazeera the authorities has “no authoritative figures” connected immoderate protesters killed.

Hassan, antecedently vice president, took bureau 4 years agone erstwhile her predecessor, John Magufuli, died successful office.

She has faced rising disapproval for what the UN has called a signifier of “escalating” attacks, disappearances and torture of critics, since.

Local and planetary watchdogs person sounded alarms implicit election-related unit and repression for months, helping to enactment suggestions by analysts that she wanted an emphatic triumph to cement her spot and soundlessness critics wrong the governing party.

Rights groups accidental she oversaw a “wave of terror” earlier the vote, including a drawstring of high-profile abductions that escalated successful the last days.

The predetermination saw her two biggest challengers excluded from the race. The Independent National Electoral Commission disqualified Chadema successful April for refusing to motion an electoral codification of conduct.

The last effect announced by the electoral committee connected Saturday showed Hassan had won 97.66 percent of the vote, dominating each constituency.