Protests over disputed Tanzania election enter 3rd day, military deployed

Young radical person taken to the streets to protestation restricted predetermination choices and harassment of absorption leaders.

Hundreds of demonstrators person squared disconnected with constabulary successful Tanzania’s commercialized superior for a 3rd time of protests, pursuing a disputed and chaotic election, to request the nationalist electoral assemblage halt announcing electoral results.

The latest developments connected Friday came arsenic the authorities has deployed the subject onto the streets and enforced an net shutdown. On Thursday, successful Dar-es-Salaam, a metropolis of much than 7 cardinal people, protesters who defied a curfew successful the Mbagala, Gongo la Mboto and Kiluvya neighbourhoods were met with teardrop state and the sounds of gunfire.

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Chaos erupted connected Wednesday day arsenic young radical took to the streets to protestation the restricted predetermination choices and harassment of absorption leaders. Several vehicles, a petrol station, and constabulary stations were acceptable ablaze by protesters.

Amnesty International has reported the deaths of astatine slightest 2 radical this week.

State tv was broadcasting the mainland results of Wednesday’s ballot successful which the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, which has governed Tanzania since independency successful 1961, was seeking to widen its clip successful power.

Wednesday’s predetermination saw President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s two biggest challengers excluded from the race, infuriating citizens and rights groups that person besides decried an intensifying crackdown against absorption members, activists and journalists.

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan casts her ballot during the wide elections astatine Chamwino polling presumption successful Dodoma, Tanzania, Wednesday, October 29, 2025 [AP Photo]

Hassan took bureau successful 2021 erstwhile her predecessor John Magufuli died successful office, and has faced rising disapproval for what the United Nations has called a signifier of “escalating” attacks, disappearances and torture of critics.

It’s the latest predetermination this period successful Africa to disturbance deep-seated choler among citizens aft longtime leaders successful the Ivory Coast and Cameroon besides sought to cling connected to power.

Only insignificant absorption figures were eligible to vie against Hassan successful the predetermination aft the Independent National Electoral Commission disqualified Tanzania’s main absorption party, Chadema, successful April for refusing to motion an electoral codification of conduct.

The determination came days aft enactment person Tundu Lissu was arrested astatine a rally wherever helium called for electoral reforms and was charged with treason.

The committee besides barred Luhaga Mpina, the campaigner for the 2nd largest absorption party, ACT-Wazalendo, aft an objection from the lawyer general.

Local and planetary watchdogs person sounded alarms implicit election-related unit and repression for months.

In June, a sheet of 9 UN experts called the government’s actions “unacceptable” and said they had tallied much than 200 disappearances since 2019.

And successful September, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said it had documented astatine slightest 10 caller instances of politically motivated assault, harassment, abduction and torture arsenic good arsenic “extensive restrictions” connected media and civilian nine organisations.

Nomathamsanqa Masiko-Mpaka, HRW’s South Africa researcher, warned astatine the clip that Tanzania’s October elections were astatine “great risk”.

“The authorities request to halt muzzling dissenting voices and the media and alternatively prosecute successful meaningful reforms to guarantee free, just and credible elections,” Masiko-Mpaka added.

‘Massive fraud’ successful Zanzibar

The ruling CCM retained the statesmanlike spot successful the semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar, which remained calm Friday with a dense subject presence.

The electoral committee successful Zanzibar said Thursday the incumbent, President Hussein Mwinyi, had won 78.8% of the votes.

The absorption said determination was “massive fraud” successful Zanzibar’s results and announced it would uncover its adjacent steps.

The protests person dispersed crossed the country, and the authorities has postponed the reopening of colleges and universities, which had been acceptable for adjacent Monday.

The service chief, Jacob John Mkunda, condemned the unit and said connected Thursday that the subject would enactment with different information agencies to incorporate the situation.