Keypoints:
- Digital investigators verify live ammunition used on protesters
- Satellite imagery points to possible mass graves
- Government has not responded to the findings
TANZANIAN security forces shot at fleeing protesters and carried out what appear to be execution-style killings during unrest following last year’s disputed general election, according to a new investigative report released on Monday.
The findings were published by the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR), a UK-based independent organisation that specialises in digital and open-source investigations. The group analysed hundreds of images and videos, alongside satellite imagery and drone footage, to document violence linked to protests that erupted after the October 29 vote.
Demonstrations broke out across several cities after the government of President Samia Suluhu Hassan was accused by opposition figures of barring key challengers from contesting the election and overseeing a campaign of abductions and killings in the weeks leading up to polling day.
President Hassan was declared the winner with 98 percent of the vote, a result rejected by opposition parties. Authorities imposed a nationwide curfew and shut down internet access for several days, while foreign journalists were barred from entering the country, making independent reporting on the unrest extremely difficult.
Live fire and alleged executions
According to CIR, investigators reviewed 185 images and videos recorded between October 29 and November 4, when the curfew was lifted. These materials were verified through geolocation and cross-referenced with satellite and drone imagery.
‘CIR verified the repeated use of live ammunition by security forces and plain-clothed armed men, resulting in casualties,’ the report said.
The organisation said it identified verified footage showing protesters being shot while attempting to flee security operations. One such incident occurred near the A104 highway in Arusha and involved a pregnant woman, according to the analysis.
Night-time footage from Mwanza was also examined. CIR said the material appears to show execution-style killings carried out away from main protest sites, suggesting targeted violence rather than crowd control.
In Dar es Salaam, drone footage shared with investigators showed a white truck chasing civilians. Armed occupants were then seen dismounting and firing indiscriminately towards nearby homes.
Signs of hidden casualties
Beyond the immediate violence, CIR said its investigation raised serious concerns about how bodies were handled during the crackdown.
Satellite imagery reviewed by the organisation showed newly disturbed earth at Kondo cemetery near Dar es Salaam between November 2 and 5. A senior government official, angered by the security response, had previously told AFP that the site could be a mass grave. The same location was also identified in a separate CNN investigation.
CIR also found evidence of temporary structures erected within the grounds of Kivule District Hospital during the unrest. Investigators said this supports accounts that a makeshift mortuary was hurriedly constructed to deal with a large influx of casualties.
Possible signs of another mass grave were identified at Tengeru agricultural college near Arusha, according to the report.
Government silent as death toll disputed
The Tanzanian government did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
President Hassan has previously defended the security response, saying force was necessary to prevent an attempted overthrow of the government and insisting that no excessive force was used.
Opposition groups claim that at least 2,000 people were killed by security forces in the days following the election, though the true toll remains contested.
A doctor at a major hospital in Dar es Salaam said hundreds of injured patients and bodies were removed from his facility and taken to undisclosed locations at the height of the unrest.
CIR said its findings demonstrate how digital evidence can help document alleged human rights abuses in environments where access is restricted, and called for further independent investigations to establish accountability for the violence that followed Tanzania’s election.
