Keypoints:
- 98 charged with treason after protests
- Opposition, activists allege mass killings
- Church leaders urge calm and dialogue
PROSECUTORS in Tanzania have charged 98 people with treason following violent protests that erupted after last week’s general election, according to court filings seen by Reuters.
The unrest, which spread across several regions, has deepened political divisions in the country. Opposition party CHADEMA and human rights activists allege that more than 1,000 people were killed by security forces during the crackdown — a figure the government has dismissed as exaggerated, though it has not released its own casualty count.
Court documents allege plot to obstruct election
Filings from the Resident Magistrate Court in Dar es Salaam accuse the defendants of forming ‘an intention to obstruct the 2025 general election for the purpose of intimidating the Executive of the Republic of Tanzania’. They are also alleged to have caused damage to government property.
The documents give few details on individual cases but single out one businesswoman, previously detained for promoting demonstrations, who allegedly urged people to buy teargas masks from her shop before the protests.
According to Boniface Mwabukusi, president of Tanzania’s main lawyers’ association, the accused appear to lack legal representation.
Clergy warn of worsening divisions
Church leaders have criticised the government’s response, warning that the charges risk inflaming tensions further. Bishop Benson Bagonza of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania urged the authorities to show empathy rather than repression.
‘The only option for the government to keep at least relative peace now is to grieve with the people instead of arresting and taking people to court,’ he said.
Religious and civic leaders have called on President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration to open dialogue with opposition groups and protest organisers to ease political friction.
Disputed poll sparks ongoing fallout
The protests were sparked by the disqualification of two leading opposition candidates from the presidential race, including CHADEMA leader Tundu Lissu, who was himself charged with treason in April.
The electoral commission declared President Samia Suluhu Hassan the winner with nearly 98 percent of the vote. She was sworn in on Monday amid heavy security.
Observers from the African Union said the election was not credible, citing ballot box stuffing and voter intimidation. The government, however, insists the vote was fair and transparent.
