Keypoints:
- UN cites deadly post-election crackdown
- Opposition silenced after disputed vote
- Protest ban intensifies rights concerns
THE United Nations has warned that Tanzania is deepening a crackdown on political opponents after a disputed election marked by deadly violence and sweeping arrests. The October 29 vote returned President Samia Suluhu Hassan to office with 98 percent of the vote, prompting the opposition and international observers to accuse the authorities of fraud.
Rights groups cited by the UN say more than 1,000 people were shot dead during three days of protests sparked by the official results. Several leading opposition figures were jailed or disqualified ahead of the vote, raising concerns that the election process shut out meaningful competition.
Speaking in Geneva, Seif Magango, spokesman for the UN human rights office, said the situation had worsened since the election. According to remarks at a UN press briefing, he said: ‘The government has intensified a crackdown against opponents since the vote.’
Magango added that dozens of academics, civil society leaders and local political figures had been detained since mid-November, with several arrests allegedly carried out by unidentified armed personnel.
Surveillance expands as arrests rise
The UN said digital surveillance had been expanded and new restrictions imposed on fuel sales — measures it warned could inflame tensions and undermine basic freedoms. Magango said hundreds were reported killed and more than 2,000 detained once demonstrations erupted after the ballot.
More than five weeks after the election, Tanzanian authorities have not released official information on the number of deaths, the circumstances surrounding them, or reports of enforced disappearances. The UN said this lack of transparency risked eroding public trust. ‘The continued absence of transparent information risks further eroding public trust and heightening tensions at a critical moment,’ Magango noted.
He called for the immediate and unconditional release of all those he described as arbitrarily detained.
Protests banned nationwide
Concerns grew further when police issued a nationwide ban on all protests planned for Independence Day on Tuesday. Magango said the UN considered the blanket ban disproportionate and urged authorities to lift it.
He reminded the government of its duties under international law to protect freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. The UN stressed that firearms should never be used to disperse crowds except as a last resort to counter an imminent threat to life or serious injury.
International concern mounts
Tanzania has announced an investigation into the post-election violence. UN human rights chief Volker Türk has called for the probe to meet international standards of impartiality, thoroughness and transparency, and provide protection against reprisals for anyone participating.
The UN’s warning follows a diplomatic clash with several foreign missions. Tanzania recently asked ambassadors not to publicly comment on the election violence. However, the missions of Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the European Union issued a joint statement saying they ‘deeply regret the tragic loss of lives’.
The statement also said the missions ‘underline the importance of security forces acting with maximum restraint’ and urged the government to protect fundamental freedoms, including access to information and freedom of expression.
