Tanzania: Opposition says 700 killed as President Samia Suluhu declares victory in disputed poll

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has secured a landslide victory in the country’s presidential election, with official results showing she won 97.66 percent of the vote after key opposition figures were jailed or barred from participating.

The electoral commission announced the results on state television on Saturday, adding that a quick swearing-in ceremony would take place the same day.

The main opposition party, Chadema, claimed that hundreds of people were killed by security forces during violent protests that erupted on election day, Wednesday.

Hassan, who became president in 2021 following the death of her predecessor John Magufuli, was said to be seeking to consolidate power amid resistance from parts of the army and Magufuli’s loyalists.

Rights groups have accused her administration of orchestrating a “wave of terror” ahead of the polls, including several abductions that intensified in the final days before voting. Chadema was banned from participating in the election, and its leader is currently on trial for treason.

Despite a heavy security presence, election day quickly turned chaotic, with crowds tearing down posters, attacking police, and vandalizing polling stations, prompting an internet shutdown and nationwide curfew.

A Chadema spokesman told AFP that approximately 700 people had been killed, citing figures compiled from hospitals and health facilities.

A security source and a diplomat in Dar es Salaam also confirmed that the death toll was in the hundreds.

President Hassan has not made any public statement since the unrest began. Her government has denied using “excessive force” but has restricted internet access and imposed movement controls across the country.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern about the situation, citing reports of deaths and injuries during demonstrations.

Much of the anger has been directed at Hassan’s son, Abdul Halim Hafidh Ameir, who has been accused of coordinating the violent crackdown.

While some unconfirmed reports suggested parts of the army sided with protesters, Tanzania’s army chief Jacob Mkunda publicly reaffirmed his loyalty to President Hassan, calling the demonstrators “criminals.”

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Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo told Al Jazeera on Friday that the government had “no figures” regarding casualties and insisted that “no excessive force has been used.”

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