Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Friday announced the creation of an independent commission to investigate deadly violence that erupted during last month’s contentious elections, marking her most direct acknowledgment yet of the scale of the crisis. She offered condolences to families of those killed, though her government has not released its own casualty figures.
Speaking in her first address to parliament since securing a landslide victory on Oct. 29 with nearly 98% of the vote, Hassan called for a minute of silence for those who died during the political turmoil, which rights groups describe as the worst seen in Tanzania in decades.
Death Toll Unclear as Government and Opposition Clash Over Figures
Opposition party CHADEMA alleges that security forces killed more than 1,000 people during protests triggered by the disqualification of top opposition candidates and what activists say was a government crackdown on dissent. The United Nations said this week it believes the actual death toll is in the hundreds.
Authorities have rejected the opposition’s claims as exaggerated but have not provided alternative numbers. International observers from the African Union reported serious irregularities on election day, including ballot box stuffing, raising further concerns about the legitimacy of the vote.
Hassan said the new commission would establish the “root cause” of the violence but did not indicate who might be held responsible or how soon the findings would be made public.
Treason Charges Spark Outcry
In the aftermath of the protests, state prosecutors filed treason charges against hundreds of young people accused of participating in the unrest. On Friday, Hassan suggested some of the accused acted without full knowledge of the situation and urged prosecutors to drop cases against those who “merely followed the crowd.”
Her remarks were sharply criticized by Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi Tsehai, who lives in Kenya and has been an outspoken critic of the government. In a post on X, she accused Hassan’s administration of perpetrating atrocities and called for the president to resign.
Government Denies Rights Abuses Amid Rising Tensions
Tanzanian authorities have repeatedly dismissed accusations of systematic human rights violations and defended the conduct of security forces, insisting that the election was free and fair. Last year, Hassan ordered an investigation into allegations that government critics had been abducted, though the findings of that probe have yet to be released.
The political turmoil threatens to overshadow Tanzania’s efforts to position itself as an economic growth hub in East Africa. The government expects GDP growth of around 6% this year, supported by major infrastructure projects, including investments in transportation networks and energy production.
As the newly announced commission begins its work, pressure is mounting—from opposition groups, civil society, and international observers—for greater transparency and accountability in a country long seen as one of the region’s more stable political environments.
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Source:Africa Publicity
