The European Union has appealed for calm in Tanzania following widespread violence and unrest that erupted after the re-election of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The EU expressed deep concern over reports of killings, injuries, and irregularities during the electoral process, urging the authorities to act with restraint and protect human lives.
According to the EU, the election period was marred by reports of abductions, disappearances, and acts of violence that restricted democratic participation and civic freedoms.
The bloc called on Tanzanian authorities to release detained opposition figures, ensure fair trials for those arrested, and conduct transparent investigations into all incidents of violence and human rights violations.
Tensions have escalated since the National Electoral Commission announced Hassan’s overwhelming victory, with her ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party securing 97.66 percent of the vote.
The main opposition party, Chadema, has rejected the results, describing the election as fraudulent and calling for nationwide protests. The party was earlier barred from contesting after it refused to sign a government-imposed code of conduct.
Reports from opposition sources allege that hundreds of people may have been killed in the aftermath of the vote, though the government disputes these figures.
International agencies, including the United Nations, have confirmed at least ten deaths in Dar es Salaam, Shinyanga, and Morogoro. A security source in Dar es Salaam suggested the toll could be in the hundreds, underscoring the scale of the crisis.
President Hassan, 65, received her certificate of victory in the administrative capital, Dodoma, where she thanked Tanzanians for their support and urged unity following the elections. She pledged to maintain peace and stability, promising to work with security agencies to prevent further unrest.
The United Nations and international rights organizations have also raised alarms over the situation. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on all parties to avoid further escalation, while the International Crisis Group accused Hassan’s government of intensifying a crackdown on dissent through arrests, intimidation, and censorship, including a ban on social media platform X and restrictions on local digital forums.
Hassan, who assumed office in 2021 after the death of former President John Magufuli, now faces mounting pressure both domestically and internationally to restore confidence in Tanzania’s democratic process and ensure accountability for election-related violence.
