Kenyan civil society petitions ICC to probe Tanzania poll violence

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan is facing increasing international pressure as a coalition of regional and global civil society groups and legal bodies has petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate alleged crimes against humanity committed during and after the disputed October 29 presidential election.

The 82-page petition, submitted by organisations including the Madrid Bar Association and World Jurists Association, details accusations of state-sponsored murder, torture, enforced disappearances, sexual violence, and mass displacement of civilians.

These alleged atrocities reportedly took place under Suluhu’s watch as commander-in-chief, with a lawyer representing victims stating she bears ultimate responsibility for authorising violence against civilians.

The Tanzanian government cancelled its upcoming Independence Day celebrations amid the outcry, while Suluhu has defended the election results and offered a limited reconciliation process widely criticised as inadequate.

While the ICC has not yet opened a formal investigation, the petitioners are pressing the court to act urgently.

The mounting calls to hold President Suluhu accountable mark a critical moment as Tanzania faces its harshest political crisis in decades, with the eyes of the global community fixed on The Hague’s response in the coming months.