Tanzania: Human Rights Watch denounces crackdown on protesters after disputed election

Human Rights Watch on Tuesday condemned the violent crackdown on protesters in Tanzania after last week’s disputed election.  

Demonstrators took to the streets across the country in the aftermath of voting to denounce what they said was not a free or fair election. Security forces cracked down on protesters by fireing live bullets and tear gas canisters.

Oryem Nyeko, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, said accurate information has been difficult to obtain due to "internet blockades".

As many as 1,000 people may have been killed during post-election clashes, according to the opposition. Chadema, the country's largest opposition party, has accused security forces of secretly dumping the bodies of hundreds killed in the violence.

But these figures remain difficult to verify due to government restrictions and communication blackouts, Nyeko said.

"I imagine that in the coming days, once the internet restrictions are fully removed, people will be able to get a true sense of what has really taken place over the last week," he added. 

President Samia Suluhu Hassan won her re-election with over 97% of the vote. Her swearing-in on Monday was held on government-owned grounds in the administrative capital of Dodoma, a departure from her previous inauguration at a packed football stadium, as tensions remained high.

In her first comments after being sworn in, she blamed foreigners for last week’s deadly protests. 

"Most of the youth that were arrested doing bad things came from outside Tanzania," she said. "Our security forces responsible for maintaining peace and stability will conduct an internal investigation into what happened."

International observers and human rights groups have urged Tanzanian authorities to investigate the alleged abuses and ensure accountability. 

Observers from the Southern African Development Community said in a statement on Monday that election "fell short" of the bloc’s principles and guidelines for democratic elections, citing the barring of opposition candidates.